Disneyland Just Brought Back a Controversial Pirates of the Caribbean Character

Disneyland Resort has quietly revived a piece of Pirates of the Caribbean history that once became the center of a major overhaul.

The attraction has been altered repeatedly since opening in 1967, but few changes attracted as much attention as Disney’s decision to rewrite its infamous bride auction scene.

For decades, the sequence showed captured women being offered to pirates. One of them became especially famous: a redheaded woman in a bright dress and oversized hat.

The pirates surrounding her repeatedly shouted, “We wants the redhead!”

That version of the scene eventually became one of the most controversial parts of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Why Disney Removed the Original Redhead

Disney announced in 2017 that the bride auction would be rewritten as part of a wider update to Pirates of the Caribbean.

The company said the attraction needed to evolve as attitudes changed, particularly around a scene that depicted women as property being sold to men.

Disneyland closed Pirates of the Caribbean for refurbishment on April 23, 2018.

When the attraction reopened on June 8, the original auction was gone.

Disney did not remove the Redhead completely, however.

Instead, Imagineers transformed the character into Redd, a pistol-carrying pirate who now participates in an auction of stolen goods and rum.

The women formerly standing in the scene were removed, and the pirates’ attention shifted toward the loot surrounding them.

The original Redhead Audio-Animatronic itself was taken out of the attraction and relocated to the Disney Archives.

Redd has remained inside Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ever since, making her one of the clearest examples of Disney updating an older character rather than abandoning her entirely.

Not every Disney park followed the same path.

Tokyo Disneyland still operates a version of Pirates of the Caribbean containing the original Redhead scene, making it the only Disney resort where guests can still see that sequence in its older form.

At Disneyland, though, the original version of the character appeared to be gone for good. Until now.

Disneyland Quietly Brings the Original Character Back

The classic Redhead has now returned to Pirates of the Caribbean as a much smaller detail hidden inside the attraction.

Guests can spot a framed portrait positioned among piles of treasure near a chest.

The woman pictured is the original version of the Redhead, complete with her recognizable red dress, oversized hat, and hands placed on her hips.

Disney has not formally announced the addition.

There is also nothing inside the attraction specifically drawing attention to it, meaning guests could easily ride straight past without realizing what they are looking at.

For longtime Disneyland fans, however, the reference is immediately recognizable.

The portrait restores the original character to Pirates of the Caribbean without reversing the 2018 changes to the auction scene.

THE REDHEAD RETURNS! 🙌

I mean… kinda. 😂

But how fantastic is it that the Imagineers threw in this little nod to a classic character for the fans of Pirates of the Caribbean. If we can’t have the Redhead fully back, at least we get this. 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/0iaDoYAqCT

— Disney Cicerone (@DisneyCicerone) August 25, 2026

Redd remains in place in her newer pirate role. Disney has not brought back the controversial bride auction or restored the original scene. Instead, Imagineers appear to have found a way to acknowledge the character’s place in Disneyland history while keeping the attraction’s modernized storyline intact.

The Easter egg also highlights the work of Disney Legends Marc Davis and Alice Davis.

Both played major roles in shaping the original Pirates of the Caribbean, with Marc Davis developing many of its characters and comic scenes and Alice Davis helping create the costumes worn throughout the attraction.

The timing of the portrait’s arrival may also connect it to another recent Pirates of the Caribbean refurbishment.

The attraction reopened at Disneyland in June 2026 after work that included updates inside the Pirates Grotto, the treasure-filled scene located before the Battle of Tortuga. That section also received a new transforming skeleton Audio-Animatronic.

What do you think of the new redhead Easter egg?