Another Incident Reported on Disney’s “Offensive” Pirates of the Caribbean Ride
The Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Magic Kingdom Park made headlines again recently when a guest shared their experience evacuating the attraction after it abruptly shut down. For nearly an hour, dozens of riders were stuck onboard, waiting as Disney cast members managed the situation.
This isn’t the first time the Pirates of the Caribbean ride has sparked conversation. Over the years, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort have made several changes to the decades-old attraction. These include the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) animatronics and modifications to the controversial bride auction scene. The female animatronics, once portrayed as brides-for-sale, have since been reimagined as independent pirates, reflecting a more culturally sensitive approach.
Despite these updates, debate continues among Disney Parks fans. Some argue that the changes sanitize the harsher realities of piracy too much, while others feel the ride hasn’t gone far enough in addressing problematic content.
Pirates of the Caribbean Controversy
In 2023, a woman went viral for expressing discomfort over the male pirate animatronics’ gaze during the ride.
“I just think this is kind of a weird ride,” she said. “I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey.”
Her comments sparked widespread discussion, with some women sharing feelings of violation and frustration. One commenter wrote that the pirates’ stares made her feel “violated,” while another said, “It feels like we’re the entertainment for them and I do not like it.”
Recent Ride Evacuation
On May 21, Reddit user u/Brandodude posted photos from their time trapped on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. After some time, Disney cast members switched on the overhead lights and powered down the animatronics, creating a quieter environment for the stranded guests.
Eventually, cast members donned waders and navigated the ride’s water to escort the boats backward to an emergency evacuation platform. Guests were then led through backstage areas before being safely returned to Adventureland.
“Saw a cool deer next to the raggedy porta potties out back,” the guest wrote.
As compensation for the unexpected delay, Disney cast members provided the evacuated guests with two Lightning Lane passes. Although these skip-the-line passes did not cover top-tier Magic Kingdom Park attractions like TRON Lightcycle / Run or Space Mountain, the guest described the experience positively: “It was cool to experience, I enjoyed. Always wanted to. Makes me want to take a tour! We got two fast passes for the trouble but mediocre ones not even for tron or space mountain or tianas.”
Walt Disney World Resort has not publicly commented on the cause of the evacuation. However, the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction eventually reopened and was functioning normally as of this article’s publication.
Have you ever gotten stuck on a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort attraction? Disney Dining would love to hear about your experience in the comments!
IF THESE STUPID INSENSITIVE WOMEN FELT SO UNCOMFORTABLE OF PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN RIDE THEN Don’t RIDE IT NO ONE FORCES YOU POOR “WOMEN” to feel uncomfortable heavens to bitsy so please do the people who LOVE one of the Most Famous Rides EVER a BIG FAVOR STAY AWAY GO RIDE DUMBO INSTEAD you tourists are just too much always coming up with your crap
Right on
My thoughts exactly. This ride is one of my favorite rides. I was extremely upset when they changed it a couple of years ago due to woke ideology!!
Absolutely agree
No one forced them to ride it
Everything in life is a choice so don’t ride it if you’re uncomfortable or if you don’t like it
My thoughts exactly, Why ruin the history of the ride, Just don’t ride it if you are that sensitive, because you folks are too annoying anyway. enjoy the ride for what it is and the time period it took place in, stop trying to bring everything into todays world.
thank you.
I agree. How does a doll, for lack of a better word, make you feel “rapey.” Ridiculous! It’s a damn ride. I was on it recently and have to say it’s lost some of its shine. If these women knew the true history of pirates, they’d then know that Pirates of the Caribbean is tame compared to the truth. They need to educate themselves.
Seriously though with all the stuff going on in the world this is what you’re worried about a ride? Also there are times that I see a headline that I don’t agree with or I might see a food I don’t like, I don’t ask the newspaper to change it I don’t ask the restaurant to change it I just don’t partake. Also there are a couple rides that I just don’t like, I’m not sitting here yelling at Disney needs to reimagine the ride just because I don’t like it, guess what I don’t go on it. I’m an adult.
Oh for Pete’s sake,put on your big girl pants!!.Stop with everything is offense to us.You already destroyed the most loved ride in the park “Splash Mountain”,with your Racist remarks!.DISNEY better start listening to the majority of Park attendees,which are Families.We once we’re Loved Disney Fans,we even Honeymooned at Disneyland 49 years ago.We vacationed many times with our kids at Disneyland,but you are now so politically motivated we will no longer support you
Are these types of complaints sent to Disney are from woman with suppressed feelings from something from there past ? How many complaints does Disneey need to make changes to a ride ?
The ride doesn’t have to be for everyone
If you don’t like the ride, and that’s your opinion,
simply DON’T ride it and try to spoil it for everyone over your lonely opinion
Totally agree! Just stop with these ridiculous comments. Now it’s pirate animatronics staring at you? Give me a break.
Love Disney HYPOCRISY..grab your popcorn.. let’s get rid of redhead auction scene in PotC but let’s open a park in Abu Dhabi where women are second class citizens SMH..it’s truly astounding.. you can’t make this stuff up!
Well hell, I’m waiting for some idiotic individual to claim the hippos on the Jungle Cruise are gazing at them in a sexual manner!🤣
I actually did get a few looks from a hippo on the Jungle Cruise…not many men find me attractive, so I was pleasantly surprised.
It’s only a ride get over it. Lady go back and play with your Barney Doll.
My son and were stuck on pirates 35 years ago. Right where, dead men tell no tales, it played the whole time we were stuck, about 35 minutes. I’m surprised that people aren’t offended by that part. Grow up people, if you don’t like something, don’t go on the ride. We got free parking passes, at the time parking was 5.oo dollars.i still have the pass, I wonder if they would honor it 😊
Dems & Libs want to change history because they are bad people, so Dems & Libs should not be allowed in any parks.
No, it’s religious fanatics. I’m a democrat and I’m smart enough to know they are animatronics depicting a cleaned up history.
Give me back the brides… and the redhead.
Jess
What is it about Pirates that “offends” you? Everytime you do an article about pirates you label it offensive and mention the same incident where ONE person made a comment. Are you sure your even a Disney fan?? you seem to have issues with most of your reporting.
You’re creeped out about robotic male dummies staring at you? Hahaha
What is this? Some type of toy story or small soldiers on rides now hahaha
Why is it that other smaller groups can complain and get what they want? Karen’s!!! What about the rest of us? We’re offended that you think it’s offensive. But nooo. You have to add to this woke environment you created. I think the rest of us should create an anti-woke movement to restore what”WE” were deprived due to a smaller group that is offended for some reason.
I call on everyone else to create the anti-woke movement that we are offended by the woke initiative..I guarantee you, there are more of us poe, there are more of us
It is really wild that someone was made uncomfortable by an animatronic. I think Disney has to stop being inclusive. What I mean is, not everything can be made accessible or acceptable to EVERYONE. The Tea Cups make me dizzy, should they make them not spin now just for me? Skip the ride if offends you. You don’t fit? You can’t ride. The line is too overwhelming for your kid, maybe this isn’t the theme park for you. Sometimes you just have to accept things and move on.