A man has been charged with trespassing after he was found camping on Walt Disney World’s Discovery Island, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Police arrested Richard McGuire, 42, after he was allegedly caught camping out by Disney World security. McGuire told police he was “unaware” that his visit to the abandoned island was trespassing, while describing the island as a “tropical paradise.”
McGuire is from Mobile, Alabama, according an arrest affidavit. He told authorities that he had gained access to the island on Monday or Tuesday and planned to camp there for about a week. He was later spotted by security and before being detained law enforcement had searched for him using helicopter and boats, as well as on foot.
Numerous “no trespassing” signs are said to be visible on and near the island. Before he was arrested on Thursday, deputies used a loudspeaker system at the resort to inform him he was trespassing and needed to leave, with no response.
Discovery Island has been closed to the public since 1999, having been used as a Disney wildlife park for the previous 25 years. However, the company left all of the original buildings on the island, one of which McGuire was believed to have been staying in when he was discovered.
All Disney parks have been closed indefinitely since March 16 due to public health concerns caused by the pandemic. Although it is unclear when Disney World will be back in business, on Tuesday a Florida task force recently gave the company guidelines to reopen in phases, beginning at 50 percent capacity.
McGuire was charged with one misdemeanor count of trespassing and banned from Disney properties.