There's an abandoned island at Walt Disney World, and it's hidden in plain sight. Located in Bay Lake near Magic Kingdom and several Disney hotels, Discovery Island was once a subtropical... Disney World's Discovery Island, out in the waters of Bay Lake, may be abandoned, but it's definitely not forgotten.

Understanding the Context

Here are some of the mysteries surrounding its closure. For 25 years, Discovery Island was a key part of many Walt Disney World vacations. The island, one of the first parcels of land purchased by the company in Florida, wowed guests with its natural beauty and a menagerie of animals that stacked up with many larger zoos. Stroll along the Discovery Island Trails around the Tree of Life and discover a lush landscape brimming with wildlife in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.

Key Insights

Located in the middle of Bay Lake, there is an island known today as Discovery Island, which is owned by Walt Disney World. The island though has a long history going as far as the early-1900s when the island was called Raz Island. Discovery Island is a themed land at Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It was originally named Safari Village, but changed its name around the same time the original Discovery Island in Bay Lake permanently closed down. The intertwining stories of Discovery Island’s various names and owners over the past 100+ years capture the spirit of exploration, adventure, and change that characterize Walt Disney World and the state of Florida itself.

Final Thoughts

There's an Abandoned Island Hiding in Plain Sight at Disney World - Travel Considering Discovery Island has been closed for nearly 15 years, it's unlikely that Disney has any plans for the spot. With nothing in the works, it seems doomed to remain on the list of once popular places that are now almost or completely abandoned, destined to be explored only by a select few.