‘Pirates’ Patrons, Dragooned Into Long Wait, Get Apology

Saying “inexcusable” mistakes were made last weekend at an event celebrating the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Disneyland is refunding the $85 admission fee it charged participants, hundreds of whom were stuck in lines long into the early-morning hours.

The Saturday night event featured Disney experts discussing the ride--one of the most popular in the park--souvenirs themed to the attraction and a boat journey through caverns featuring buccaneer battle and pillage scenes.

The amusement park scheduled too few workers to process the souvenir orders when the event ended, and some participants stood in line as late as 4:30 a.m. before getting their merchandise. Disney shipped the souvenirs to other participants who went home without waiting.

Merchandise sales are integral to the Disneyland operation, from $7 pins designed for trading to $1,000 letterman-style jackets with fiber-optic “fireworks” flashing above an embroidered castle. The park is also known for attention to customers.

“While we typically pride ourselves on setting the standard for flawless guest service, every once in a while we have a problem,” Disneyland President Cynthia Harriss said in a letter to participants in the Pirates event.

“Through an error on our part, many of you had to wait in an excessively long and slow-moving line to claim your merchandise. Quite frankly, this is inexcusable and should never have happened,” she said. “Please understand that we now know exactly what went wrong and that you will not be seeing a repeat of this at future events.”