A sudden shutdown of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park on Sunday left guests stranded on board the controversial ride.
A Temporary Closure After a Complicated History
Pirates of the Caribbean has been a staple of Disneyland Park since its debut in 1967, later inspiring versions in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Over the years, the beloved attraction has seen significant changes, including the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow animatronics in the 2000s and the 2018 overhaul of the infamous bride auction scene, which replaced its “wench for a bride” storyline with Captain Redd, a fierce female pirate.
While some Disney Parks fans praised the updates for making the ride more culturally sensitive, others argued that altering a classic attraction to align with modern values erased a piece of Disney history. Controversy resurfaced in 2023 when one guest’s viral comments about feeling uncomfortable on the ride gained traction online.
“I just think this is kind of a weird ride. I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey,” the guest said in a now-deleted video.
The online reaction was swift, with some defending the ride‘s place in Disney history and others agreeing with the sentiment.
“It feels like we’re the entertainment for them and I do not like it,” one woman commented.
“I always felt violated on this ride,” another replied.
Disneyland Guests Trapped on Pirates of the Caribbean
On February 16, Pirates of the Caribbean unexpectedly broke down, leaving a boatful of guests stuck in the attraction for more than 30 minutes. One of those guests, Reddit user u/cuber-sub30, shared their frustration online.
“Been here for the last 5-10 minutes, still haven’t moved,” they wrote.
Their boat reportedly stopped just before the final lift hill to the unloading platform, and it remains unclear whether Disney cast members evacuated the guests or restarted the ride to get them moving again.
Disneyland Resort frequently experiences temporary ride closures due to technical malfunctions, but it rarely releases details on specific causes. Pirates of the Caribbean later reopened and was operational at the time of this article’s publication.
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This “politically correct” world we live in is getting out of hand. I’ve ridden that ride since I was 3 years old. I’m 55 years old now and I have NEVER felt violated. That’s always been my favorite ride ever. People are too sensitive and take life too serious now. Get over it
I agree. It is my favorite ride. The over delicate need not ride. Just don’t mess with it for those of us who enjoy it. I do like the female pirate but not the stupid reason for it but for the fact there were female pirates
I’ve been to Disneyland all through my life and Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my favorite rides and I’m a woman!! I’d rather have historically correct rides than politically correct rides. There is nothing wrong with the ride. People need to know their history, and if they knew how pirates REALLY were, they would have a much greater respect of the ride. If you don’t like it, then don’t ride the ride. Disney needs to stop trying to make the 1% happy. It’s going to be their downfall.