Man Accused of Stealing Buzzy's Clothing from Disney World Arrested

[SirWillow]

So in regards to police reports saying Buzzy was stolen,

Either other people at Disney freaked out that the animatronic was stolen and filed the report not knowing that another department had removed him, or the police themselves heard all the rumors flying around and mentioned in the report that Buzzy is “believed to be stolen” but never actually outright confirmed it as a statement, right?

Because if so then that still isn’t confirmation that Buzzy was in fact stolen.

I still find it highly unlikely. Anyone who attempted it would have had to have a team plus tons of equipment plus a vehicle backstage to transport Buzzy out.

This is what has me stumped about the whole thing. To get that figure out, it would require a vehicle backstage, as there's no way that's getting moved through the park. That vehicle would have to be cleared by security to get in and out- which means they would have had to have authorization to bring it backstage. And it's going to have to be a big enough vehicle to not just hold Buzzy, but also equipment to remove and more than likely carry Buzzy from his "residence" to the vehicle. Probably the easiest part of all of that would be getting in the building. But it's also not unusual for Disney to lock down buildings that aren't in use.

Oh, and no one would have to notice the vehicle was there, ask any questions, check authorizations, and security would have to clear the load being removed again as well, as nothing is supposed to get through security on the way out without receipts, clearance forms, etc.

I'm not saying our friend didn't do it. But there's a lot of hurdles there that I'm also wondering how he got past, and what the Disney security tapes and logs show.

 

[peter11435]

This is what has me stumped about the whole thing. To get that figure out, it would require a vehicle backstage, as there's no way that's getting moved through the park. That vehicle would have to be cleared by security to get in and out- which means they would have had to have authorization to bring it backstage. And it's going to have to be a big enough vehicle to not just hold Buzzy, but also equipment to remove and more than likely carry Buzzy from his "residence" to the vehicle. Probably the easiest part of all of that would be getting in the building. But it's also not unusual for Disney to lock down buildings that aren't in use.

Oh, and no one would have to notice the vehicle was there, ask any questions, check authorizations, and security would have to clear the load being removed again as well, as nothing is supposed to get through security on the way out without receipts, clearance forms, etc.

I'm not saying our friend didn't do it. But there's a lot of hurdles there that I'm also wondering how he got past, and what the Disney security tapes and logs show.

Security really doesn’t check the vehicles leaving.

 

[SirWillow]

Security really doesn’t check the vehicles leaving.

then that's a big change from when I worked there. Used to be they would make vehicles open their trunk and trucks open the back on the way out.

And you still couldn't bring a vehicle in without clearance and authorization.

 

[peter11435]

then that's a big change from when I worked there. Used to be they would make vehicles open their trunk and trucks open the back on the way out.

And you still couldn't bring a vehicle in without clearance and authorization.

They still do when vehicles are entering. But Vehicles have almost never been checked while leaving for at least the last decade. Occasional random checks but extremely rare.

Clearance is required to bring s vehicle in

 

[SirWillow]

They still do when vehicles are entering. But Vehicles have almost never been checked while leaving for at least the last decade. Occasional random checks but extremely rare.

Clearance is required to bring s vehicle in

Like I said, it would be a big change then from when I worked there (left in 2011). The two times I was in vehicles that were driven back stage besides the cast bus, they opened everything on the way in and out. And on the way out anything Disney they saw we had to have a form explaining what it was and why we had it and where it was going- outside of anything that could be considered "personal" such as a single shirt, jacket, or a few pins like they normally check when you're coming or going through a cast entrance.

 

[GhostlyGoofy]

Retrowdw interviewed a TV producer who use to work at Disney MGM and got his start catering on film sets. I am paraphrasing and may be mixing up interviews but I am pretty sure he said if you drove a plain econovan backstage no one would really pay any mind. He use to collect ice from epcot restaurants for tv/film shoots.
---

It's quite possible the perps got a van back there unnoticed.

Obviously we don't know for sure if spikes did it. But...
Spikes was an employee with a legit employee id. He purchased an ID Card Printer to make more fake IDs. We know that's how he got his cousin into HM.

Bunch of guys with ID lanyards, black slacks and black polos probably aren't going to fire off warning bells backstage.

All that on top of fairly slack security, I'd imagine its possible for someone to get buzzy out.

I am just wondering how Buzzy was removed off his perch. Whoever did it had the tools to cut through his chair, maybe even theme park construction experience.

Time will tell.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

I am just wondering how Buzzy was removed off his perch. Whoever did it had the tools to cut through his chair, maybe even theme park construction experience.

Looks like he was pretty much just unscrewed and sliced out.

 

[GhostlyGoofy]

If some wardrobe and wigs from HM totalled 14K How much do we think WDW values Buzzy at? If they were to press charges of theft. 20-50K more??

 

[glawio]

So in regards to police reports saying Buzzy was stolen,

Either other people at Disney freaked out that the animatronic was stolen and filed the report not knowing that another department had removed him, or the police themselves heard all the rumors flying around and mentioned in the report that Buzzy is “believed to be stolen” but never actually outright confirmed it as a statement, right?

Because if so then that still isn’t confirmation that Buzzy was in fact stolen.

I still find it highly unlikely. Anyone who attempted it would have had to have a team plus tons of equipment plus a vehicle backstage to transport Buzzy out.

He is confirmed stolen by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Not rumored or believed to be stolen, but stolen. Here's the quote from the article:

“Yes, the animatronic is stolen. However, that is still a very active investigation and we do not have additional details at this time,” investigators at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told Orlando Rising.

Looks like he was pretty much just unscrewed and sliced out.

This is the part that always gets me...I dismantle a lot of heavy machinery regularly at my job, and I find it hard to imagine someone just unscrewing him, since he was designed to be on the control arm and move around a ton, nonstop, every day for years. I know he was able to be taken apart for repair and whatnot, but I can't imagine someone going in and being able to simply unscrew him. I feel like the command seat would have been bolted to the arm.

I wish whoever had gone in there and taken this video got some better shots of the platform so I could have an easier time with my armchair analysis.

 

[GhostlyGoofy]

He is confirmed stolen by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Not rumored or believed to be stolen, but stolen. Here's the quote from the article:






This is the part that always gets me...I dismantle a lot of heavy machinery regularly at my job, and I find it hard to imagine someone just unscrewing him, since he was designed to be on the control arm and move around a ton, nonstop, every day for years. I know he was able to be taken apart for repair and whatnot, but I can't imagine someone going in and being able to simply unscrew him. I feel like the command seat would have been bolted to the arm.

View attachment 379799
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I wish whoever had gone in there and taken this video got some better shots of the platform so I could have an easier time with my armchair analysis.

That second picture looks pretty clean. Maybe it's possible wdw employees cleaned up the base of the arm after a sloppy hackjob theft??


Come on OCSO give us some deets!!

 

[Tom Morrow]

He is confirmed stolen by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Not rumored or believed to be stolen, but stolen. Here's the quote from the article:






This is the part that always gets me...I dismantle a lot of heavy machinery regularly at my job, and I find it hard to imagine someone just unscrewing him, since he was designed to be on the control arm and move around a ton, nonstop, every day for years. I know he was able to be taken apart for repair and whatnot, but I can't imagine someone going in and being able to simply unscrew him. I feel like the command seat would have been bolted to the arm.

View attachment 379799
View attachment 379800

I wish whoever had gone in there and taken this video got some better shots of the platform so I could have an easier time with my armchair analysis.

Thanks. The only quote(s) I had seen before seemed to suggest they heard Buzzy was stolen but not confirming it.

To me the most likely culprit is the GotG construction crew. They’re right next door, have granted backstage access, have the manpower, equipment, and vehicles to pull off the heist.

 

[glawio]

That second picture looks pretty clean. Maybe it's possible wdw employees cleaned up the base of the arm after a sloppy hackjob theft??


Come on OCSO give us some deets!!

I have been wondering a lot about this. We saw there was some hydraulic fluid on the stage that must have squirted outta him, and according to (albeit unreliable) sources there was more. So it was cleaned up? By who? It was definitely cleaned up by someone after the theft

Why would they clean it up if this was a crime scene? Shouldn't they leave it how it is? How was someone able to go back in and get footage afterward if this was a crime scene? Why didn't they lock it or close it off..?

Also a noteworthy to me is that the exit signs are on in the post-Buzzy footage and that the spotlight isn't on his former perch any more...

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

So, Cranium Command hasn't had an actual inspection in a decade now. They're not using the theatre for the Play Pavilion. How much do you guys wanna bet that the place stays mostly intact through construction? If the conditions aren't too bad, not much work would be required to bring it up to code. I can't imagine them being forced to tear it up and make major improvements, and I don't think they'd want to shell out the extra money to take it down if it wasn't necessary.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

Why would they clean it up if this was a crime scene? Shouldn't they leave it how it is? How was someone able to go back in and get footage afterward if this was a crime scene? Why didn't they lock it or close it off..?

You do know that leaving that oil sit there would be a fire hazard, right? Cops got photos, they don't need to leave the scene frozen like that forever. You don't leave the body lay on the ground until the case is solved in the event of a murder, do you?

 

[glawio]

So, Cranium Command hasn't had an actual inspection in a decade now. They're not using the theatre for the Play Pavilion. How much do you guys wanna bet that the place stays mostly intact through construction? If the conditions aren't too bad, not much work would be required to bring it up to code. I can't imagine them being forced to tear it up and make major improvements, and I don't think they'd want to shell out the extra money to take it down if it wasn't necessary.

I was wondering if the reason they refused to hand over the CC theater and Body Wars is that they were part of the Buzzy investigation

 

[glawio]

You do know that leaving that oil sit there would be a fire hazard, right? Cops got photos, they don't need to leave the scene frozen like that forever. You don't leave the body lay on the ground until the case is solved in the event of a murder, do you?

I was thinking of the fluid as being blood in a crime scene rather than an entire body. But yeah, wouldn't make sense. I'm not trying to start an argument, just kind of putting my thoughts out there, my apologies

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

I was thinking of the fluid as being blood in a crime scene rather than an entire body. But yeah, wouldn't make sense. I'm not trying to start an argument, just kind of putting my thoughts out there, my apologies

I understand. Just putting that out there.

 

[GhostlyGoofy]

Thanks. The only quote(s) I had seen before seemed to suggest they heard Buzzy was stolen but not confirming it.

To me the most likely culprit is the GotG construction crew. They’re right next door, have granted backstage access, have the manpower, equipment, and vehicles to pull off the heist.

I dont know about that. With Ratatouille, GE, the Star Wars Hotel, SSE Refurb, MMRR, there's so much construction jobs to potentially get hired back on.

Wouldn't be smart to risk giving up steady work like that if you're a construction worker.

This is pretty brazen. I'd say it's some of these urbex people that have had success getting other things out of the park in the past.

Of course I am just speculatin'

 

[HMFan999]

We already know that he created fake IDs, creating fake authorization papers for removing materials probably wouldn't be that much more difficult. Having worked in maintenance he probably had a pretty good idea what they should look like. Go in at night, cut him out, cover him up with some random junk and then drive out. Even if security opened the back of the van I doubt they'd dig through everything back there. Unless I'm mistaken, nothing like this has ever happened so checking for stolen AAs probably wasn't high on security's priority list.

 

[Thelazer]

We already know that he created fake IDs, creating fake authorization papers for removing materials probably wouldn't be that much more difficult. Having worked in maintenance he probably had a pretty good idea what they should look like. Go in at night, cut him out, cover him up with some random junk and then drive out. Even if security opened the back of the van I doubt they'd dig through everything back there. Unless I'm mistaken, nothing like this has ever happened so checking for stolen AAs probably wasn't high on security's priority list.

They check things going IN, more than they check things going out.