“Prince Charming” Rescues Stranded Guests During Viral Disney World Evacuation Encounter

A viral video is floating online involving a Disney World cast member and an evacuation effort at the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

While magic is present around every corner at Walt Disney World Resort, the Central Florida location does occasionally experience a dose of the real world.

In more recent times, that is, the period following the pandemic shutdown and the rise and fall of Bob Chapek, Disney park guests are becoming increasingly disgruntled with the operation at the Disney resort.

With Bob Iger back in the CEO saddle, Disney World’s rising costs, as well as the recent (and surprising) overhaul of its fledgling Disney Genie+ offering, has left a sour taste in even the most ardent theme park fans’ mouths.

From the erasure of Splash Mountain to the arrival of the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass and the soaring cost of ticket admission, there is a lot of change happening at Disney’s park in the Sunshine State. More recently, the parks have seemed quiet for the summer season.

Unlike Disneyland Paris, though, which is seemingly experiencing less foot traffic thanks to the Paris Olympics, Disney World’s slower days appear to be linked to the recent bout of extremely hot weather.

Hot weather is a given in Florida so guests are likely to be well-equipped for the warmer days. What isn’t a given, however, is getting stuck and subsequently evacuated from attractions, transforming a visitor’s overall Disney experience.

It happens occasionally, and the Disney parks are well-equipped to deal with malfunctions and breakdowns while guests are riding, but it is still exciting or disappointing (depending on how you look at it) when errors occur.

For one group of guests, their time aboard the seas in Adventureland’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction ended prematurely. When this happens, cast members will don huge waders and guide the guest-carrying boats back to the exit.

A recent video went viral, with people in the comments not paying attention to the drama unfolding with the evacuation but to the cast member who was dealing with the process. Daniella Marie (@daniella.mariee) posted the evacuation footage to TikTok, which has since gone viral, amassing 1.2 million views and over 85,000 likes.

we wete [sic: were] stuck for an hour #piratesofthecaribbean #disneyworld #magickingdom

@daniella.mariee

we wete stuck for an hour 😵‍💫 #piratesofthecaribbean #disneyworld #magickingdom

♬ original sound – daniella marie

But the video’s virality was not because of what you may expect.

Despite the caption reading that guests were stranded for an hour, viewers were captivated by the cast member rescuing the boat. Here is just a small selection of the 946 comments, many of which focused on the individual:

• “Brb gonna go get stranded on Pirates of the Caribbean”
• “So he’s strong, works well under pressure, AND funny?”
• “HELP IM DROWNING SAVE ME”
• “How can I get stuck for an hour with him?”
• “So suddenly I’d be drowning.”
• “Oh, if that’s who’s rescuing me, POTC can break down every time.”
• “Looks like I’m gonna have to loosen a few bolts the next time I’m in that ride”
• “Got rescued by Prince Charming, I see”

How would you react if this cast member rescued you at Pirates of the Caribbean?

Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World Resort

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Walt Disney World Resort is a classic and beloved dark ride located in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom park.

The original Pirates of the Caribbean ride debuted at Disneyland in California on March 18, 1967. It was one of the last attractions that Walt Disney himself supervised, though it opened three months after his death in December 1966.

Due to the popularity of the Disneyland version, a similar attraction was planned for Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida.

The Florida version opened on December 15, 1973, over two years after the Magic Kingdom’s opening in October 1971. It remains one of the most popular Magic Kingdom attractions, famed for its water and ghost lore.

The ride is renowned for its use of advanced (for the time) Audio-Animatronics, which bring the pirate characters and animals to life.

Following the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series that began in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the ride was updated in 2006 to include characters from the films, such as Captain Jack Sparrow (portrayed by Johnny Depp), Captain Barbossa, and Davy Jones.

Pirates of the Caribbean remains one of the most iconic and enduring attractions at Walt Disney World. Despite its inherent connection to the controversial Johnny Depp figure, it continues to draw large crowds and inspire merchandise, media, and other theme park attractions worldwide.

Depp was ousted from his role as Jack Sparrow following highly publicized legal battles with his ex-wife, Amber Heard, centering on domestic abuse allegations.

Related: Two Women Confined on Pirates of the Caribbean After Eerie Attraction Tragedy

Despite this, the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Walt Disney World continues to enchant guests with its timeless adventure and richly detailed environments, solidifying its place in Disney’s history and popular culture.

And its evolution hasn’t stopped.

Disney World Updates Entire Lands and Attractions

Disney recently closed the Tortuga Tavern dining location located just outside the Adventureland ride to make way for Magic Kingdom’s first-ever lounge, themed around Pirates of the Caribbean. Walt Disney Imagineering Chief Chris Beatty officially announced the lounge at last year’s Destination D23 event at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

“A new Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge is coming to Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park,” wrote D23 on X (formerly Twitter). “This first-of-its-kind experience will extend the story of Pirates of the Caribbean. Imagineers are in the design process now—more details to come in the future!”

Disney specializes in extending attraction stories into new spaces. Synergy is a key part of the brand’s identity, and dedicated fans of Pirates of the Caribbean will surely be intrigued by this upcoming location.

Similarly, Disney has updated its eight-decade-long Princess legacy, confirming months ago that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure—the Splash Mountain replacement ride in Frontierland—is a direct sequel to The Princess and the Frog (2009). Then, earlier in 2024, the House of Mouse also revealed that the divisive Disney World attraction will also be a canon to the upcoming Tiana Disney+ series.

Related: New: Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6: Judgement Day’ Starring Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Goes Viral

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’s opening is just one of a series of updates coming to Walt Disney World Resort.

From Test Track’s renovation at EPCOT, which is gaining steam thanks to new permits filed in July, to the DinoLand U.S.A. overhaul at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The team at Walt Disney Imagineering recently addressed the transformation of the DinoLand, U.S.A. area as it readies to welcome the Encanto and Indiana Jones franchises.

Have you ever been evacuated from a Walt Disney World attraction? Let us know in the comments down below!