On June 26, after an almost two-month closure for refurbishment, Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland reopened with a brand-new pirate Audio-Animatronic. The new addition was heavily criticized online, and now photos from social media show the previous static pirate has returned. 
When Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland reopened last week, a new pirate Audio-Animatronic replaced the ride’s iconic skeleton sitting on treasure.
The new transforming animatronic was in the Pirates Grotto, which is a treasure room before guests arrive at Tortuga in the middle of a battle. It’s viewable from the left side of the boat.
The pirate was previously a static skeleton figure but the new pirate Audio-Animatronic would lift up a golden coin, which curses him to become frozen in time, transforming his living face, with projection mapping technology, into a skull. With the transformation, his arm would drop, breaking the curse. But his greed led him to look at the coin in awe again, forcing him into an endless loop.
Social media photos and video from @mouseinfo on X show the previous skeleton pirate has been reinstalled in place of the new Audio-Animatronic. It is unclear whether the original figure has returned permanently or if this may just be a temporary replacement, while the new version undergoes repairs or maintenance.
Watch the video below to see the return of the previous skeleton pirate:
Pirates of the Caribbean POV Video
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