Disneyland: Why You Can't Ride Pirates of the Caribbean This Spring
You won't be able to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland this spring. The reason behind the ride's closure is a simple one, as it is currently closed for refurbishment. The Pirates of the Caribbean ride is scheduled to re-open in the summer.
On Disneyland's official site, the announcement says that the Pirates of the Caribbean ride would be closed starting on March 14. While they did not share an official re-opening date, they did say that park-goers can expect to enjoy the attraction again starting in "early summer." They also wrote that fans can stay tuned to the site for updates. The Pirates of the Caribbean ride is one of the most popular at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
According to Disney, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride first opened on March 18, 1967. The attraction has the privilege of being the last one that Walt Disney participated in designing. It launched three months after his death. A ride of the same name opened in Walt Disney World in 1973, two years after the park debuted in Orlando, Florida. Versions of the attraction also exist in Tokyo Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. While many rides at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World are based on existing Disney characters and films, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride actually inspired the film series of the same name.
The closure of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride comes not too long after the attraction caused several park-goers to be stuck for over an hour. Inside the Magic reported that on Halloween night in 2021, firefighters were called to the scene after the ride experienced a malfunction. After an hour and a half, guests were able to be evacuated. The Orange County Register provided further details on the incident, including accounts from those who were stuck on the ride.
The publication reported that they had to view the same animatronic scenes for 30 minutes while employees tried to restart the ride. After that point, Disneyland turned on the lights and turned off the attraction's music. Even though they turned off the ride while they were stuck, guests still had to view one scene of animatronic women chasing pirates for the entirety of the 90-minute-long situation. Those who were closer to land were able to be evacuated quickly. But, those who were stuck in the middle of the water during the boat ride had a longer wait before being evacuated.