Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean left guests stranded last night after a breakdown brought the beloved attraction to a sudden halt.
Pirates of the Caribbean has been a Disneyland staple since 1967, taking guests on a boat ride through a world of swashbuckling pirates, burning villages, and hidden treasure. The attraction – known for its lifelike animatronics and immersive sets – most famously inspired the blockbuster film franchise starring Johnny Depp. Despite updates over the years, including the addition of Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, it remains one of the park’s most iconic and enduring rides.
The ride’s mix of storytelling and spectacle has made it a fan favorite, but its age means occasional breakdowns aren’t uncommon. Boats sometimes get backed up, leaving guests stalled in eerie silence among animatronic pirates. While minor malfunctions are usually resolved quickly, more serious issues – like boats getting stuck or requiring manual intervention – can lead to unexpected chaos.
That was the case last night when guests found themselves stranded on the attraction.
Pirates of the Caribbean Suffers Major Malfunction at Disneyland
While riding Pirates of the Caribbean on March 18, some guests found themselves stuck for over 40 minutes.
One Reddit user shared a video of the situation, with multiple boats stalled back-to-back on the Adventureland attraction.
Pirates of the Caribbean got stuck for 40+ minutes
byu/ThaTrillKnight inDisneyland
Reports indicate that five cast members were present during the incident, but only one stepped into the water to push three boats back to a safe disembarkation point. While one guest criticized the response as inefficient, others speculated that park protocols may limit how many cast members can enter the water at once or require specific training for such situations.
“Only so many people are allowed to go into the water in waders and push boats,” said one user, who claimed to be a former lead and trainer on Pirates of the Caribbean. “Some people have to stay on land and pull the boats with hooks (arguably harder than pushing in the water) and some have to manually release the brakes to allow boats to be pushed. Everyone has a specific job they need to do to get people out. Among the many reasons, some people have bad backs and can’t push boats. Others are too tall, or can’t fit in the waders. Stop complaining about things you don’t know anything about.”
Wait times were significantly longer than usual for Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park yesterday. As Inside the Magic previously reported, the queue stretched nearly as far as Haunted Mansion. While this was initially attributed to spring break bringing in more guests than usual, we can’t imagine that this breakdown helped matters.
Evacuations at Disney Parks
When it comes to ride breakdowns at Disneyland, Pirates of the Caribbean is far from the worst. Some guests even hope for a stoppage to catch hidden details in the elaborate sets, such as the many animatronics (some of which went missing from one version of the ride recently) aboard Pirates of the Caribbean.
Evacuations can also be far more intense on other attractions, such as Disney California Adventure Park’s Incredicoaster where guests may have to walk along the tracks more than 100 feet in the air – an experience that we’d argue is far more nerve-wracking than waiting for a boat to be pushed to safety.
Have you ever been evacuated from a ride at Disney?
The post Pirates of the Caribbean Suffers Major Malfunction, Guests Document Stressful Situation appeared first on Inside the Magic.
