![]() Since the four year Florida statute of limitations for trespassing has already expired, Perez is not concerned about legal action. According to the television news story, Disney officials are considering banning Perez for life from Disney properties. During their visit they reportedly discovered "abandoned buildings, cages, preserved snakes in jars, even old employee photos". Perez told news reporters that he and several friends swam to the island under cover of darkness. On April 23, 2010, Orlando NBC affiliate television station WESH reported that urban explorer and blogger Shane Perez secretly visited the abandoned island, and the station broadcast some of the video images Perez claims to have captured. The island is adjacent to Disney's River Country water park, which is also closed. It can easily be seen from Disney's Contemporary Resort and from Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, as well as from boat trips between them. The species was declared extinct in 1990. The island's facilities were the home of the last known dusky seaside sparrow before it died in 1987. However, development of this attraction never got beyond the concept stage. Guests to the island would explore unusual locations and unravel a mystery about the island's previous inhabitants. It closed to the public on April 8, 1999, but continued to operate until July 9, 1999, at which point all of its animals had been relocated to new homes at Disney's Animal Kingdom (whose Safari Village hub area was renamed Discovery Island) and other zoos.Īfter its closing, Disney considered teaming up with the makers of the Myst video game to create a cutting-edge interactive experience to be called "Myst Island". The island opened as Treasure Island on April 8, 1974, as a place to observe wildlife, and was later renamed Discovery Island when it was recognized as a zoological park. Disney bought the island in 1965 as part of its secretive property acquisitions before building the Walt Disney World Resort. It was later sold, renamed "Riles Island," and used as a hunting retreat. ![]() In the late 1930s, it was purchased for $800 by a man named Delmar "Radio Nick" Nicholson, who renamed the island "Idle Bay Isle" and lived there for 20 years with his wife and pet crane. Here, guests could observe the island's many species of animals and birds.įrom the early 1900s, the island was known as Raz Island, named after the family that lived there. Disney originally named it Treasure Island, and later, Discovery Island. Between 19, the island was open to guests. ![]() Please do not visit without express permission from the land owner.ĭiscovery Island is an 11.5 acres island in Bay Lake at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. While the island remains empty, it still manages to capture the imaginations of fans who ponder about its potential.This place is on private property. In 2009, photographer Shane Perez visited the island and published photos of the attraction's eerie remains. Today, the land is undeveloped and closed to the public. In the last 20 years since the official closing, there have been rumors about what Disney planned to do with the land - word was that at one point, honeymoon cottages might go there, or that it would become an interactive island based off of a video game (um, cool!), but nothing ever came of these. In 1999, Discovery Island closed, though speculation still remains today about what actually caused the island attraction to shut down. Many of the animals living on Discovery Island were relocated to the new Animal Kingdom while others found new homes at various zoos across the US. Animal Kingdom sought to bring in more patrons with new animals, demonstrations, and other attractions. In 1998, Disney World's Animal Kingdom opened and a new era of the park began. Despite the name change, the island remained intact, with occasional upgrades for another 20-plus years. Treasure Island was renamed Discovery Island in 1978, ditching the pirate theme and embracing the focus on nature and the animal life that the island boasted.
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