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Credit: Ed Aguila, Inside the MagicDisneyland Resort’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride has once again offended theme park guests–but not in the way you might think.
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most historic, but divisive Disney Park attractions. Versions of the boat ride at Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom Park, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland entertain thousands of guests daily. However, some Disney Parks fans have sworn off the attraction for good.
Walt Disney Imagineers first changed Pirates of the Caribbean in the 2000s, incorporating Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) animatronics throughout the ride as an homage to the film series it inspired. In the late 2010s, Imagineering updated the attraction’s bride auction scene, turning the brides-for-sale animatronics into independent female pirates.
This was the first significant change to spark controversy about Pirates of the Caribbean. Although the attraction remains as popular as ever, some Disney Parks fans weren’t happy to see some of its rougher elements go. Still, others felt Walt Disney Imagineers didn’t do enough to bring the ride into the 21st century.
In 2023, a now-deleted viral TikTok sparked discussion about women’s experiences riding Pirates of the Caribbean. One Disney Park guest said she felt ogled by the male animatronics, calling the attraction “rapey.” Others agreed.
“It feels like we’re the entertainment for them and I do not like it,” one commenter said.
“I always felt violated on this ride,” another replied.
Now, Pirates of the Caribbean has offended dozens of Disneyland Park guests…but not because of its content.
On December 27, TikTok user @blaisemadison shared two videos after getting stuck on the New Orleans Square ride. The Disney Park guest said watching the same scene repeatedly was “nightmare core”:
@blaisemadison The song is engrained in me now 😃 #piratesofthecaribbean #disney #disneyland #ride
“The song is engrained in me now,” the TikToker wrote.
Later, the guest shared what it was like to see Pirates of the Caribbean with the music off and overhead lights on, calling it “nightmare fuel”:
@blaisemadison Nightmare fuel #pirates #piratesofthecaribbean #disneyland #disney #ride
In the video, Disney cast members walked along the ride’s emergency exit platform. However, it’s unclear if guests were evacuated.
Disneyland Resort rarely publicizes the reasons for ride breakdowns, and this situation was no exception. Pirates of the Caribbean eventually reopened and operated normally following the incident.
Should Walt Disney Imagineers update Pirates of the Caribbean again? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments.