Discovery Island
Discovery Island was known back in the early 1900's as Raz Island, after the family who lived there. Only after trading hands a few times, was the island finally bought by Walt Disney World in 1965, as part of their secret scheme to buy land for low prices, by using fake company names. Discovery Island opened as Treasure Island on April 8, 1974. It was later renamed Discovery Island. The Island was home to Flamingos, Lemurs, cranes, swans, and even the last known dusky seaside sparrow! However the little sparrow died in 1987. Discovery Island was closed on April 8th, 1999, but operated for a little longer to take care of animals that were being relocated. You can see the island from The Contemporary, and from Fort Wilderness. I wish when I stayed at the Contemporary I paddled my little boat over there! The island is also right next to River Country, which you can read about below. The island is now abandoned, so who knows what lives on it, perhaps escaped animals, or alligators. The island and pathways are no doubt overgrown. Animal pools filled with lake and rain water, and buildings crumbling. Cages are abandoned, lonely without animals chirping or squeaking inside. The island is truly a modern ruin, with no bright future in sight. If you have any interesting information, please share, I love to hear it! Thank you!
*Wikipedia
*Birnbaum Guild
*Picture has no copyright, found on Wikipedia
*Wikipedia
*Birnbaum Guild
*Picture has no copyright, found on Wikipedia
River Country
So, you read the title, and now you're thinking, "What in the world is River Country?" Well I'll tell ya! *Clears throat* Once, upon a time, before the thrills of Typhoon Lagoon, and the chills of Blizzard Beach, there was a water park nestled on the shores of Bay Lake at the Fort Wilderness Campground. It was opened on June 20th, 1976, and was open to everyone. This nearly forgotten water park was much smaller and humble than the parks we know of today. It is described as being like something out of Tom Sawyer, an old fashioned watering hole. Bay Cove, or the Ol' Swimmin' Hole, was a large walled-off part of Bay Lake, which means, yes, you would be swimming in lake water. In reality, Bay Lake is filled with a type of bacteria where, if swallowed, can be very hazerdous. This quarentined section of the lake had a special filtration system to keep out the bacteria, and the par had a special team of "Critter Control" specialists to keep out any unwanted "friends". Bay cove was filled with all sorts of fun things, like rope swings, a ship's boom, and 2 flume slides! One was 260 ft long, and the other 160 ft. The slides started at Whoop-'N-Holler Hollow. Also contained in Bay Cove was Raft Rider Ridge, home to the White Water Rapids, which was more relaxed and subdued then the flumes. In this park there was also a clorinated pool called Upstream Plunge, which contained a pair of short, steep slides called Slippery Slide Falls. Back in the day, (1997) it cost $15.64 (adults) and $12.19 (kids) for a one-day pass to this park. Also, it cost $1 to rent a small towel. Am I the only one laughing at this little fact???
So, are you wondering why YOU have never heard or visited this park? Well, unfortunatly, the park was closed on Sept. 1st 2001. Amazingly, the word was that the park was down for refurbishment, but in early 2005, the parks offical closeur was announced.
Although this park is closed, it is still there. Nothing has been moved or knocked down. The slides are overgrown, pools are filled with murky, stagnant water, and a few lonely slide rafts float in Bay Cove. Perhaps the strangest and unnerving of all, is the fact that old-timey music is still piped into the park. So, now that you have heard the gist of it, go and do your own research! Finding tidbits of information is what makes things like this fun. If you know something interesting about this park, so to the Guestbooks/Comment page, and post your info!
SOURCES:
*Info found from Birnbaum Guild 1997
*Closing and opening dates, and picture above found on Lostepcot.com (I recommend this site for more info!)
So, are you wondering why YOU have never heard or visited this park? Well, unfortunatly, the park was closed on Sept. 1st 2001. Amazingly, the word was that the park was down for refurbishment, but in early 2005, the parks offical closeur was announced.
Although this park is closed, it is still there. Nothing has been moved or knocked down. The slides are overgrown, pools are filled with murky, stagnant water, and a few lonely slide rafts float in Bay Cove. Perhaps the strangest and unnerving of all, is the fact that old-timey music is still piped into the park. So, now that you have heard the gist of it, go and do your own research! Finding tidbits of information is what makes things like this fun. If you know something interesting about this park, so to the Guestbooks/Comment page, and post your info!
SOURCES:
*Info found from Birnbaum Guild 1997
*Closing and opening dates, and picture above found on Lostepcot.com (I recommend this site for more info!)