WDW News & Rumors: Illegal Camping, Country Bear Shortage, VP Retiring
It’s time with another Walt Disney World news & rumor round-up, and this installment is totally free of reopening and closure updates. Instead, we’ll take a look at the dude who secretly took up illegal residence on an abandoned island at WDW, the retirement of the VP who oversaw the opening of New Fantasyland, Toy Story Land & Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, some minor-but-promising Country Bear Jamboree news, and more!
We’ll start with the “not Florida Man” news: Alabama Man was recently arrested after camping on Walt Disney World’s Discovery Island, according to an arrest report acquired by the Associated Press. Orange County officers conducted a search by foot, boat and helicopter and eventually found the man after he had been there for a few days.
Walt Disney World security Cast Members had seen Alabama Man making his way to Discovery Island using a company boat. Despite this, the man managed to evade detection for several days, sleeping in one of the island’s buildings. Once found, he was arrested on a trespassing charge, taken to jail without incident, and banned from all Disney properties.
Discovery Island was gated off and has numerous “no trespassing” signs in place. Upon being arrested, the man told Orange County officers that he was “unaware” the area was off-limits and that he had been trespassing while on the property, and referred to Discovery Island as a “tropical paradise,” according to the arrest report.
For those unfamiliar with it (and you’re not alone) Discovery Island is located in Bay Lake at Walt Disney World, and permanently closed in 1999, shortly after the opening of Animal Kingdom. It was originally called Treasure Island and was a lush tropical paradise with exotic animals–one of many “Vacation Kingdom” offerings found at Walt Disney World that offered counter-programming to the hustle and bustle of the parks.
Discovery Island has become a popular spot with urban explorers and other hooligans over the years. (I’m not going to publicize them here, but you can find videos easily on YouTube.) Suffice to say from what I’ve watched…it’s no “tropical paradise.” Even back in the day when it was operating, I don’t recall being exactly enamored with Discovery Island. My memory of it is Tom Sawyer Island but with parrots and without forts and fun play areas. (Granted, I was young.)
In any case, this news gave me a good laugh–and it’s pretty much the entire reason I did this round-up. From the outlandishness of social distancing by camping on an abandoned island to Alabama Man’s feigned ignorance in being unaware that he was trespassing. I only wish we would’ve had this brilliant idea before paying money to camp at Fort Wilderness recently, like total chumps.
Honestly, I’m hoping that some of the story is still untold. We all need some comedic relief right now, and it’d be hilarious if it comes to light that Alabama Man built a small village on Discovery Island and was planning an adverse possession claim or something. The dumber, the better.
Alabama Man wouldn’t be the first one trying to “repurpose” Discovery Island. There have been myriad rumors about the land’s future over the last couple of decades, the most notable of which is that Imagineering worked with game developers to turn the island into Myst Island. We’ve since learned that this rumor was credible, as Myst creator Rand Miller confirmed it during an interview with AV Club a few years ago to promote a new game.
This was one of several rumors about Walt Disney World attempting to answer Discovery Cove with a limited-capacity niche park of its own, with the most noteworthy of those being Night Kingdom. Eventually, the Great Recession spelled the demise of such expensive offerings, but came to fruition in more diluted form with upcharges like Wild Africa Trek. (Had the idea come along ~5 years later, I think Night Kingdom would’ve ended up happening.)
Next up, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Vice President Phil Holmes will be retiring from Walt Disney World in August 2020 after nearly 50 years with the company. He started his career with Disney in 1971 during the construction of Magic Kingdom as a blueprint courier. He later become an attractions host at Haunted Mansion, before rising to managerial roles.
Most notably, Phil Holmes served as Vice President of Magic Kingdom during the construction and opening of New Fantasyland. He was subsequently moved to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which some skeptical fans viewed as a demotion…until the plans for Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge were announced. It’s our understanding that he has long planned on retiring after seeing those projects through to completion.
Phil Holmes has long been a polarizing figure among Walt Disney World fans, many of whom attribute budget cuts on various projects to him. That type of decision rarely is made at the park VP level, so it seems more like he’s a visible outlet for anger.
We don’t have any particular insight into Mr. Holmes, but we have seen him in the parks countless times over the last decade-plus, and he seemed friendly and engaged in our interactions. In our view, it speaks volumes that he began with Walt Disney World in 1971, worked his way up on merit, and was specifically chosen to lead two parks through their most significant construction projects since opening. Here’s hoping he’s around to assist with the reopening of Walt Disney World!
In some not-so-good news, Brits might have a tougher time accessing Walt Disney World in the future, or at least more expensive (and fewer) flight options. Per BBC News, Virgin Atlantic announced it will end operations at London Gatwick Airport, which has been the primary airport for flights to Orlando International from the United Kingdom. Virgin will maintain operations at London Heathrow and Manchester airports, but reduce routes and cut over 3,000 jobs.
This isn’t the only blow to United Kingdom-MCO flights. British Airways, which is Gatwick’s second-biggest customer, has indicated that it also might not restart its Gatwick operation. Last year, British international travel company Thomas Cook Group abruptly ceased all operations as the company collapsed. More airlines are in trouble, and the entire sector faces a totally transformed travel landscape going forward.
Obviously, one of the most trying things about present circumstances is the distinct shortage of Country Bear performances. Some of you have probably gone hiking in the woods hoping to encounter real bears for your viewing pleasure, but it just isn’t the same. (Speaking from experience, there’s far less clapping your hands and far more stomping your feet as you run in the other direction.) But we digress.
Yesterday, shopDisney released a new Country Bear Jamboree Series Wishables Collection. Each blind pack includes one of four known designs or it could be one of the two mystery designs inspired by the musical Magic Kingdom attraction, with characters including Henry, Teddi Barra, Baby Oscar, and one plush representing Bunny, Bubbles and Buelah.
There actually have been several really popular releases that have sold out in minutes (or less, in the case of the controversial Joe Rohde ears release) but we haven’t covered any of that because, to be honest, we didn’t really care about them. Country Bears are a different story–this had our attention!
Despite being Country Bear Jamboree super fans, we also didn’t buy this because (controversial opinion incoming) the Wishables creep us out. Between this and Funkos, we’re not quite sure what the obsession is with dead-eyed Children of the Corn toys. Whatever though, different strokes for different folks. (Besides, we already have the similar-but-normal-looking plush badges above from Tokyo Disneyland pictured above.)
We’re still very pleased that the Country Bear Jamboree Series Wishables Collection quickly sold out so quickly. Hopefully that bodes well for future CBJ merchandise. We’d love more retro-inspired shirts, attraction posters of all versions of the show, or heck–as long as we’re daydreaming–an actual return of the Summer Vacation and Country Bear Christmas shows at Magic Kingdom!
Finally, a quick round-up of some fun at-home Walt Disney World entertainment to brighten your day. Epcot’s Mariachi Cobre did a special performance of the Mexican classic, “Cielito Lindo.” Want to visit a galaxy far, far away from your pajamas? Check out this cool (but spoiler-heavy) Ride & Learn video of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Finally, build your own BB-series or R-series astromech droid unit with the all-new Droid Depot mobile app. There’s a ton more like this on the #DisneyMagicMoments website, including many recipes for iconic Walt Disney World foods (like Tonga Toast!). Sadly, any cooking that cannot be accomplished in a microwave is beyond my expertise, so I cannot vouch for how accurate the at-home versions taste to the “real” stuff!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the Alabama Man who camped at Discovery Island? Buy his totally-plausible story that he didn’t know it was off-limits when he snuck onto property, “borrowed” a Disney boat to get there, and subsequently evaded security? Thoughts on Phil Holmes retiring? If you’re a Brit, how will fewer flight options impact your Disney holidays? Excited at the prospect of more Country Bears merchandise? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Yes, I’m excited about CBJ merch!
Let’s rename Discovery Island as Camp Covid in honor of Alabama Man! We can have a virtual ride into a virus as the inaugural ride…
Good news about more Country Bears merchandise for sale. Anytime Disney releases CB merchandise, I buy it. I am not into the Wishables and Funkos for similar reasons to yourself but if the CB werent sold out, I might’ve made an exception,
A part of me wishes you would report on the Joe Rohde ears, Her Universe ears, and other park stuff that have been getting scooped by people with bots/macros lately. Maybe it would draw attention to just how outdated Disney’s IT infrastructure is (shocking, I know) and put pressure on them to fix their out of control ebay market.
Hi Tom,
Just a little correction, Virgin Atlantic is actually Gatwick’s 9th biggest customer, BA is its 2nd biggest customer.
Not a huge deal in relation to the price/accessibility of flights to MCO from the UK, but has more of an impact of the damage to Gatwick’s viability which isn’t hurt too much my Virgin’s withdrawal. If BA were to stop flying from Gatwick (which has been touted) that would seriously harm the viability of Gatwick as it currently operates
Actually, Virgin may still operate from Gatwick at some point. As a member of the Virgin Flying Club I recently got an email from the Virgin Atlantic CEO – here’s an extract from it –
‘We look forward to welcoming our leisure passengers to London Heathrow & have retained our slot portfolio at Gatwick to enable us to return, as customer demand recovers. If you have already booked a flight which is due to depart from Gatwick, our Customer Care team will be in contact with you directly and it will be our pleasure to rearrange your departure from Heathrow.’
Discovery Island was.favorite of ours back when. We became good friends with Harry Bellin, the Cast Member who did the bird show. I believe I even have some video tape of his shows. Harry has since gone to that big nest in the sky, but he and his wife hatched and raised Macaws. Thanks to them we have a very talkative Blue and Gold and a huge Green Wing whose specialty is mimicking sounds. We also remember the Galapagos Tortises and the myriad of birds and other inhabitants along the nature walk. There was a HUGE bass that hung out by the dock. He had even been named by the staff. If I remember correctly it was “Smiley.” He had a portion of his lip missing from a fishing hook and was smart enough to not ever be hooked again. Not sure how big he was but my wife caught a 14 pounder (Yes. We have pictures.) that we released and he was bigger! Caught lots of five pounders, released as well.
Discovery Island was abandoned when Animal Kingdom opened. There were lots of other shows and up close demos there. Small affairs, lots better than the massive shows we are now used to.
Hey Tom and all Disney goers! I have been traveling on and off to Disney World since 1976 and I never really heard of Discovery Island! Is it possible that Discovery Island was home to an attraction called River Country? When I read that it was abandoned I immediately thought of River Country. Be safe everyone.
No, River Country was south of the island next to Fort Wilderness (although very close to the island). I remember River Country having the two fastest water slides ever, as they were smooth plaster and not sticky fiberglass. Scary fast to a kid who didn’t like water all that much! RC was a draw for numerous urban explorers and there are videos all over of illicit visits.
RC was closed permanently after it was publicized that an amoeba living in Florida waters could cause brain injuries and death, because the theme of the old-fashioned swimmin’ hole meant lake water was used, unfiltered. They could have chlorinated it to kill organisms, but I believe they really closed it to open a much, much bigger water park! Typhoon Lagoon more or less took its place.
This is so full of inaccuracies, I don’t know where to start, but thank you, my first comment on this site.
The amoeba was never directly traced to the waterpark itself, and since it can grow in any warm body of water, it’s hard to fault them, so it reopened and continued to operate into the new century. Since the amoeba was, memory serves, 10+ years, maybe 20 even, before it closed, it’s hard to call that a smoking gun. It was also not that heavily publicized until people needed something to report and connect.
Both of the other two waterparks were open by the 90s, and River Country did not close until 2001. What happened in 2001? Well, it lead to a decline in tourism, which resulted in a lot of canceled, closed, limited, and never reopened things in Disney World. It is true, both of the newer parks were shinier, newer, and had higher capacity.
The water, however, was filtered, it just wasn’t chemically treated.
Finally, the new DVC hotel Reflections, is slated to open over on top of it.
There are no known announced plans (or popular rumors) of a new waterpark since its closing.
All of this is on top of my head without checking google, but basically, your (admittedly short) account of events is full of rumors and falsehoods and rhetoric. I cannot speak to the feeling of the slides, but I imagine those parts are true, as is the fact that yes, Discovery Island and River Country were not the same, just in the same general area with Fort Wilderness. Please, be careful of spreading untruths, as I am not even a particularly huge Disney nerd compared to most and I caught this many, but someone else is going to read this and think “evil mouse corporation” the way you wrote it.
The Mariachi Cobre performance made my day! They are one of my favorite parts of Epcot and I look forward to hearing them every visit. It was strange not to be baking in the sun while watching them though
What hasn’t been reported yet, is the Alabama man was found with a hoard of thermal detonator cokes he picked up on his way to Discovery Island.
Hahaha! You have no idea what I would give for this to be true…
Oh, how sweet that would be! They probably only arrested him because he didn’t return the boat on time or pay the extra $857.96/hr…
The only thing I remember about Discovery Island is the Galapagos turtles. 3 year old me loved them! And I THINK I rode one as a child. I’m not sure if I really did this or just wanted to. Maybe I should see if my parents remember, lol.
Oh yeah! I remember those now too. Parrots, a bridge or two, and giant turtles. That’s about it.
My memories of it are quite vague, as it was 1978 when we went there. I don’t think we went there in 92 when I was a CM at MK but who knows.
They had capybaras on the island, too.
As Tom has pointed out in other articles, most of the Disney burgers are made of capybara meat. Is it coincidence this switch was made in 1999, the same year Discovery Island closed down?
It’s funny to see where the uncanny valley falls for different people! I can’t stand the Funkos because of their dead eyes and formulaic design, but I think the Wishables are adorable. I’m less in love with the blind bag aspect, which has kept me from buying many–gambled on the new Pandora set and got two sentinels. :/ He’s cute but I didn’t need two of him (paralleling your Country Bears enthusiasm, though, I was excited to see NRJ-specific merchandise, particularly a plush for the Shaman of Songs).
For what it’s worth, if forced to choose, I’d pick the Wishables without hesitation over the Funkos. I really hate those.
In a perfect world, I’d choose a comeback of Vinylmation. There were a lot of great designs, and the Mickey style was distinctly Disney. (I know plenty of people disliked those, though. To each their own!)
“We’ll start with the “not Florida Man” news: Alabama Man was recently arrested…”
Lol!!!
“Despite being Country Bear Jamboree super fans, we also didn’t buy this because (controversial opinion incoming) the Wishables creep us out. Between this and Funkos, we’re not quite sure what the obsession is with dead-eyed Children of the Corn toys.”
YES!! Lol!!
Glad someone enjoyed my attempts at humor. 🙂
I cannot believe this guy didn’t know where he was!
So I guess it’s like a status thing to go to all the parks of the world? Because England is much closer to Paris . Don’t get me wrong I love the British and my relatives came from there. It’s so much more money to fly abroad, I guess parks are different.what is the draw?
I have not personally been but my understanding is that the Paris parks don’t have the breadth of attraction options as the US ones. They also don’t seem to get the high profile, cutting edge attractions (you hear a lot more about some of the exclusive E tickets in the Asian parks than you do about any Paris exclusives). So I get traveling abroad if you’re a Disney fan who wants to experience things like Galaxy’s Edge, Runaway Railroad, Test Track, etc.
All of that, plus Brits seem to love Orlando as a destination. I definitely wouldn’t choose Florida over France, but that’s just me. 😉
Brit reporting in. Weirdly, it tends to be cheaper to spend 2 weeks at WDW than a 4 day trip to Paris. Plus, 1.2 parks in Paris (though Disneyland Parc itself is glorious, studios is awful) vs 4 WDW parks, plus all the other options in the area, and warm weather? No contest.
Heavens knows what we will do without the Gatwick airport routes. I am hoping that the flights will be moved to fly from Heathrow instead – there are generally 2 BA & 2 Virgin flights a day and I can’t remember the last time a flight wasn’t packed. Otherwise we’ll have to fly with Norwegian (who have been near collapse for a while) or fly indirect. The last thing I want to do when flying transatlantic is to then have to wait around for another flight… taking a 9 hour flight to a good 12 hour journey instead. Ugh. I’ll be sticking with Disneyland (CA not Paris) for a while I think.
Also a Brit – the Gatwick news bums me out as I much prefer it to Heathrow, but I’m optimistic that we will still be ok for direct flights. As I understand it London to Orlando is actually one of the more profitable routes, so you’d think they would cut something at Heathrow to make space.
As for why we Brits pick Orlando over Paris: no language barrier, better weather, we get great discounts (free dining is usually offered for 9 months of the year) and the Orlando parks are much better than the Paris ones (though Parc Disneyland is obviously great, Studios isn’t and Parc Disneyland can’t compete with four Florida parks plus the resorts etc.).
Also – weird as this will sound to an American – Orlando is more ‘exotic’ than Paris. With the Eurostar it’s so easy to visit Paris nowadays, whereas the USA is a long flight away. I got engaged in Epcot in the French pavillion, and someone said we should say we got engaged in Paris because of the Eiffel Tower in the photo. He was very confused when I said that Epcot was more exciting as the real Eiffel Tower is almost on our doorstep at home!
As 12 year old in Germany (dad in the army), I remember watching a game show on Sky One where the grand prize was a trip to Florida and trip to Paris was the runner up prize. Being from Alabama, it was funny to us that Florida would be considered more exotic than Paris. That was >25 years ago.
And before anyone asks, I’m now a “Georgia Man”
And Disney World offers crazy good vacation discounts for UK residents.
Exactly! Whilst the discounts for Paris are not so good for Brits
The only foreign park I’ve been to is DLP, back in March. Okay, two parks, kind of. DLP is awesome! Hate to say it but it is very close to being my favorite park simply because of the incredible detailing on all buildings, like the MK cranked up to 11. Or 12! The castle is amazing. Add to that the far superior versions of Hyperspace Mountain, Pirates (better than Disneyland’s), and Big Thunder (two underwater dark tunnels and twice as long as other versions). Little Indy coaster was a surprise. Phantom Manor is very cool. Cast members were very friendly to us.
Now for the bad part, the food. It’s…not good. A terrible misrepresentation of American food. We thought maybe it’s supposed to be mediocre carnival food, but even the hot dogs were an enormous disappointment. The ‘American’ food in Disney Village wasn’t good either, just expensive.
The half park, Studios, is undergoing massive expansions right now. Marvel HQ, Arrendelle, and Galaxy’s Edge are coming. I so wish I’d gotten a picture of that poster on the construction wall! Ratatouille was fun.
The Santa Fe hotel was good, and amusing to me being from New Mexico originally and having been to Santa Fe many times. It’s better than the All-Stars (but really, what isn’t as they are just very expensive Motel 6s…). No issues, and some cool theming in the rooms.
I think hotel room and park tickets for four nights was about $800 for both of us. Not bad. I’d love to go back there!
Do you remember that Discovery Island smelled weird? It always had this damp mulch and ammonia smell that even as a kid I found really offputting. I did not miss DIscovery Island when it was closed.