Fans furious over Disney's PC Pirates of the Caribbean ride makeover
Disney has made an absolute mint turning its Pirates of the Caribbean theme-park attraction into a blockbuster film franchise — which, after five installments, has grossed more than $4.5 billion globally. And unsurprisingly, that success has led to changes to the original itself, namely via the inclusion of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. But now even further alterations are coming to the beloved ride, and some fans are up in arms about it.
In June 2017, Disney announced that it was going to be updating Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris with, among other things, enhanced “Audio-Animatronics” figures, special effects, costumes, and the promise that those alterations would soon make their way to the U.S. parks in California and Florida. Of those many tweaks, the most notable had to do with the “Bride Auction” scene, which was retooled so that “the Redhead,” the female character previously depicted as being up for sale by pirates, is now a pirate herself and in charge of auctioning off stolen loot (as seen in the artist’s rendering above).
Given that some found Disney’s 2006 Captain Jack Sparrow-fication of the ride objectionable, it’s no surprise that many fans took to Twitter to chide the Mouse House for succumbing to what they saw as a move driven by political correctness — and/or for simply forgetting that pirates are, by their very nature, supposed to be old-school inappropriate.
It will now be called the Sensitive Swashbuckler ride. Social Justice posters and pamphlets will take the place of cannons and pirates. Of course no more water for the environment so the boats will have wheels and the hills will be taken out.
— Pointe Gard (@Pgard587) March 15, 2018
There's lots of gun violence on the ride and notable intoxication it should all be cancelled just close the park
— Nancy Geiger (@NancyGeiger19) March 15, 2018
Wait what about all the drunk pirates drinking and carrying on? What about all the guns being fired by intoxicated people and lawlessness? Just close the ride please.
— Scott J (@Enola925) March 15, 2018
The Pirates of the Caribbean includes themes like pillaging a town – arson, theft, armed violence, drinking, assault. These themes will remain without the Bride Auction. Tell me again how one thing is NOT acceptable, but the rest is? Do you change all of it? Where does it end? pic.twitter.com/CoHhSmcfcn
— Jessica Rabbit News (@InkAndPaintClub) February 25, 2018
Are you kidding me?! No!!! That’s my favorite ride! I ride it first every single time I go! Now I can’t even go for a few months probably and I have to lose part of the ride over some cry baby b.s…. I hate the world these days.
— Koopa (@KoopaHookah) March 15, 2018
Pirates did this in real life… Does… Does Disney even KNOW what a pirate is!?
— Ed Nordrike Parker (@gonordrike) March 14, 2018
Better remove the Dumbo ride cause elephants should not be used as entertainment animals …..
— Victoria (@Its_Roux) March 14, 2018
The all-new Pirates of the Caribbean ride will debut at Orlando, Fla.’s Walt Disney World park later this week, on March 18. Meanwhile, Anaheim, Calif.’s Disneyland will close the attraction for renovations beginning on April 23, with no reopening date yet set.
What say you, readers — are you happy with these updates to the swashbuckling Disney theme-park staple?
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