If y'all can believe it, WDW has another abandoned area on it's 48 square mile property. It is an island in the middle of Bay Lake called Discovery Island.
Discovery Island was essentially the first Animal Kingdom. It was a wildlife attraction/sanctuary that closed down in 1999. One year after Animal Kingdom opened its gates in 1998. To get to said island, you have to swim across the alligator infested Bay Lake. Rumor has it that there are still many species of birds that live on Discovery Island. Some urban explorers swam across the waters many years ago and got some photo evidence of the exploration.
DisneyDrawingBoard | Aerial view of Discovery Island in Bay Lake
Photo via Shane Perez
Photo via Shane Perez
Photo via Shane Perez | Old photos found on Discovery Island of cast members
Photo via Shane Perez | specimens found on the island
Photo via Shane Perez
There are many more photos of the abandoned River Country than there are of Discovery Island. Pretty much because River Country is on the Fort Wilderness campground and Discovery Island is well...an island.
I mentioned in my flob yesterday that I have a fascination with the paranormal and reading scary stories before bed. I also have a fascination with abandoned places. Mostly amusement parks and the like.
My interest started back when I was pregnant. I was really into researching our Walt Disney World trip and I came across some info that WDW has an abandoned area. River Country is the name of it and it was Disney's first water park. Rumor has it that it was shut down out of the blue because some people got sick and died of the brain eating amoeba (Naegleria Fowleri) that lives in rivers and lakes down south. Disney is pretty mum on the whole situation. But there were laws instated in 2001 (The year River Country closed) that prohibited the use of natural, unchlorinated water in water park settings. There have been urban explorers that have snuck in from Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. All the music and lights are still on which makes it especially creeptastic. There is somewhat of an explanation for that though. Disney doesn't shut down any of their lights or rides at the end of the night because it costs so much in electricity to shut everything down and then turn it on again in the morning. Instead, they just keep everything on all night.
So, ever since then I have been obsessed with the whole "urban exploring" culture. Not that I would ever explore these places myself, I am way too wimpy to do that. Luckily the Internet is chock full of cool pictures for me to pour over from the privacy of my own home.
Now, on to the fun part...the pictures!
Insidethemagic.net
ImagineeringDisney.com | Before and after
Insidethemagic.net
Insidethemagic.net
YouTube Tour -
If you Google "urban exploring" or "abandoned amusement parks" tons and tons of stuff will pop up. You know...in case you are looking to go on a Google binge! Happy exploring!
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