The Real Johnny Depp Showed Up As Jack Sparrow On Disneyland’s ‘Pirates’ Ride
In 2006, when Disney parks began adding characters from thePirates of the Caribbeanfilms into the theme park attraction that inspired the successful film series, fans were impressed with the level of realism the Imagineers achieved. But even the coolest animatronics pale in comparison to the real thing, and attendees at Disneyland in Anaheim, California yesterday were surprised to discover actualPiratesstarJohnny Deppincorporated into the ride in full Captain Jack Sparrow costume. Watch the Johnny Depp Disneyland videos below.
THRpoints us to a few Twitter users who witnessed the surprise firsthand:
Just saw#johnnydeppat Disney land! SO AMAZING AHHpic.twitter.com/EaBUIWXsE7
— Sam 🦋 (@samanthaijo)June 12, 2025
Johnny Depp Is filming on the pirates ride in Disney land!!!! Crazy!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/Klc1QyEKzR
— tommy williams (@Twiller0)June 13, 2025
It’s worth noting that this isnt the first time Johnny Depp has appeared in costume as one of his movie characters at Disneyland. He did an appearance for the last Alice In Wonderland movie:
It would certainly be fun to see an A-list star dressed up as one of their most famous characters, especially if it just randomly happened while you were out on a family vacation. But it’d be alotmore fun if that A-list star wasn’tdrowning in allegations of domestic abuseagainst his ex-wife Amber Heard, something Hollywood as a whole seems to be completely ignoring. (He and Heard settled the case out of court.)
Not only is Disney moving full steam ahead onPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales– the movie this stunt is ostensibly promoting – but Depp has also secured a lucrative role in Warner Bros.‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themseries. This kind of publicity opportunity may generate a quick rush of “oh, how fun!” responses from fans who might not have been paying close attention, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than that for Depp to get back in the good graces of the rest of us.
Next time, may I suggest dressingMichael Boltonup and having him hang out on the ride instead?
But we live in a culture right now where it’s depressingly easy to predict how all this will shake out. The upcomingPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales– which hasearned some good buzzfrom early screenings – will make a ton of money, restore the franchise back to its glory days, and Depp’s career will continue to flourish. The only thing we can do is continue to point it out and hope that the broader issue of domestic abuse is eventually looked down upon in an industry which has a notoriously noxious history with women.
