The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride Is Finally Getting Rid of That Awkward Auction

By Kelsey Garcia
Flickr user paulsynnott
Flickr user paulsynnott

Disney announced that it would be updating its Pirates of the Caribbean attraction to remove a particularly offensive scene. In Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the ride currently features a troubling scene in which women are being auctioned. A woman in red (often referred to as "the Redhead") stands at the front of the line as a banner hanging above reads, "Auction, take a wench for a bride."

On June 29, Disney shared an official blog post that detailed the coming changes to the auction scene. "We believe the time is right to turn the page to a new story in this scene, consistent with the humorous, adventurous spirit of the attraction," Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said.

According to an initial sketch, the new banner will read, "Auction, surrender yer loot." Instead of being roped up, the woman in red will now carry a rifle in her new role as a pirate. The surrounding women will also be replaced by townspeople surrendering their belongings, as the sign enforces.

In a statement from Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Vice President Kathy Mangum, we learn a little more about the Redhead's new role:

Our team thought long and hard about how to best update this scene. Given the redhead has long been a fan favorite, we wanted to keep her as a pivotal part of the story, so we made her a plundering pirate! We think this keeps to the original vision of the attraction as envisioned by Marc Davis, X Atencio, and the other Disney legends who first brought this classic to life.

Disneyland Paris will debut the new scene to visitors when the ride reopens on July 24. Meanwhile, in the United States, Disneyland and Walt Disney World will make the change in 2018.

It's important to note that this isn't the first change the Pirates of the Caribbean ride has undergone. In one scene that has since been removed, men would chase women around a house. Now, the women carry trays of food so that it looks as though the men simply want the food. See a rendering of the new scene below.