A Loose Bear (A Real One, Not An Animatronic) Caused Chaos At Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Last week, Disney revealed that the cult-favorite attraction Country Bear Jamboree is getting an update. Beginning in 2024, Liver Lips McGrowl, Big Al, Trixie St. Claire, the Sun Bonnet Trio, and the rest will refresh their set list with “favorite Disney songs in different genres of country music.” You know who’s excited about this news? Me, but also, an actual bear in Disney World.

WDWMAGIC reports that “a bear is in a tree near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland,” causing more than half of the rides in the Magic Kingdom to shut down. The closed attractions include Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Magic Carpets of Aladdin (no loss there), and naturally, Country Bear Jamboree.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, bears can be found almost anywhere in Florida, they prefer a mixture of flatwoods, swamps, scrub oak ridges, bayheads, and hammock habitats. The area they roam in search of food, water, and adequate cover. Today’s bear sighting would not be the first time unexpected wildlife has been encountered in Magic Kingdom. Over the years, there have been numerous alligators hanging out by Splash Mountain as logs pass by, and even one in a restroom stall.

Maybe the bear was just trying to make it big? There’s an important lesson about show business here: no matter how talented you are, 95 percent of the time you’re going to get a theme park evacuated.

(Via WDWMAGIC)