In the spring of 1996, my grandfather won the lottery. Using my birthdate numbers as part of his winning ticket, he felt it was only right to ask me the one thing I wanted to do more than anything else. The answer was, of course, to go to Walt Disney World. A month or so later, my family and I flew to Orlando and my life changed from then on. Not only was I introduced to the euphoria of Disney magic, but I found myself becoming engrossed in the details of theme park design. I had animatronics, beautiful music, incredible visuals, and quirky characters, taking over my dreams. And judging by the Disney Adult-focused corners of the internet, it’s clear I’m not the only one who had similar visions dancing in their head.
Yet, what separates someone like me, who still enjoys Uncle Walt’s iconic parks, from some of the fascinating figures featured in director Joshua Bailey’s Stolen Kingdom (2025), is a matter of perspective. Despite the Disney Corporation’s recent streak of head-scratching decisions, I’m one of the few who still finds whimsy in the details. Joshua Bailey’s feature-length documentary debut, however, pulls audiences into a corner of the Magic Kingdom never seen by the public, a world inhabited by those focused on discovering things that were never meant to be caught in the gaze of the casual vacationer with some of these individuals taking the idea of bringing the magic home with them a little too literally.
For those unfamiliar with Disney Adult drama, Stolen Kingdom centers on the fascinating event in which an animatronic, Buzzy, was stolen from EPCOT’s abandoned theme park show, Cranium Command. Before Pixar’s Inside Out (2015), the attraction took guests inside the head of a tween boy to understand human emotions, and Buzzy was the host/main engineer of said boy. And though Buzzy seemed to be forgotten by the sands of time, once stolen, the legend of his whereabouts gave him a whole new mythical popularity. Featuring wild crime scene images of cut wires and splats of hydraulic fluid along with interviews showcasing the players involved in Buzzy’s ongoing saga, Bailey digs into the lore to uncover how this corner of the Disney fandom could have gone so far down the rabbit hole.
As soon as Bailey cracks open the book on his theme park folktale, we’re introduced to the duo who started it all known as “Hoot” (Dave Ensign) and “Chief” (Ed “Thunder Chief” Barlow Jr.). Remembered for their incredible historian-like enthusiasm towards the EPCOT attraction, Horizons, Hoot and Chief remain legends within the fandom. Their bold approach towards capturing every detail of the ride was a game-changer for the time. From jumping off the ride vehicles to take pictures to stealing fake fruit props for “the archives,” their dedication to the legacy of this beloved attraction was nothing short of iconic. And though such a story might sound insane to most “normies,” for those who adore Disney vlogs and other kinds of park-focused content, Hoot and Chief are the ones who paved the way.
As Stolen Kingdom guides us through its Main Street USA of pure chaos, we meet other significant figures within this pocket of the theme park community. From those who appreciate the House of Mouse, like “Disney Dan” Becker, to individuals who prefer the thrill of the chase, like Urban Exploring YouTuber Matt Sonswa, every subject in Bailey’s feature occupies a fascinating space inside this bizarre story. Some might find the documentary’s eye for the macabre sides of Mickey’s enchanting world a better ride than those found in any Disney park. Yet, for those who still find Walt’s wonderland a flawed-but-fun utopia, Bailey’s might be a Mickey Waffle that’s hard to swallow.
A scene from the documentary STOLEN KINGDOM. Photo courtesy of , Antenna Releasing.
Speaking from personal experience, Disney Adults, as a group, are nearly impossible to simply summarize — there are some who return to the Magic Kingdom to experience the bliss of childhood, a few who just want to collect the merch within it, others who simply want a third space that feels like an escape from our modern times. But Stolen Kingdom isn’t interested in mocking the existence of those passionate towards the brand. Rather, it explores how bitterness shapes your fandom into something genuinely more dangerous than any magical spell or poison apple.
The greatest example of this comes in the form of the flick’s most polarizing figure, Patrick Spikes. Known by many in the fandom as “Backdoor Disney,” Spikes (a former Walt Disney World employee) became infamous for his series of social media posts that showed viewers the less-than-magical backstage elements of Walt Disney World. Displaying everything from animatronics with missing elements to cast members out of costume, Spikes went to great lengths to show his rebellious nature at any and all times amid his brief internet stardom. But once keen-eyed followers connected him to the Buzzy incident, Spikes’s online persona came into question, especially once police footage of him being interrogated about various Disney-related crimes became viral on YouTube.
As various interviews with him play throughout the course of the doc, Spikes’s disdain for everything having to do with Disney is put on full display. It’s a bitterness clearly fueled by his lackluster time as a cast member, but there’s a sparkle still in the back of Spikes’s eyes, underneath the layers of his resentment and matching antagonist shell, all of which Bailey isn’t afraid to capture (and poke at) as the film continues down it’s Mr. Toad’s style path.
Yet, it’s the way in which Bailey dwells on that slice of sadness within his various interviewees that sets a fascinating tone throughout the course of the film, one that reflects a jadedness that only comes from those who feel cheated from or by the magic they were promised via Dole Whips and Mouse Ears. And considering the similar vibes of the content made by the documentary’s producer, Jake William (a.k.a., Bright Sun Films on YouTube), it’s no surprise that this feature doesn’t shy away from showing the most unfiltered feelings towards Disney’s messy public identity.
Simultaneously, cinematographer Brandon Pickering (Sell Your House) and editor Matthew Serrano (Pick One) give Stolen Kingdom an edge-fueled appeal befitting of the subject matter. As audiences are introduced into the intense stakes within this odd corner of the fandom, you can almost feel your eyes being covered in the cobwebs of these forgotten parts of Disney history, and when considering that hardcore fans, like this writer, have seen many of the clips featured in the doc many times over, it’s incredible how Stolen’s team made them feel fresher, and creepier, than ever before.
To put simply, Stolen Kingdom certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a niche slice of filmmaking that seems to only serve the most deep-in-the-trenches theme park nerds. It also doesn’t include as many optimistic figures within its interviews as some “Pixie Dusters” (as Spikes and company call the most die-hard Disney fans) would like. But there’s a genius within Bailey’s filmmaking approach that isn’t afraid to put a mirror towards his rebellious interviewees, proving that, while their actions might have led towards discovering some untapped elements of pop culture history, they’re not the Robin Hoods (foxes or otherwise) many of these individuals think themselves to be.
Theatrical roadshow begins May 21st, 2026.
Available on Letterboxd Video Store May 21st, 2026.
Available on digital August 6th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Stolen Kingdom website.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews, streaming
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