Disney Fans Oppose What They Call the ‘New Jack Sparrow’

Disney fans are pretty intense and will gladly admit to trying to bully the company into some of its entertainment decisions, especially when it comes to classic Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World ride characters. Recent decisions have fans worried that Disney has lost its storytelling touch. The Pirates of the Caribbean fandom is so passionate about Johnny Depp that they’d rather see him abandon his iconic Jack Sparrow role than forgive Disney for turning its back on him during his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.

Theme Park Guests are equally appalled at who they’re calling ‘the new Jack Sparrow.’ Enter Haunted Mansion’s 2023 live-action film adaption, starring Jared Leto as the fan-favorite Hatbox Ghost.

Credit: Disney

Fans Call Jared Leto’s Hatbox Ghost the New Jack Sparrow

Walt Disney World just announced that a wildly popular ride character from the Disneyland Haunted Mansion attraction will FINALLY be coming to the Magic Kingdom version! Fans of the Florida Disney Park have been begging Disney to bring this character to the East Coast for years and are finally getting what they wanted…well, mostly.

The Hatbox Ghost is a ghostly figure that adds to the spooky immersion of the Haunted Mansion ride. The character gained a cult following after being removed for technical difficulties and never returning. After decades of anticipation, the Hatbox Ghost returned to Disneyland in 2015 with improved technology and special effects. The haunted Hatbox Ghost now seamlessly transitions from holding an empty hatbox to having his head magically disappear from his body, only to reappear inside the hatbox.

Credit: Disney

With the release of the new Haunted Mansion film, Disney World is finally getting its own version! While the fans are glad it won’t actually resemble Jared Leto, die-hards are wildly unhappy about the ghost’s placement in the attraction and liken it to when the Pirates of the Caribbean ride threw Johnny Depp’s movie character in various scenes because of big screen success.

Why are People So Mad About the Hatbox Ghost’s Placement?

According to the storytelling of the ride, which Disney used to hold in the highest regard, ghosts in the Haunted Mansion don’t materialize until Madame Leota calls to them, which happens during the attraction itself. However, Disney World announced that its Hatbox Ghost will appear during the endless hallway scene, which is one of the first spooky scenes after loading into the doom buggy – AKA way before meeting Leota.

Well that certainly is an interesting choice of placement. pic.twitter.com/0ianZeG5q7

— Ghost Host (@TheGhostHost) July 28, 2023

And Guests are NOT here for the plot line inconsistency. Here are just a FEW examples:

So the narration that Leota’s seance enables the ghosts to appear in human form doesn’t make sense anymore. Glad story and quality standards are just thrown out the window now.

— Nick Castellina (@NCastellina) July 28, 2023

https://twitter.com/felipezam/status/1684943829579812864?s=20

https://twitter.com/AFelipeAmaya/status/1684985445929627661?s=20

@DisneyParks this breaks the whole story of the mansion, why?

— Bradley McMaster (@BradleyMcMaste7) July 28, 2023

Just go back to the drawing board on this one and move his location to later in the ride. How could you guys get the location so wrong!!

— Patricksfamilyadventures (@EatingDisney81) July 28, 2023

1. He belongs in the attic.
2. That's way too early into the ride.
3. He should be after Leota like the rest of the ghosts.

— Wyatt Evans (@WyattEvans44) July 28, 2023

Why can't you follow your own ride's story? At least pretend to care for a minute.

— Fiora (@Fiora_lives) July 28, 2023

I… what? Did y’all forget that Madame Leota’s seance is what allows the ghosts to materialize?

— SPSeesAndEats (@spseesandeats) July 28, 2023

We bullied disney into bringing back the debney soundtrack for phantom manor. We can bully them again into correcting the location of the hatbox ghost

— idk1885 (@idk1885) July 28, 2023

Disney Fans have spoken, they want the Hatbox Ghost in the attic! What would Jack Sparrow have to say??

In other words, they're doing the same thing they did when they added Jack Sparrow to Pirates at Disneyland Paris pic.twitter.com/E7OWb1O08F

— Haunted Serenade – Kyle, Your Tiki Bird/Ghost Host (@GhostHostKyle99) July 29, 2023

Well, that's…a little concerning. The Hatbox Ghost is the apparently new Jack Sparrow. What, he's going to pop up half a dozen times throughout the ride now? 😒

— Michael J (@astro_toaster) July 28, 2023