While the rest of us are camping out in our own homes, a 42-year old Alabama man named Richard McGuire decided to make his way to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, a.k.a. the Happiest Place on Earth, to quarantine at the park’s Discovery Island for a while.
A bold move considering the entire Disney World park is currently closed, and the fact that Discovery Island has been abandoned since 1999. Plus, there are numerous “no trespassing” signs posted at the entrance.
Disney’s Discovery Island initially opened as Treasure Island in 1974 as a pirate-themed island where visitors could see wildlife and exotic birds, and was renamed a few years later. It was abandoned when Animal Kingdom opened in 1998 and all animals were transferred over.
Anyway, by the time McGuire was found by deputies, he had already been camping on the island for three or four days and was planning on vacationing there for an entire week.
McGuire says he didn’t notice that police were looking for him on foot, by helicopter, and by boat, simply because he was sleeping. He somehow even missed the announcements made over the loudspeaker system telling him to get the hell out of the park. Wow. A legend.
According to the Associated Press, he apparently told the police upon his arrest “that it looked like a tropical paradise” and wasn’t aware the property was off limits.
Following the incident, McGuire has been banned from all Disney properties and is being charged with a misdemeanor for trespassing.
So much for being the happiest place on earth.
