Changes coming to Pirates in 2018

Last week Disney released details about known changes opening soon at Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland Paris, but you may or may not have noticed that they used the same announcement to reveal that changes will also be coming to the attraction in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Park.  For the most part, guests seem split down the middle with this decision, but one way or the other it means a dramatic change to one of the most iconic scenes in all of Disney parks.

In 2018, Pirates of the Caribbean in both California and Florida will see a change in story for the famous auction scene.  As you can see in the artist's rendering below, the crowd-favourite Redhead will no longer be up for auction but will be joining the band of pirates as the townsfolk unload their possessions.

Many have speculated that this drastic change is evidence that Disney has been under a lot of pressure to change the scene and make it more family friendly.  That may be the case, but so far Disney park fans have been split on their reactions to this announcement, some feeling it's a necessary alteration and others critical of the lack of edge the story is taking when it's meant to be about vicious pirates.  After all, this scene is original to the attraction and has not been altered in any major way since its opening in 1967, Walt Disney himself boasting about the auction scene in his Disneyland television show before his passing.

Personally, I'm okay with it changing, I just wish it was changing to something that still felt like pirates and not a random village auction.  Time will tell whether this new scene will be accepted by fans and no official refurbishment date has been announced yet, so right now it's a waiting game.  Let us know what you think about this: is it a good thing or a bad thing?