After an ordeal smuggling the suspicious supplies into the Fort Wilderness campground via the Disney Shuttle buses, we finally made our way through the abandoned Water Park and got to the shore. We arrived with a plan involving an inflatable boat, 150 feet of clothesline(to pull the boat back across for other people), a large hand pump, and a few oars. They hadn't visited it themselves but told us that it was about 100 feet off the shore of the also abandoned River Country water park and that boat traffic was infrequent on the lake. They told us that there were rumors that there were bunches of animals still left running wild on the island. I'd heard about the island from some Orlando locals. Even more alarming, I've also heard that the main reason Disney closed the adjacent water park is because of the presence of Naegleria Fowleri bacteria in the water which can infect human nervous systems and nearly always results in death. I've heard from more than a few people that there are actually alligators that live in the lake, something I hadn't even thought of, assuming this was just some other Disney attraction. In the time since, I've learned a few disturbing facts about the lake and as such would not recommend that anyone attempt to re-trace our footsteps. This is the story of my trip there quite a few years ago when I lived in FL. It is a former wildlife attraction/sanctuary that was closed in 1999 and has been left to run wild since. "It's a little bit sad when we say goodbye to an old favorite, but change is part of the process.In the middle of Bay Lake, deep within the heart of the Walt Disney World property, lies Discovery Island. And they are choosing other things," Disney representative Diane Ledder told the Orlando Sentinel in 1999. Soon after, the old Discovery Island became off-limits, though Disney explored new ways to use the island and at one point tried to work with video-game developers to turn the island into a series of puzzles to solve while exploring. "Anyone who's seriously concerned about preserving the wild places of the world is going to be very impressed," Joseph Rohde, the park's creative director, told The New York Times in 1995. Many of those animal exhibits would later make their way to Animal Kingdom, which opened on Earth Day 1998 as an expansion of Disney's wildlife projects. The 11-acre zoo gave guests the opportunity to observe exotic wildlife in a natural setting. Originally called "Treasure Island," the old Discovery Island in Disney World's Bay Lake closed to the public in 1999. Original report: Man arrested after camping on Disney World's Discovery Island during coronavirus pandemic He was banned from all Disney properties and charged with trespassing.īut what is Discovery Island? Those who have visited Orlando's Disney property may have come across an area with the same name, but the Discovery Island most recently open to guests isn't the same as the abandoned one. Richard McGuire, 42, of Mobile, Alabama, was arrested April 30 after camping on Walt Disney World's Discovery Island, according to an arrest report acquired by USA TODAY. Watch Video: Disney World, Disneyland: What parks could look like after reopeningĪ man made headlines over the weekend after he was caught using a closed Disney island as his personal campsite.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |