Geographical Index > United States > Florida > Orange County > Report # 34787
(Class B)
Submitted by witness on Monday, March 26, 2012.
Memory told of hearing a loud breathing-growl while camping at Disney's Fort Wilderness
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YEAR: 1983
SEASON: Summer MONTH: August DATE: 26 STATE: Florida COUNTY: Orange County LOCATION DETAILS: Fort Wildrness Campground in Disney World. NEAREST TOWN: Orlando NEAREST ROAD: This occured in Disney World Campground. OBSERVED: While waiting (not knowing my son had been injured and was taken to Orlando Hospital) I was inside the camper and had lowered the tent flaps slightly to allow air flow. The opening would have been approx. 7 feet off the ground. I suddenly heard the loudest breathing right outside the opening. I became very frightened and screamed, "get out of here!". Just about that time a ranger pulls in with my husband and son. The shock (I fainted) of seeing my son made me forget this incident. We are huge BFRO fans. After watching stories of sightings, my memory was jarred. This thing had to be 7 or 8 feet tall and huge. After recalling this, I don't believe I would camp there again. My grandson encouraged me to file this report as we have been reading the BFRO website reports. Better late than never. OTHER WITNESSES: No, my daughters were asleep. I was the only one awake waiting fro my husband and son to return from River Country. OTHER STORIES: From your show I realized sightings have been reported in that area. TIME AND CONDITIONS: This occured just after dusk. Hot Summer night. ENVIRONMENT: Pine Forest, close to lake.
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator R. Monteith:
I spoke with the witness extensively on the phone, about her experience. Towards the end of August in 1983, she, her husband, and three children stayed at Fort Wilderness at Disney World for a week. Being that the weather in Orlando in August averages in the high 90’s with 60%+ humidity, there were not many campers present. She remembers the camp site was in the 1500 site of Cottontail Curl. The site was surrounded in sand and the back of their camper faced the canal. (See photo) They had a pop-up type wheeled camper that had a peak of approximately 8 ft. high and zippered windows at the top. She also remembers how dark the camp ground was as it didn’t have any artificial lighting at the sites.
One night, while her husband and son were at the hospital, her daughters (aged 2 & 4) stayed in the camper as night approached. The mother zipped the two windows down about a foot, trying to get the air to circulate better within the tent. Around 9:00 PM, after the girls had gone to sleep, she was startled by a loud “heavy breathing – growl” outside the window. The sound was so deep and scary, she yelled to it, “Get out of here!” The sound stopped immediately, and the girls woke up. She knew it wasn’t a person, but could not identify what kind of animal it could have been. Recently, she has been watching the Finding Bigfoot series, and is more aware that it could have been a Bigfoot. The sound had come from up high (about 7 feet) by the unzipped window nearest the water, so whatever had made the noise, would have to have been very tall. There were no trees by the camper, thus eliminating that it could have been something in a tree. The family stayed two more nights that proved to be quiet. The witness believes that a Bigfoot had been looking into the camper watching her and the children.
Walt Disney World opened in 1971 and is 30,500 acres (47 square miles) and only 7,000 acres are developed. Although over 200,000 people are on Disney property daily, there are huge forested and green areas that the public cannot trespass. Plenty of water, deer, turkey, and wildlife are present, making it very possible that Sasquatch inhabit the property. 8,200 acres of the land owned by Walt Disney World will never be developed because it is a designated wildlife preserve.
Google earth image of the area:
Photo taken from the camp site, looking across the water.
About BFRO Investigator R. Monteith:
Re Monteith has had a life-long interest in Bigfoot and has an extensive background in outdoor land and ocean survival as well as mountaineering. She has tran-sailed the Atlantic, backpacked in remote places throughout the world and has climbed three of the seven summits. She studied International Relations at Florida International University, and is a Financial and Real Estate Consultant. She has participated in many private expeditions as well as the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 BFRO North Florida Expeditions and the 2013 BFRO UP Michigan & Alabama Expedition. She also organized Florida's 2017 Town Hall Meeting. She was an Executive Producer of the documentary film, "Skunk Ape Lives" and featured as a Crypto Expert on The Science Channel's television show, Strange Evidence for seasons 2 - 5.
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