Discovery Island
Island · Bay Lake ·

Discovery Island

Island · Bay Lake ·

Nature preserve with aviary, tortoises, and animals

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Bay Lake, FL 32836 Get directions

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Bay Lake, FL 32836 Get directions

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Last updated

Dec 10, 2025

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@travelleisure
27,057 Postcards · 5,401 Cities

All About Discovery Island, the Abandoned Park at Disney World

"Discovery Island was originally called Treasure Island and opened on April 8, 1974. It was themed after the 1950 Disney pirate adventure film "Treasure Island," featuring a wrecked ship on its shore. The island's name changed to Discovery Island in 1977, serving as an 11.5-acre nature preserve accessible by boat. It operated until April 8, 1999, hosting a variety of birds and animals, a large walk-through aviary, and giant tortoises. Tickets at the time of its closing were $12.67 for adults and $6.89 for children. The island's zoological legacy lives on in Disney's Animal Kingdom's central land, also named Discovery Island." - Travel + Leisure Editors

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/disney-vacations/discovery-island-disney-world
Discovery Island
@infatuation
132,566 Postcards · 3,230 Cities

The 27 Best Restaurants At Disney World 2024 - Orlando - The Infatuation

"Animal Kingdom has tons of cute little food trucks scattered around the park, and Eight Spoon Cafe is one you should make a point to visit. If you don’t want to deal with a long wait at Flame Tree, you can get pulled pork here instead, although you should know that if you order it as a sandwich, it will be served on a jelly doughnut. For a marginally less intense experience, you can get a pile of pulled pork atop a mountain of mac and cheese." - Carina Finn Koeppicus

https://www.theinfatuation.com/orlando/guides/best-restaurants-disneyworld-epcot-hollywood-studios-magic-animal-kingdom
Discovery Island

Heisenberg K

Google
Ah yes Discovery island first opened on April 8, 1974 and closed April 8, 1999 to the public. Abandoned by disney eh? And no there is no photo negative mickey or oswald roaming the island. it closed due to the Animal Kingdom being opened up, a far more easier to access area and gained more popularity which caused Disney to shut down Discovery Island. Still its my favorite place, would love to explore it if i could seeing the fact its now abandoned too

Walter Skrzypek

Google
I really wanted to like it! I did. But staff was nonexistent, no one to help. Transportation was terrible. The landscape grooming left a lot to be desired. I mean, I was okay with most things…I rough it and have spent time in some questionable places (Belize jungle areas, Guatemala) and I just think it should be marketed better, better upkeep, improve the pathways, have SOME staff present to help. Warning: It is NOT handicap accessible. The part that gave it 2 stars, the wildlife. I mean they really knocked it out of the park like real reptile environment. Feeding snakes with live animals, it’s a true experience if you want it!

Lachlan Dueck

Google
Had a nice day at this theme park. It was so awesome. A couple of birds try to bite me but I don't mind. It was awesome! The staff were very mean and the birds were very mean but other than that it was great

Carson Martin

Google
I wish I could’ve gone/could go to this island. I’ve done tons of research on it and the whole story is so interesting.

Max Steell

Google
Thank you for bringing back memories of what this place once was for me. I imagine this place is surrounded by memories and intense agony.I'm sorry to everyone who went on the day of the 1996 event the incident that caused me to become paranoid I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do that I'm sorry Andrew see you later and to everyone who stayed Abandoned by time, the 1996 incident only brought me back to remembering this more...

FabinZH

Google
Didn’t meet my expectations, I heard a rumor that there was a weird colored Mickey Mouse suit but he was gone, infact all the suits were gone. There’s just a blob of this strange inky goo over the floor like someone was dragging a bag filled with the stuff. I also kept hearing footsteps underneath the building. It sounded like a huge creature. There was also this cabin on the island that seems pretty cool it has a camera system, a kitchen, a living room, you could live in it. Couldn’t stay for long since I something told me to get out. I was disappointed that I didn’t find the suits everybody was talking about

Gibbs Kenneth

Google
Disney is so stupid they could charge for abandoned explores but hey let's do everything we can to keep people out. Bad business bad owners.

Euler Ferrer

Google
I wasn't actually born on the day discovery island closed. I was born 14 years later.