Urban Legend Confirmed? Johnny Depp in Pirates of Caribbean Ride
Last night, Johnny Depp was inside the sets of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland, dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow. He appeared to be ad-libbing a bit and interacting with guests whose boats he desired to “commandeer.”
For years, there have been urban legends that Johnny Depp would sometimes do this, or would appear as Captain Jack Sparrow in meet & greets or parades. Unlike many Disney urban legends, these were not quite so easy to disprove. On the one hand, it seemed highly implausible. After all, there’s security and operations to consider, plus…why would he want to do it?
On the other hand, Johnny Depp is a bit, ahem, quirky, so who knows if this was the type of thing he would’ve enjoyed. It doesn’t seem totally out of the question that Eisner/Iger would have a red “Depp-Phone” on their desk that Johnny could ring whenever we wanted to chill in the AC of Pirates of the Caribbean sets and smell that glorious funky water. Plus, these rumors were often from entertainment Cast Members who would have first-hand knowledge. The rumors were not just coming from guests who could’ve mistaken the “lifelike” Audio Animatronics figure for Depp, or been fooled by a doppelgänger performer.
Who knows if those old urban legends were actually true, and why Depp would’ve been there if they were. This time, it’s Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures filming Depp on location at Disneyland, both inside the attraction and out. It’s possible the footage will be used as promotional material for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which hits theaters May 26th.
Thanks to the wonders of smartphones and Twitter, we have several videos of Johnny Depp’s limited appearances inside Pirates of the Caribbean:
Captain Jack sparrow was in Disneyland surprising fans 👏🏻👏🏻😍😍😍 #JohnnyDepp #depp #PiratesoftheCaribbean
(Via ig thedisneylandtwins) pic.twitter.com/UAHwQxpcMY– Messi 10 (@Reemidepp) April 27, 2017
Sorry for the crappy quality and shakiness BUT I SAW #JOHNNYDEPP AT DISNEYLAND! 😍 my week has been made. pic.twitter.com/oUB7W6R9SQ
– Chelsea Brooke (@chelseabro0ke) April 27, 2017
Just saw Johnny Depp @ Pirates in Disneyland #JackSparrow #Disneyland pic.twitter.com/EZvefuQsTz
– fun nugget (@lissetteelovess) April 27, 2017
Just saw Johnny Depp @Disneyland on Pirates of the Caribbean dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow!!! #DeadMenTellNoTales pic.twitter.com/5VW8SpGAIg
– Clay Smitty Plays (@ClaySmittyPlays) April 27, 2017
…If you search Twitter or Instagram, you’ll find dozens of other videos like these.
Disney announced yesterday that Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will have its World Premiere in Shanghai, China, at Shanghai Disney Resort on May 11, marking the first time a Hollywood movie will premiere in Mainland China. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, among others, plan to attend the gala event.
The red-carpet event will take place in Disneytown at Shanghai Disney Resort. After the red carpet, the “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” screening will be held in Walt Disney Grand Theatre at Disneytown. Shanghai Disneyland’s Treasure Cove is an entire land themed to Pirates of the Caribbean, and the flagship attraction there focuses on the film characters.
It’s also possible that the footage shot of Depp in Disneyland will be used for promotional video at Disneyland Paris, which is currently refurbishing its Pirates of the Caribbean to add Jack Sparrow and other film franchise characters. Another outside possibility is that the footage will be used in Japan to promote “Disney Pirates Summer” at Tokyo DisneySea. That park does not feature a Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (it’s next door in Tokyo Disneyland), though.
In other words, we don’t know why the promotional filming occurred, but there are plenty of possibilities. Regardless of the exact reason, expect a promotional blitz for both the film and theme park attractions this summer. It seems unlikely that Johnny Depp will appear inside Pirates of the Caribbean again, but it’s likely to be all over social media if he does. We’ll keep you posted should Tim Allen appear in the set of Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters…
Hi Tom
Love your posts. I would like to eat at the Haunted Mansion with Johnny Depp please! You see, I’m single and can’t find a Disney person such as myself.
The bag guy at the grocery told me that I’m beautiful yesterday, so that’s good to know ! Lol!
Where can I find a good Disney guys in history fifties? I will not disappoint!
My family saw Depp at DisneyWorld twice in Summer of 2015. We saw him in Adventureland in MK and then again at Fantasmic a couple nights later. My husband actually ran into him coming out of the bathroom. People were respectful and didn’t seem to bother him although I saw some getting pictures. He was escorted in and out of the Fantasmic theatre though before and after the show. It was pretty cool. He left the theatre on the aisle where were sitting. I got some blurry pictures of him …
Wow! I’ve always heard this, but wow! There he is! What an awesome treat for DL guests! Soooo jealous! Tom, you have a slew of great posts! You’re Rockin it!!!
I may have told every co-work that would listen about this today….
Thanks Tom, these videos totally made my day!
“We’ll keep you posted should Tim Allen appear in the set of Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters…”
hahahha, oh Tom. I get such a kick out of your humor 🙂
My first stab at that joke was an elaborate one about Tower of Terror, Toy Story of Terror, David S. Pumpkins, and Tom Hanks. It made me chuckle, but it was too verbose.
There was only one response that came to mind with your last sentence: “You’re mocking me, aren’t you?”
Why David S Pumpkins has not already been added to Tower of Terror is beyond me. Clearly its the only thing missing from an otherwise perfect experience! Get on it Disney!
Omg dying at the David S. Pumpkins reference. Tom Hanks is a national treasure. <3
I would pay to have Tom Hanks jump out during the Tower of Terror dressed as David S. Pumpkins.
Oh, come now. Being too verbose is distinctly patriotic.
Are you kidding me?!?! We were literally driving HOME from Disneyland yesterday… ugh! What timing! That is craziness!