Walt Disney Discovery Island
Before this became known as Discovery Island, this island had many other names. In the early 1900's this was known as Raz Island, after the family that was living there, this went on to be sold in the late 1930's. A man known as 'radio Nick' brought the island for $800, and he lived there with his with and pet. They renamed the island Idle Bay Isle and lived there for 20 years.
After this, it was sold again and the island became known as Riles Island, before being Disney brought the l11.5 acres of land in 1965. The island is in Bay Lake, Florida and is adjacent to Disney's River Country. When it was first opened, April 8th 1974, Disney gave it the name Treasure Island, due to it being a 'pirate' themed attraction, with shipwrecks, forts and inns.
In 1978, the island was yet again renamed. The new name was Discovery Island. Disney decided to change the islands name due to it being recognised as a zoological park, and this new name and recognition meant the theme changed to animal observation. The island became a place where guests could observe different species of birds, animals and exotic flowers and trees.
Just like Disney's River Country, this park too made headlines for the wrong reasons. In 1989 there was a two month investigation amidst claims that employees had been firing rifles at hawks, beaten the vultures to death and destroying nests and eggs. These brought 16 state and federal charges on bird abuse against Disney, in return Disney paid $95,000 to avoid having the case go to court, but by this point Discovery Island had lost popularity.
The admission for the park in 1995 was $10.60 for adults and $5.83 for children (aged 3-9) and while you could play and walk on the sand surrounding the island, swimming was prohibited, this could be due to the same bacteria that had been found at River Country being found at Discovery Island. On April 8th 1999, Discovery Island was officially closed to the public, but operations at the park carried on till July 9th, due to the relocation of the islands animals. Any animals that remained at the island were the ones that originated there. Discovery Island was the home of the last known dusky seaside sparrow, this bird died in 1987, and three years later this species was declared extinct. There wasn't much information around the reasons for the closure, but many believe it had something to do with the bacteria found in the water, although the decrease in popularity due to the animal abuse would also have been a factor to the closure.
Disney were going to team up with the makers of Myst video game and create an interactive experience called 'Myst Island,' where users would explore unusual locations and solve mysteries about the island; however this idea never came out of the concept stage. Discovery Island hasn't been forgotten though, as it is now a name on Disney's Animal Kingdom in zoological theme park in the Disney resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The part that is called Discovery Island was originally called Safari Village.
This is Disney's other attraction that has been left abandoned and rotting. Many years after its closure the lights were left on, many believe this was to give the impression of it being used, something they do at River Country as well, but in 2008 when Disney started cleaning up the big buildings on the Island the lights either stopped working or were turned off.
Even though Disney don't allow anyone onto the Island, there have been some who have made it, by going through River County and swimming out to the island, dodging the security boats that are there to stop any trespassing. Many attempt this at night as not as many boats are passing then, although swimming out to the island is highly dangerous due to the bacteria found in the water and there have also been reports of alligators surrounding the island, but Disney move them when they are spotted. One person who made it to the island is Shane Perez, who found the animal enclosures left, old paperwork and reptiles being preserved in a jar.
There have been many rumours about what is happening to the Island, as Disney haven't made any attempt to do anything there, but they also haven't sold the land. One rumour in 2009 was that it was going to be reopened with the 'lost' theme, but this hasn't happened and more recently there are rumours circling that the island will be used as a honeymoon resort, we will just have to watch this space and find out.
After this, it was sold again and the island became known as Riles Island, before being Disney brought the l11.5 acres of land in 1965. The island is in Bay Lake, Florida and is adjacent to Disney's River Country. When it was first opened, April 8th 1974, Disney gave it the name Treasure Island, due to it being a 'pirate' themed attraction, with shipwrecks, forts and inns.
In 1978, the island was yet again renamed. The new name was Discovery Island. Disney decided to change the islands name due to it being recognised as a zoological park, and this new name and recognition meant the theme changed to animal observation. The island became a place where guests could observe different species of birds, animals and exotic flowers and trees.
Just like Disney's River Country, this park too made headlines for the wrong reasons. In 1989 there was a two month investigation amidst claims that employees had been firing rifles at hawks, beaten the vultures to death and destroying nests and eggs. These brought 16 state and federal charges on bird abuse against Disney, in return Disney paid $95,000 to avoid having the case go to court, but by this point Discovery Island had lost popularity.
The admission for the park in 1995 was $10.60 for adults and $5.83 for children (aged 3-9) and while you could play and walk on the sand surrounding the island, swimming was prohibited, this could be due to the same bacteria that had been found at River Country being found at Discovery Island. On April 8th 1999, Discovery Island was officially closed to the public, but operations at the park carried on till July 9th, due to the relocation of the islands animals. Any animals that remained at the island were the ones that originated there. Discovery Island was the home of the last known dusky seaside sparrow, this bird died in 1987, and three years later this species was declared extinct. There wasn't much information around the reasons for the closure, but many believe it had something to do with the bacteria found in the water, although the decrease in popularity due to the animal abuse would also have been a factor to the closure.
Disney were going to team up with the makers of Myst video game and create an interactive experience called 'Myst Island,' where users would explore unusual locations and solve mysteries about the island; however this idea never came out of the concept stage. Discovery Island hasn't been forgotten though, as it is now a name on Disney's Animal Kingdom in zoological theme park in the Disney resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The part that is called Discovery Island was originally called Safari Village.
This is Disney's other attraction that has been left abandoned and rotting. Many years after its closure the lights were left on, many believe this was to give the impression of it being used, something they do at River Country as well, but in 2008 when Disney started cleaning up the big buildings on the Island the lights either stopped working or were turned off.
Even though Disney don't allow anyone onto the Island, there have been some who have made it, by going through River County and swimming out to the island, dodging the security boats that are there to stop any trespassing. Many attempt this at night as not as many boats are passing then, although swimming out to the island is highly dangerous due to the bacteria found in the water and there have also been reports of alligators surrounding the island, but Disney move them when they are spotted. One person who made it to the island is Shane Perez, who found the animal enclosures left, old paperwork and reptiles being preserved in a jar.
There have been many rumours about what is happening to the Island, as Disney haven't made any attempt to do anything there, but they also haven't sold the land. One rumour in 2009 was that it was going to be reopened with the 'lost' theme, but this hasn't happened and more recently there are rumours circling that the island will be used as a honeymoon resort, we will just have to watch this space and find out.
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