A recent surge in police presence at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge caught the attention of Walt Disney World Resort guests. On May 21, a sheriff’s helicopter was spotted circling above the Deluxe Disney Resort hotel, raising questions on the ground.
Reddit user u/vinnyvencenzo shared a video capturing the helicopter’s movements near the pool area at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House. “Was hanging out at AKL Jambo pool and the sheriffs helicopter was circling around at 500ft for a while, like they were looking for something or someone,” the guest wrote. “Anyone know what was going down?”
Sheriff’s Helicopter circling AKL
Sheriff’s Helicopter circling AKL
byu/vinnyvencenzo inWaltDisneyWorld
Some Disney Parks fans speculated the sheriff’s helicopter might have been circling the nearby U.S. Route 192, but the guest insisted the activity was squarely on Walt Disney World Resort property.
“It was circling over AKL,” the guest wrote. “The way they were circling…it seemed like they were looking for someone around the property and parking lot.”
Neither Walt Disney World Resort nor the Orange County Sheriff’s Office issued a formal statement regarding the situation. However, a user claiming to be nearby at the time described a dramatic scene involving suspects fleeing law enforcement. According to u/SeriousStrokes69: “A couple of people ran from the Orange County [Sheriff’s Office] and were dumb enough to drive into AKL. They [ended] up in the bus loop at Kidani, which of course is as far as you can go. Anyway, the two were caught and arrested.”
Disney Fanatic has been unable to verify this account through official channels, and as of Wednesday afternoon, no visible law enforcement activity remained near the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Walt Disney World Resort didn’t issue a public statement about the helicopter activity on May 20.
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