Character in "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction forced to walk the plank at Disney World – DisneyDining

Captain Jack Sparrow played by the incomparable and uber-talented Johnny Depp is perhaps one of the most recognizable characters from a Disney ride experience and film franchise outside of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and hes only been around for about 20 years.

Captain Jack is the star of The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort, but he wasnt always a part of the ride. Neither the Disneyland version nor the Disney World version of the attraction featured the savvy Jack Sparrow when they first debuted in March 1967 and December 1973, respectively.

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Adventureland was the first Disney attraction to ever inspire a film franchise. Inside the Wonderful World of Disney, its usually the other way around: a film is released, fans go wild, an attraction is created at a Disney Park. (So, where is our Encanto attraction?)

On July 7, 2006, the second film in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest debuted at the box office, and exceptionally life-like animatronic Captain Jack Sparrows debuted at Disneyland and Disney World.

But the attraction is a first for other reasons as well, unfortunately. To date, Disney Parks has yet to host an attraction other than Pirates of the Caribbean in which the actor portrayed on the ride was canceled by The Walt Disney Company (and might this writer add, canceled prematurely).

Oddly enough, though Disney has reportedly scrapped plans to keep Johnny Depp on as Captain Jack Sparrow in any future installments of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, the House of Mouse has not pulled Depps likeness from its Disney Parks attractions, and merchandise inspired by the films continued to roll off the shelves, as if on a conveyor belt.

[Disney] didnt remove my character from the rides, Depp said. They didnt stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didnt stop selling anything. They just didnt want there to be something trailing behind me that theyd find.

During his testimony, Johnny Depp said that The Walt Disney Company parted ways with him in 2018, shortly after Amber Heards allegations of abuse.

Two years had gone by of constant worldwide talk about me being this wife-beater, Depp said from the stand. So Im sure that Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe. The #MeToo movement was in full swing at that point.

Depps likeness as Captain Jack Sparrow remains a part of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disney Parks, and at this time, theres been no mention of extracting the animatronic Johnny Depp/Captain Jacks from the rides.

Depp has recently spoken publicly about the fallout of cancel culture, gleaning from his own personal experience.But Captain Jack isnt the only character from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction that has faced cancel culture.

Per Disney Fandom, the original Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland Resort was originally conceived as a wax museum and a walk-through adventure. But following the success of Walt Disneys Carousel of Progress at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair, Walt Disney and his team of Imagineers decided that audio-animatronics, his latest animation technology, was the most imaginative way to tell a rousing pirate story.

When the attraction opened at Walt Disney Worldin December 1973, it did so with a myriad of scurvy pirates singing Yo Ho Ho, just like they do today. But Disney forced one of the original swashbuckling buccaneers to walk the plank after only two years on the ship.

His name was Peg Leg Pete, and he walked the plank in 1975.

No word on how he earned his peg leg or why Disney removed him from the attraction.

And though were sorry the pirate birdy was forced off the plank, we are grateful that Captain Jack remains in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, and we are very hopeful that his likeness will remain!

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Character in "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction forced to walk the plank at Disney World - DisneyDining