Discovery Island

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Discovery Island, also known as "Bay Lake's Tropical Island Paradise," is an 11½-acre island in Bay Lake at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It opened as "Treasure Island" on April 8, 1974, and was a place to observe wildlife. It was 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 (which retained the Discovery Island name in the hub area formerly called Safari Village) and other zoos.

After 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". Guests to the island would explore unusual locations and unravel a mystery about the island's previous inhabitants. This unusual attraction never got beyond the concept stage.

The island was the habitat of the last remaining dusky seaside sparrow before it died in 1987 [1]. The species was officially declared extinct in 1990. As of 2007, the island remains closed to the public. For residents at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, you can see the shore of Discovery Island when riding the ferry to the Magic Kingdom. On the ferry, tourists can also see Disney's River Country water park, which also closed.

1 Attractions
2 General information
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Attractions

Trumpeter Springs - Trumpeter Swans
Parrots Perch - The Discovery Island Bird Show, featuring macaws, cockatoos, and other trained birds.
Bamboo Hollow - Lemurs from Madagascar.
Cranes's Roost - Demoiselle Cranes
Avian Way - The United States' most extensive breeding colony of Scarlet Ibis
Pelican Bay - Brown Pelicans
Flamingo Lagoon - Flamingos
Tortoise Beach - Five Galapagos tortoises

[edit] General information

Admission cost in 1995 was $10.07 for adults and $5.57 for children aged three through nine.
There was also a beach where no swimming was allowed but playing and walking in sand was permitted, plus a snack bar, the Thirsty Perch.