Disney Dining Serving up the latest Disney Eats, Treats, News, and More!
Disneyland Resort guests were forced to hop from boat to boat on Tuesday to evacuate the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. In recent years, the historic Disneyland Park attraction has faced numerous maintenance issues and public criticism for its rough theming.
This Adventureland dark ride opened in 1967 and later reappeared in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, and Shanghai Disneyland. The Pirates of the Caribbean attractions have undergone numerous changes, from retrofitting Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) animatronics into existing scenes to turning an auctioned bride animatronic into an independent female pirate.
Credit: Disney
Naturally, some nostalgic Disney Parks fans dismissed the latter change as “wokeness” or “political correctness.” However, the feminist change marked a turning point in Disney theme park history: Walt Disney Imagineering favored the happiness of minority guests over those who demanded no Pirates of the Caribbean update. After all, as Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward.”
The auction scene update spurred hope among some fans who feel Pirates of the Caribbean is still an offensive ride. One guest, for example, shared that she felt ogled by the male pirate animatronics.
Credit: Disney
“I just think this is kind of a weird ride,” the woman said after leaving Disneyland Park. “I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey.”
However, fans’ opinions might not be what forces Walt Disney Imagineers to refresh Pirates of the Caribbean. The Disneyland Park ride breaks down frequently, and restarting it takes a while. Some attractions pause momentarily before resuming, but Inside the Magic sees Disney cast members evacuate guests from Pirates of the Caribbean more often than other rides. Earlier this month, dozens of guests were trapped on boats for more than two hours.
Credit: Inside the Magic
On Tuesday, Disney cast members again evacuated dozens of Disneyland Resort guests from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. For unknown reasons, guests were required to hop from boat to boat until they reached a place where Disney cast members could help them. Usually, cast members walk through the water with rubber waders and pull guests’ boats to safety.
Kendall (@kendallnhall on TikTok) shared a short video of her experience climbing through the ride and exiting backstage. Dozens of management cast members awaited the guests as they finally made it outside.
@kendallnhall scariest and coolest ride to get stuck on. we legit had to jump from boat to boat to get to an exit 😭 #fyp #disneyland #disney
The video shows cast members shining flashlights as guests climb from boat to boat. Once the guests made it on “shore,” cast members escorted them through a backstage locker room and back into an “onstage” area of Disneyland Park.
“Scariest and coolest ride to get stuck on,” the guest wrote. “We legit had to jump from boat to boat to get to an exit.”
Credit: Disney
Pirates of the Caribbean has reopened as of this article’s publication. Guests who missed Lightning Lane reservations can return to the attraction at any time.
Have you ever had a scary experience while evacuating a Disney Park ride? Share your story with us in the comments.
This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.
