Bear spotted at Disney World prompts closure of parts of Magic Kingdom
Sep 18, 2023, 1:53 PM | Updated: 2:22 pm
Aerial footage of FWC personnel on the scene attempting to remove the bear. Mandatory Credit: WESH
(CNN) — The bear that prompted partial closures at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Monday was captured without incident and is being relocated, according to a news release from Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own, but given this situation, staff have captured the animal and are relocating the bear out of the park to an area in or around the Ocala National Forest,” FWC said.
FWC added that the animal was an adult female.
Nearly a dozen attractions were closed on Monday at the time authorities were trying to locate the bear at Magic Kingdom, according to the My Disney Experience app.
At 11:17 am EDT, the attractions Swiss Family Treehouse, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, Country Bear Jamboree, Tom Sawyer Island, Walt Disney World Railroad, Liberty Square Riverboat, Hall of Presidents and Haunted Mansion were closed to the public, according to an official app screenshot shared with CNN by Craig Williams, executive producer at wdwinfo.com.
It was not clear if the closures, or how many, were related to the bear sighting. CNN has reached out to Disney for more details about specific closures but has not heard back yet.
In an earlier statement, Disney said, “We are working with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and have made the decision to reopen Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park.”
There are three other major parks at the resort: EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
Carlos Suarez, Melissa Alonso and Kate Conerly contributed to this report.
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