Disney World Bear Released Back Into Wild After Partial Park Shutdown

The Disney World Bear has been released into the wild after it was first spotted within the resort.

By Adam Barnhardt

A day after Disney cast members saw a bear on Tom Sawyer Island, the animal has been released into the wild. The adult black bear was first spotted resting in a tree near Disney World's Magic Kingdom and was captured by officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shortly thereafter. The sighting temporarily closed a handful of attractions in Magic Kingdom as a precautionary measure, and the bear was released into the wild late Monday.

According to Florida's FOX 35, the bear was released into the Ocala National Forest some 90 minutes north of Walt Disney World. 

Disney-owned parks rarely close their doors, typically only shutting down for extreme weather conditions or events such as hurricanes. Arguably the biggest part of the Disney company, the Mouse announced Tuesday it intended to double its spending on theme parks and products in the coming months.

The company said it, "will explore even more characters and franchises, including some that haven't been leveraged extensively to date, as it embarks on a new period of significant growth domestically and internationally in its parks and resorts."

"We believe that the company's financial condition is strong and that its cash balances, other liquid assets, operating cash flows, access to capital markets and borrowing capacity under current bank facilities, taken together, provide adequate resources to fund ongoing operating requirements, contractual obligations, upcoming debt maturities as well as future capital expenditures related to the expansion of existing businesses and development of new projects," Disney said in the 8-K filing with the SEC.

According to the filing, Disney's intention to spend $60 billion on its parks over the span of the next 10 years. Much of that will likely be overseen by the second successor to Bob Iger, who returned to the company last November after a year-long retirement.

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"It is with an incredible sense of gratitude and humility—and, I must admit, a bit of amazement—that I write to you this evening with the news that I am returning to The Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer," Iger wrote in his memo to Disney Cast Member upon his return.

"I know this company has asked so much of you during the past three years, and these times certainly remain quite challenging, but as you have heard me say before, I am an optimist, and if I learned one thing from my years at Disney, it is that even in the face of uncertainty—perhaps especially in the face of uncertainty—our employees and Cast Members achieve the impossible," the executive added.

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