Island in Bay Lake

[FLDisneyFan]

Does anyone know the story of the island that the boats sail around going to and from Fort Wilderness? There are some buildings there, but I don't remember hearing anything about it before.

Thanks!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

That is called Discovery Island.
At one time it was home to a small zoo kinda type thingy, and with LOTS of different birds. People could take a shuttle boat to Discovery Island to see the critters.
When they closed it, like most things Disney, they just kinda abandoned the island, now it's all grown over.

 

[FloridaTeacher]

It used to be called Discovery Island. It was sort of a nature/wildlife preserve. I believe it was also used for veterinary services but all of that is now at Animal Kingdom. Guest used to be able to visit the island.

 

[DisCamper]

From the early 1900s, the island was known as Raz Island, named after the family that lived there. In the late 1930s, it was purchased for $800 by a man named Delmar "Radio Nick" Nicholson, who renamed the island "Idle Bay Isle" and lived there for 20 years with his wife and pet crane. It was later sold, renamed "Riles Island," and used as a hunting retreat. Disney bought the island in 1965 as part of its secretive property acquisitions before building Walt Disney World Resort.[1]

The island opened as Treasure Island on April 8, 1974, as a place to observe wildlife, and was later renamed Discovery Island. It 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 (whose Safari Village hub area was renamed Discovery Island) and other zoos.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

A good link :

http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id21.htm