Man Arrested at Walt Disney World for Breaking In and Camping on "Tropical Paradise"

Many people wish they had the opportunity to get visit theme parks including Walt Disney World at this point in time of the coronavirus shutdowns. But few people are as bold as Alabama resident Richard McGuire, who didn't seem to care much about the COVID-19 pandemic nor the fact that he was trespassing. McGuire infiltrated the park grounds and took residence before the 42-year-old was arrested by authorities, per Newsweek. Despite multiple warning signs of "no trespassing" being posted around the Walt Disney World resort, McGuire allegedly told authorities he didn't think he was doing anything wrong.

A Walt Disney World trespasser got arrested for camping out in the empty park. Newsweek reported that the Alabama resident decided to take up residence in Discovery Island. Security would find Richard McGuire inside the Orlando resort after he had been there for days. The 42-year-old told authorities that he had no idea he was doing anything wrong while arguing that he had found a tropical paradise and was just minding his business. Well, unfortunately for McGuire, there are multiple no trespassing signs visible all around the resort, so he probably should have been able to put two and two together.

Everything makes a bit more sense when you factor in that he was occupying one of the original buildings on Discovery Island. Those structures have been closed to the public since 1999. Even more strange is that before stumbling into those buildings, he was roughing it in a wildlife park. McGuire told police that he had only planned to stay a week, but no matter how long he was there, it sounds like he wore out his welcome. The park has been closed since Mid-March when the coronavirus pandemic really kicked into high gear. Since then, many people who had seen the park close have been wondering if they'll still get to visit this summer.

McGuire was charged with trespassing and barred from all Disney property according to the report. So, he won't get his chance for a return visit. However, there are still some hopeful that the tail end of the season could see a re-opening of the parks. Foreign Disneyland locations have already been testing out social distancing procedures. It's believed that if Florida's parks re-open, those protocols will be the new normal until a vaccine is developed. At any rate, the next visitor to Walt Disney World will probably have bought a ticket, unlike Mr. McGuire.

The new plans for reopening include: "For malls and retail, markers in checkout lines will ensure people are 6 feet apart. Like the other categories touchless hand sanitizer available at all entry points and all employees required to wear face masks. Employee temperature checks prior to shifts will be required for Interior Retail. All countertops, railings, and door surfaces must be regularly wiped down."

"Larger theme parks like Disney World will also be required to have tape markings of 6 feet in ride queues, while staff are required to wipe down surfaces regularly. All employees will also be required to wear face masks and undergo temperature checks before shifts."

If you could camp out at a Disney Park, what area would you choose? Let us know in the comments!