Discovery Island - Worth it?

[Bigart]

If anyone has any old photos of their adventures on the island, post them!
I had been a few times...I remember them having huge tortoises and some other very cool critters.

After it closed, Disney had talks with the guys who did the amazing video game MYST, and were considering turning the island into a version of the Island from the game. Obviously it never happened.

There is a blurb on allears.net about the history of the island:
http://allears.net/tp/di.htm

and also on Widen your World:
http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/trislnd.htm

an interesting article from Jim Hill
http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_h...eturning-to-treasure-er-discovery-island.aspx

an article from LA times 1989
http://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-09/business/fi-182_1_wild-birds

a cool vintage video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WERBqrQfQS4

a great photo montage and history on Walt Dated World
http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id21.htm

a nice site with some great vintage photos of how it looked in the good old days
http://hubpages.com/hub/Florida-Vacation-Walt-Disney-World-Discovery-Island

 

[gustaftp]

Theres actually an abandoned area in Fort Wilderness that I found a few years back thats not blocked off and you can like walk on this bridge over the lake that has gaps in it and broken wood . It's so dangerous I can't believe Disney hasn't fixed/maintained it (yea right who am I kiding? they'd probably just wall it off like they do everything else rather than repair it)

I came across that too! I was looking for a morning running route and asked CM for some directions which took me directly on this bridge! And the trail kept getting narrow and muddier, went straight into the woods, and started to peter off to the point that you couldn't tell where it went anymore. These woods weren't normal oak woods that I've grown up around, but it was more like a jungle.

Super weird. It was a fun little adventure.

 

[Bigart]

That is the old swamp trail at the Northeast corner of FW. It starts right behind the Settlement trading post. You basically go until you cross the little spillway at the cut in the lake that feeds the canal on the east side. The path leads east past an abandoned cabin, and continues into the woods and swamp. There is a boardwalk back there that is now quite overgrown. You can get back pretty far before it becomes too overgrown. Watch out for critters.

Check out this message board:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=33083915#post33083915

 

[RobGraves]

so if that is the case, it means someone has been over at the island recently collecting snakes and putting them in jars. Can you say creepy?

very, very creepy

 

[gustaftp]

this photo in his collection is.... interesting and disturbing.

That type of coke bottle has only been in use since 2008.

They haven't used that particular logo/label style for many, many years now. When I look up Diet Coke labels, I seem to see that one consistent with the time in which Discovery Island was closed.

That said, it is a somewhat bizarre collection. I wonder what the purpose of these was?

 

[officeboy]

I find it curious that a few local media outlets have today run stories on this topic. One could presume they got the idea from this thread.

OSentinel, and WKMG for certain ran stuff. I didn't check others. Perhaps TV Producers and newspaper writers/bloggers troll here more than I realized when it is a slow news day.

 

[Next Big Thing]

I find it curious that a few local media outlets have today run stories on this topic. One could presume they got the idea from this thread.

OSentinel, and WKMG for certain ran stuff. I didn't check others. Perhaps TV Producers and newspaper writers/bloggers troll here more than I realized when it is a slow news day.

I would almost say it's likely. That was originally posted on the blog in December, so the resurfacing of this now 4 months later by me posting the link here and with us talking about it here in this topic, I would say there is a decent chance that is where they got the idea from.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Here's a few links to some sites that have reported on it today:

http://www.clickorlando.com/video/23213132/index.html - Click Orlando

http://thedailydisney.com/blog/2010...he-snuck-onto-disney-worlds-discovery-island/ - The Daily Disney

 

[Bigart]

So basically:

Illegal? 1. There are no swimming signs posted at Fort Wilderness
2. There is a no trespassing sign at the old Discovery Island
dock

Dangerous? Yes (possible drowning, snakebite, alligators)

Fun? ABSOLUTELY

The problem is that Disney has had a very hard time lately with accidents and deaths, and has gotten a LOT of bad press as a result. The game really does change when you step foot inside the 27000 acres. You are entering big brother zone. Anyone who may try this or something similar and ends up getting hurt and caught would have the Disney lawyer experience. And they would lose this one. Kids wanting a thrill? Yes. Will someone try this again? Pretty much goes without saying. There are way too many people who have thought about doing this, and it will be tried again. So here is a brilliant idea: clean and fix up the island and charge the admission price. Walt picked the property because of Riles Island! He is rolling in his freezer that it is in its current state.

 

[wm49rs]

So basically:

Illegal? 1. There are no swimming signs posted at Fort Wilderness
2. There is a no trespassing sign at the old Discovery Island
dock

Dangerous? Yes (possible drowning, snakebite, alligators)

Fun? ABSOLUTELY

The problem is that Disney has had a very hard time lately with accidents and deaths, and has gotten a LOT of bad press as a result. The game really does change when you step foot inside the 27000 acres. You are entering big brother zone. Anyone who may try this or something similar and ends up getting hurt and caught would have the Disney lawyer experience. And they would lose this one. Kids wanting a thrill? Yes. Will someone try this again? Pretty much goes without saying. There are way too many people who have thought about doing this, and it will be tried again. So here is a brilliant idea: clean and fix up the island and charge the admission price. Walt picked the property because of Riles Island! He is rolling in his freezer that it is in its current state.

Yes, if you go down to the boat docks, there are....

And if the OP is so bent on going to the island, then he can find out what trespassing rules Disney does and does not have concerning Discovery Island.

 

[Bigart]

Anyone enjoying the beach at Fort Wilderness can see several no swimming signs...if they can read. And let us not forget the burden of consequence is in direct relation to getting caught. Who knows how many people made it over to the island? We wont know because none of them got busted.

 

[wm49rs]

He's more than welcome to be the first.....

 

[MotherOfBirds]

OK guys, I think you have successfully communicated to this person that you think it's a bad idea. There is no need to start getting nasty about it. It was a simple question, nobody asked for the Norton Critical Edition.

 

[cr3346]

He's more than welcome to be the first.....

Why so butthurt. If you dont like the thread don't post. :shrug:

 

[protiius]

Seems pretty funny that the media has picked up on this thread and ran with it. Now if only they would pick up on the yeti thread :brick:

 

[wm49rs]

Why so butthurt. If you dont like the thread don't post. :shrug:

Last time I checked my opinions were the same value as one using the term "butthurt." And believe it or not, I'm not the only person in the thread who realizes Disney doesn't want people making these attempts and will punish those whom are caught.

 

[Bigart]

It's simply that this topic is so fascinating. A couple of guys wrap up some gear in a waterproof bag and swim 100 yards in the middle of the night to explore an abandoned and overgrown Disney landmark. How cool is that? Hey they made a decision how to spend their time, safe or unsafe. Just be ready to deal with whatever happens. Urban explorers know the dangers of their hobby, as do base jumpers, cliff divers, fire breathers etc. And in this case we are dealing with a park with tremendous resources and power that can disect and spin most types of human behavior that takes place in their world. They simply don't want anyone getting hurt. Its the last thing they or anyone wants.

 

[gustaftp]

It is fascinating, no doubt. But are the risks worth it? I know someone who used to be super-into UrbEx when I was in college, and at some point he was arrested and taken in for burglary (charged this way since it was in a maintenance room full of expensive equipment at night, even though he says he wasn't burglarizing anything -- I believe him).

Anyhow, the charge was eventually dismissed after a year of diversion and a lawyer's fight to even get that diversion for a burglary charge (which is considered to be a felony).

My guess is that Disney is being more vigilant of the island and River Country due to these threads, news reports and photographs popping up of people exploring areas that are considered to be verboten. In the past few months I've seen photos of areas guests haven't seen in years: ImageWorks, Discovery Island, River Country, POP Century Legendary Years, Horizons, etc. These areas are indeed fascinating and I enjoy looking at the pictures and speculating along with everyone else. But I personally wouldn't want criminal charges facing me because of unbridled curiosity. Just sayin'

Try a video game to get your urbex rocks off. Like Assassin's Creed II.

Or Myst.

 

[Bigart]

My point exactly...would I like to see the island in its current state? Maybe....but to me it isn't worth the risks. To someone else it apparently is.

Lets remember it for what it used to be, a colorful unique wildlife filled oasis that for many of us holds fond memories of the 80's and 90's Disney flavor which in many ways is gone now.

 

[Skyway]

Veering slightly off the topic--

Does anyone think that it could ever be financially and operationally feasible for Disney to put Discovery Island to use again?

I don't think so.

I've heard ideas of putting a resort out there, or some sort of interactive Pirate/Myst/Lost-type attraction.

But for any of those things to happen, the island would first need MAJOR infrastructure work.

When DI was first developed, it was basically flat, with a low level of palmetto brush. In other words, it was a fairly perfect "blank slate" on which to build.

Thats not the case anymore. Before building anything new, Disney would need to clear out the "jungle" that has formed there. They would also need to get rid of all of the decaying buildings and infrastructure.

That would be an expensive proposition on a regular piece of property. But this one is on an island. So every piece of construction equipment and worker would have to be transported by boat. And every dead tree limb and scrap metal and construction debris would have to be shipped back, and then unloaded and transported to another dump site. That is a huge extra expense.

Then there's the question of utilities. Was DI's restrooms connected to a sewer system, or was it septic? Either way, it seems like those have probably been allowed to crumble, which means costly repairs or an even costlier rebuild. And maybe the plumbing was OK for a few hundred day guests, but would it be adequate for something like a resort, that would have constantly flushing toilets and running water?

Another consideration is accessibility during emergencies. Paramedics are often running into the land-based resorts to treat people with heart attacks, strokes, heat exhaustion, or other medical emergencies. Would Disney feel comfortable putting a resort out there that would require emergency crews to travel by boat?

Factoring in all of these variables, it just does not seem cost-efficient and operationally-efficient to re-use Discovery Island.