September 18 was a truly wild day at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom Park — and we aren’t talking about guests acting crazy. When the theme park opened, guests were told that Frontierland, Liberty Square, and parts of Adventureland were closed. However, it wasn’t because the rides were broken or there was something wrong, like a broken pipe. It was because a wild bear was on the loose!
That’s right. According to reports, a wild bear had made its way into the theme park and onto Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland.
Disney called in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and crews quickly came to the park and went to work. The FWC released a statement saying that it was aware of the bear reports and that the bear was first seen in a tree.
Local Orlando news station WESH 2 was over the scene and captured footage of FWC crews taking the bear out of the area in a white tarp. It appears that the FWC used a tranquiler on the bear, so they could safely approach it.
According to the FWC, the bear was a female and was most likely looking for food. Bears in the area are preparing to hibernate as winter approaches, and there is no better place to find a lot of food than the Magic Kingdom. Typically, the FWC tells people to stay away from bears and let them leave on their own. However, because the bear was in the Magic Kingdom, crews needed to step in and remove her.
Now, we can happily report that the bear has found a new home where she can live and thrive. The FWC has removed the bear and is relocating her to Ocala National Forest, about 80 miles away.
FWC staff are relocating the bear out of the park to an area in or around the Ocala National Forest.
FWC staff are relocating the bear out of the park to an area in or around the Ocala National Forest.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 18, 2023
When the Magic Kingdom opened for the day, the following attractions were closed to keep guests and cast members away from the bear — Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Pirate’s Adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean, Swiss Family Treehouse, Tom Sawyer Island, and several stops on the Walt Disney World Railroad.
In a statement, Disney said that it had decided to reopen the closed areas after it spoke to FWC officials and determined that neither guests nor cast members would be in any danger. The Magic Kingdom opened at 9 a.m. for regular guests and 8:30 a.m. for Disney World Resort hotel guests. Guests were finally allowed into the closed-off areas and attractions shortly after 1 p.m.
All the closed attractions are now open, except for the Walt Disney World Railroad, which is still closed in Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Main Street, U.S.A.
