We all have fantasies of being a pirate. The open sea, plundering treasure, sinking ships….wait, repeat that last part? Apparently if you want to be a pirate, you need to learn how to bail your vessel! Disneyland patrons had to be evacuated from Pirates of the Caribbean when their boat began to take on water. Park guest Justin James posted a video to Tiktok that promptly went viral.
The video shows boats stuck near the entrance, and the water filling the bottom of a boat. Apparently, they were stuck for an hour before park firefighters could help. The stranded park-goers were able to disembark using a gangplank and portable stairs. The video chides that there was a bit of “Six Flags energy” from the incident, alluding to the roller coaster park’s reputation for breakdowns and ride stalls.
To their point, there used to be a time where the boats on Pirates of the Caribbean could actually sail smoothly through the ride without bumping into one another, or stopping. If you’re over 30, you’ll remember when you could see a full boat’s length between vehicles. It’s a common complaint that the ride is far too crowded. At 15 minutes, it’s the second-longest ride, right behind Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The difference being the latter’s length is on purpose.
Jettison Some Boats, Disney
Pirates of the Caribbean used to be an average of 9 minutes and 30 seconds. But there seems to be an insistence to cram as many guests into the ride as possible. Also using many, many boats, which has turned the attraction into a slog. Boats often scrape against the track and bottom as they’re crushed between one another. “I don’t get why they were cramming us like sardines in there,” James replied to a comment.
Guests were reimbursed with $30 for new socks and Lightning Lane passes for their trouble. But, really, for a ride that’s 56-years-old, it’s suffering from the stress of too many people. Less wait time isn’t worth the crammed stop-and-start of what used to be a smooth ride. Trust us, Disney, patrons will still ride if you take out some boats to free up some much-needed space.
