Shadow is definitely real. We saw him on our recent trip in June. We even had our picture taken with him.
I think the story goes that Shadow sort of took up with the crew that were building the resort and ended up becoming part of the resort.
Thanks for the link Twinklebug! We figured Shadow probably wasn't a real dog - so happy to find out there really is a Shadow! I even bought a Shadow shirt when we were at HHI (we have a golden retriever, so I had to get it!).
Hopefully we'll get to meet Shadow next trip to HHI!
Shadow is very real and her presence is all around the resort - from her dog house and water bowl next to the entrance to the Front Desk area, her footprints in the entryway tiling of "some" of the villas, the artwork in the villas and to her programs via the recreation staff. She is an integral part of the history of the resort.
We had Shadow be our guide on a bunny hunt. We basically took Shadow for a walk while the kids threw rabbit food into the bushes and looked for bunnies. Blue also told some cool stories.