diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/plotly/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/plotly/default.nix
index 6a4bed2545ba73d..6b8110934cfb936 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/plotly/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/plotly/default.nix
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
   ipython,
   ipywidgets,
   which,
-  orca,
   nbformat,
   scikit-image,
 }:
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
     ipython
     ipywidgets
     which
-    orca
+    # orca # unable to locate binary, is this the right package?
     nbformat
     scikit-image
   ];
@@ -75,54 +74,22 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   doCheck = !stdenv.hostPlatform.isDarwin;
 
   disabledTests = [
-    # FAILED plotly/matplotlylib/mplexporter/tests/test_basic.py::test_legend_dots - AssertionError: assert '3' == '2'
+    # failed pinning test, sensitive to dep versions
     "test_legend_dots"
-    # FAILED plotly/matplotlylib/mplexporter/tests/test_utils.py::test_linestyle - AssertionError:
     "test_linestyle"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_io/test_to_from_plotly_json.py::test_sanitize_json[auto] - KeyError: 'template'
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_io/test_to_from_plotly_json.py::test_sanitize_json[json] - KeyError: 'template'
+    # test bug, i assume sensitive to dep versions
     "test_sanitize_json"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_orca_server.py::test_validate_orca - ValueError:
-    "test_validate_orca"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_orca_server.py::test_orca_executable_path - ValueError:
-    "test_orca_executable_path"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_orca_server.py::test_orca_version_number - ValueError:
-    "test_orca_version_number"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_orca_server.py::test_ensure_orca_ping_and_proc - ValueError:
-    "test_ensure_orca_ping_and_proc"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_orca_server.py::test_server_timeout_shutdown - ValueError:
-    "test_server_timeout_shutdown"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_orca_server.py::test_external_server_url - ValueError:
-    "test_external_server_url"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_simple_to_image[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_simple_to_image"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_to_image_default[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_to_image_default"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_write_image_string[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_write_image_string"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_write_image_writeable[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_write_image_writeable"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_write_image_string_format_inference[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_write_image_string_format_inference"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_write_image_string_bad_extension_failure - assert 'must be specified as one of the followi...
-    "test_write_image_string_bad_extension_failure"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_write_image_string_bad_extension_override - ValueError:
-    "test_write_image_string_bad_extension_override"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_topojson_fig_to_image[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_topojson_fig_to_image"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_latex_fig_to_image[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_latex_fig_to_image"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_problematic_environment_variables[eps] - ValueError:
-    "test_problematic_environment_variables"
-    # FAILED plotly/tests/test_orca/test_to_image.py::test_invalid_figure_json - assert 'Invalid' in "\nThe orca executable is required in order to e...
-    "test_invalid_figure_json"
-    # FAILED test_init/test_dependencies_not_imported.py::test_dependencies_not_imported - AssertionError: assert 'plotly' not in {'IPython': <module>
-    "test_dependencies_not_imported"
-    # FAILED test_init/test_lazy_imports.py::test_lazy_imports - AssertionError: assert 'plotly' not in {'IPython': <module 'IPython' from '...
-    "test_lazy_imports"
     # requires vaex and polars, vaex is not packaged
     "test_build_df_from_vaex_and_polars"
     "test_build_df_with_hover_data_from_vaex_and_polars"
+    # lazy loading error, could it be the sandbox PYTHONPATH?
+    # AssertionError: assert "plotly" not in sys.modules
+    "test_dependencies_not_imported"
+    "test_lazy_imports"
+  ];
+  disabledTestPaths = [
+    # unable to locate orca binary
+    "plotly/tests/test_orca/"
   ];
 
   pythonImportsCheck = [ "plotly" ];