While most people visiting Diseyland are going to focus on the rides, the ability to meet and interact with your favorite Disney characters is another major draw for Disney superfans. When it comes to most characters created through a massive costume, the most you can usually hope for is a high five or a hug. But when it comes to “face” characters, anything can happen, and when that character is Captain Jack Sparrow, it usually does.
A video is currently going viral (I’ve seen it on Instagram and TikTok) of a visitor to Disneyland getting some pictures with Jack Sparrow. The meeting takes place in New Orleans Square, near the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, one of the best rides at Disneyland, where Jack Sparrow himself can be found.
It’s a hilarious interaction because while Jack Sparrow is the pirate, it’s the other guy who has the peg leg. The look on Sparrow’s face when the guest nonchalantly hands him his prosthetic limb is excellent. Check it out.
The account, which goes by the name Alex1leg, is clearly more than willing to have some fun at the expense of his own disability, and that’s on display here in a big way. Jack Sparrow really isn’t sure what to do with the peg leg, but then he warms up to the entire interaction, and the pair tries sword fighting with it, and Jack teaches the guy how to run in Sparrow’s particular fashion.
I’m not usually one for getting in line just to get photos with characters, but interactions like this are what it’s all about. The characters who have the freedom to speak, to perform the character rather than simply look like them, all have a lot of fun in the parks. Sometimes they’re standing for photos, other times you’ll just walk past them in the park and have a brief interaction that makes your day.
This isn’t even the only time that Captain Jack Sparrow has made for an incredible guest interaction. Jason Kelce recently talked about a child meltdown he had to deal with at Walt Disney World, which was ultimately solved by Captain Jack. How he can travel between both Disney resorts so quickly, I’ll never know.
And Disney doesn’t have the monopoly on this. You can run into Doc Brown at Universal Parks and have a similar experience. For a brief moment, you feel like you’re part of the franchise that you love in a way that simply watching the movie can’t provide.
While I don't have a peg leg to share with Jack Sparrow, I'll certainly be keeping my eyes open for him the next time in New Orleans Square. I'm sure he'll be getting up to something equally entertaining to watch.
