Every Cast Member at Pirates of the Caribbean Is BEGGING You Not to Break This One Rule

Magic Kingdom is home to many iconic attractions, but one of the most notable is Pirates of the Caribbean.

Pirates of the Caribbean in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Located in Adventureland, this ride was originally built and themed after regular pirates and their adventures, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise we all know (and some of us love) was actually inspired BY the ride! Like any popular ride, it has its issues every now and then with breaking down, but there is ONE rule many Cast Members who have worked on this ride are begging you not to break.

Before we get into it, we need to start at the VERY beginning. Pirates of the Caribbean opened on March 18th, 1967 in Disneyland, and after seeing immense success on the West Coast, it was brought over to Magic Kingdom and opened on December 15th, 1973, just over 2 years after the park’s opening.

Pirates of the Caribbean

ALLEGEDLY, while the ride was under construction in Disney World, there was a construction worker named George who was killed after he fell off part of the set (another possibility/rumor is that he was crushed by a piece of the set). Some say that the windowed tower you can see during the well dunking/burning city scene is the set piece that killed George, while others say that it’s only visible from backstage. Also allegedly, George’s initials are carved into the base of the set, but they’re now impossible to remove — if they’re painted over, they’ll just bleed through again. Some Cast Members have therefore referred to this tower as George’s Tower. However, other accounts have said that it’s not a tower, it’s just a support beam.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Apparently, when the ride began to operate in 1973, Cast Members working the ride would notice strange ride issues and breakdowns during the day that seemingly had no cause. It’s also been said that shortly after the ride’s opening, an older woman would come by the ride and ask to ride in a boat alone. When Cast Members looked on security cameras, they saw the older woman seemingly talking to herself and crying — supposedly, it eventually was discovered that the woman was George’s mother.

Pirates of the Caribbean

The story goes as far as to say that George will sometimes punish guests for bad and unruly behavior by causing the ride to breakdown! Additionally, it’s been said in some versions of the myth that if the light is on in George’s Tower during the Dunking Well scene, George is home. However, if the light is still on during the Burning City scene (often times it’s not on), something bad may be about to happen (again though, some reports have said it’s not a tower, but a support beam — in this case there wouldn’t be any light to see). It’s also been said that in the iconic Jail Scene, there’s a small door behind the dog holding the keys in his mouth (this is true, there is a door there) that’s supposedly called “George’s Door” and it must remain closed at all times. If George’s Door is open, it’s been said that a serious ride breakdown is sure to follow. If the door is open AND the light is still on in the Burning City scene…you may want to avoid the ride for the day.

Look for the door behind the dog!

So what rule do Cast Members “follow” to do something about this? Well, it’s pretty simple — they say hello to George in the morning when they open the ride, and say good night to him when they leave! If they don’t, it’s been said to expect ride issues the following day. They’ll also do their best to make sure guests behave on the ride, but really, that’s with ANY Disney World ride (and it’s for your safety, so listen to Cast Members!).

Pirates of the Caribbean Entrance

Now, it’s important to note here that there is no official record showing that a man died during the construction of the ride, and many Cast Members have stated that they’ve never seen these initials and that many aspects of this story cannot be proved. Regardless of how much of it is true or not, it is an interesting myth that many Cast Members can attest to at least the ritual of saying hello and goodnight to George. So if you’re riding the ride and notice that things seem to be malfunctioning, you see someone acting up, OR you notice that George’s Door is open, maybe just say a quick hello under your breath and wish George a good day — it can’t hurt!

We’re always bringing you all the latest and greatest news from Disney World, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB!

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