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A former Disney employee stole costumes from Disney World.
By Diana Noel — Written on May 24, 2019
Who knew that Disney products could be resold for a profit? Patrick knew about the high demand and illegally sold merchandise he stole from Disney World for thousands. What he wasn't aware of is the high cost he would have to pay for his actions. The consequences he may endure don't look so pretty. Who is Patrick Spikes?
1. Former Disney Employee
Patrick Spikes is a 24-year-old Florida native residing in Winter Garden. Ironically he was studying at Full Sail University and planned to work in the entertainment industry. Spikes has been under investigation for several months, involving thefts from the theme park through the employee-only underground tunnels at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom to get into backstage areas. He has been taking pieces and reselling them online for profit.
2. Caught Red Handed
The police caught on to Patrick when he began to boast on Twitter about the merchandise he stole from Disney. He was the owner of the account @BackDoorDisney but once he realized he was caught, Spikes deleted all of his social media accounts including YouTube and his podcast under the same name. He stole $14,000 worth of costumes and props from the Magic Kingdom and Epcot theme parks. From July through September, he received $30,000 from two customers alone. One customer admitted he was not aware that the material was stolen and that Patrick insisted he had permission from Disney to sell it.
3. Disney Heist
This is not Spikes' first run in with the law. In 2018 he was charged with resisting an officer during the investigation into the theft of EPCOT’s ‘Buzzy’ Animatronic. The detectives confronted him with photos that he took from his phone of stolen merchandise but he caused a scene — insisting he was sick and needed to vomit. The detective reported he “began to make strained breathing noises and stated he couldn’t breathe.” The charges made against him were dismissed.
4. Three Felony Charges
Serious charges are being pinned on Patrick. He is facing charges of stolen property, a second-degree felony and burglary. The charges against him may come with a sentence of up to 15 years in a state prison. On May 16th he was released on bail from the Orange County jail. He provided little to no knowledge about the theft and is not providing the police with any information in regards to the animatronic Buzzy.
Diana Noel is a Junior at the University of Central Florida studying Journalism with a minor in Writing and Rhetoric. Besides writing articles for YourTango and Her Campus, she loves scrapbooking, spending countless hours at coffee shops, and playing random board games with her friends. She is dedicated to pursing a career in publishing/magazine writing, and would like to write her own books in the near future. She is a God loving introvert, bubbly and at times uncontrollably shy but she's not afraid to use her voice to speak up. Some may say she is a lion at heart who will roar when she is filled with passion.