Hostile Takeover Photographed on Space Mountain at Disney World

A Walt Disney World Resort guest recently photographed a hostile takeover of Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom Park. A wild animal “claimed” the Tomorrowland roller coaster as its “territory.”

Space Mountain is a quintessential part of almost every Disney theme park around the globe. Magic Kingdom Park, Disneyland Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris all have Space Mountain or Hyperspace Mountain attractions. Tokyo Disneyland recently closed its version of the indoor roller coaster for a complete rebuild, scheduled to premiere in 2027.

Shanghai Disneyland is the only Disney Park that has never operated a Space Mountain attraction. It is home to TRON Lightcycle Power Run, the predecessor to TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom Park.

Speaking of the original Central Florida Disney park…One Walt Disney World Resort guest recently spotted a beautifully rare sight on Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom Park. Redditor u/EtherOpus shared these photos of a bald eagle sitting atop the 50-year-old building:

Bald Eagle returns to WDW, claims Space Mountain as it’s territory

Bald Eagle returns to WDW, claims Space Mountain as it's territory
byu/EtherOpus inWaltDisneyWorld

The photos amassed thousands of upvotes and comments from Disney Parks fans. Many joked that the bird was spying on Disney Park guests.

“That’s a new interactive drone,” u/WiggilyReturns wrote. “For an extra $160 you can get your picture taken with him.”

u/Turbulent_Tale6497 suggested that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis may use the bird’s presence as an opportunity to spitefully shut down Walt Disney World Resort: “In related news, DeSantis declares the Reedy Creek development an endangered habitat, and threatens to close all Disney parks.” (In reality, bald eagles haven’t been endangered since 2007.)

Other Walt Disney World Resort guests recalled spotting bald eagles at the Central Florida Disney parks.

Was lucky enough to see a Bald Eagle on the boat ride between POR and Disney Springs,” said u/amathysteightyseven. “Absolutely beautiful bird!”

“First day of our most recent trip. We walked down main street as the day started and the eagle soared right over us and flew down the street,” u/fcb1313 commented. “It was a goosebumps moment. Great way to start a great trip.”

Have you noticed any native wildlife at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!