Overview
- The ride reopened after a two-month refurbishment on June 26, 2026 with a new hybrid front-projection Audio‑Animatronic that transforms a living pirate into a skeleton using real-time projection mapping reportedly tied to Unreal Engine rendering.
- The new figure lost projection, animation, and audio on July 4 and was temporarily fitted with a physical skull mask while teams worked to restore the effect, drawing heavy attention on social media.
- Disneyland engineering restored the projection-mapped transformation by July 5 and the pirate resumed its programmed loop of grabbing a cursed coin, turning skeletal, and resetting.
- On Tuesday, July 7 the attraction did not open with the park and is listed as 'temporarily closed' in the official app with no public explanation or reopening timeline from Disneyland Resort.
- The update has deepened a debate between fans who prefer the ride’s original static, eerie tableau and supporters of new storytelling tech, and it highlights Imagineering’s tradeoff of replacing silicone skins and many micro-motors with rigid 3D-printed shells tracked by projectors.