Disney Releases Statement On The Magic Kingdom Bear Situation
Disney has finally released a statement after what has turned out to be one of the wildest days in Magic Kingdom history.
In case you have been living in a cave and haven’t heard, guests at Magic Kingdom this morning were greeted by the revelation that Adventureland, Liberty Square, and Frontierland were not open.
A Bear On The Loose
While Disney Cast Members initially blamed technical difficulties for the lands’ closures, reports soon revealed the real reason for the closures — a bear was on the loose!
That’s right, not a Country Bear, or Winnie the Pooh, but a real live black bear was found inside the park.
Florida Wildlife Commission’s Statement
As the story continued to make the rounds on social media, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released a statement saying they were aware of the bear reports and had FWC officers on the scene.
“Biologists with the FWC’s Bear Management Program, as well as FWC officers, are on the scene,” the commission said.
“In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own, but given this situation, staff are working on capturing and relocating the bear.”
Disney Gives An Update
By 12:30 p.m. parts of Adventureland, Liberty Square, and Frontierland had reopened to guests. Subsequently, Disney (finally) released an official statement on the matter.
“We are working with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and have made the decision to reopen Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Adventureland,” Disney explained. “As shared by the FWC, staff are on-site and working on capturing and relocating the bear.”
Where is the Bear?
Earlier reports seemed to indicate that the bear in question was located on Tom Sawyer Island. The fact that Disney reopened the closed lands, but kept the Rivers of America attractions closed, would seem to lend credence to these reports.
The statements from both Disney and FWC seem to indicate that the bear has yet to be captured. Hopefully, officials will be able to bring the bear to a new home soon and the Magic Kingdom will resume normal operations.
As always, continue to check back in with MickeyBlog. We will continue to bring you updates on the Magic Kingdom bear!
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