In 2018, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort updated their versions of Pirates of the Caribbean to make the ride more respectful toward female Disney Park guests. What was once a sexist “wench” auction scene became a show of independence–Walt Disney Imagineers reimagined the auctioned bride animatronics into swashbuckling female pirates selling stolen chickens and other goods.
Though not the first change to Pirates of the Caribbean (Walt Disney Imagineering created Captain Jack Sparrow/Johnny Depp animatronics for the attraction in the mid-2000s), the auction scene update was definitely the most controversial. Some nostalgic Disney Parks fans felt a historic ride shouldn’t change, while others welcomed the feminist twist.
Still, some Disney Park guests found even the updated version of Pirates of the Caribbean too offensive for modern cultural standards. Last year, a woman went viral for sharing her discomfort at the male pirate animatronics objectifying her.
“I just think this is kind of a weird ride,” she explained. “I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey.”
Her opinion amassed widespread backlash, but the Disney Park guest wasn’t alone.
“It feels like we’re the entertainment for them and I do not like it,” one Disney Parks fan commented.
“I always felt violated on this ride,” another replied.
However, historical documents contradict some fans’ views of Pirates of the Caribbean. Although some early concept art of the ride showed offensive depictions of women, other recently unearthed drawings show that Walt Disney Imagineers considered including female pirates in the original Pirates of the Caribbean.
Redditor u/JoyIsABitOverrated recently shared five depictions of women living as pirates from original concept art for the attraction:
Pirate Women in the original POTC concept art!
Pirate Women in the original POTC concept art!
byu/JoyIsABitOverRated inDisneyland
“People complain a lot about the modern [pirate] Red head (personally, I like her a lot), but even in its inception, they’ve been thinking of implementing pirate women in the ride,” the Disney Parks fan wrote. “Probably because around that time, a lot more pirate women were showcased in Hollywood movies.”
“People often make assumptions about how things are or were ‘meant’ to be, and are often surprised by the reality of things,” u/chiangku replied.
Which version of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride auction scene do you prefer? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments.
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