Will Discovery/Treasure Island Ever Be Seen Again?

[scpergj]

Ok...

I read this thread and had an idea I needed to check on Google Earth to confirm would work. Discovery Island and River Country are right next to each other. Could they conect the two with a bridge - high enough for the boats to go under? That would yeild a pretty large area for something interesting - a water park, themed mini-park, PI replacement........

 

[Mouseketeer #1]

Ok...

I read this thread and had an idea I needed to check on Google Earth to confirm would work. Discovery Island and River Country are right next to each other. Could they conect the two with a bridge - high enough for the boats to go under? That would yeild a pretty large area for something interesting - a water park, themed mini-park, PI replacement........

Actually sounds like an interesting idea...one that would cost a lot of money, but still an interesting idea. I was never able to go to either the island or RC so I would love that!

 

[DisneyGuyNYC]

Ok...

I read this thread and had an idea I needed to check on Google Earth to confirm would work. Discovery Island and River Country are right next to each other. Could they conect the two with a bridge - high enough for the boats to go under? That would yeild a pretty large area for something interesting - a water park, themed mini-park, PI replacement........

I'd be all for this if I wasn't 100% sure it wouldn't end up as DVC or some franchise nonsense.

 

[neoshinok]

Random drift, but I read this a while back and found it interesting: a species of bird called the Dusky Seaside Sparrow reached the end of its existence on Discovery Island. It is widely considered to be the most recent, well-documented extinction of a vertebrate in the United States.

From wikipedia:
In 1983 the last four living dusky seaside sparrows were taken to Walt Disney World Resort, to continue crossbreeding and living out their days in a protected habitat on the Discovery Island nature reserve. By March 31, 1986, only one male remained. Despite being blind in one eye, he reached extreme old age for a sparrow, living at least nine years, and possibly as many as thirteen, before dying on June 17, 1987.

Very sad, but interesting read if you have time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusky_Seaside_Sparrow

 

[BryceM]

Random drift, but I read this a while back and found it interesting: a species of bird called the Dusky Seaside Sparrow reached the end of its existence on Discovery Island. It is widely considered to be the most recent, well-documented extinction of a vertebrate in the United States.

From wikipedia:
In 1983 the last four living dusky seaside sparrows were taken to Walt Disney World Resort, to continue crossbreeding and living out their days in a protected habitat on the Discovery Island nature reserve. By March 31, 1986, only one male remained. Despite being blind in one eye, he reached extreme old age for a sparrow, living at least nine years, and possibly as many as thirteen, before dying on June 17, 1987.

Very sad, but interesting read if you have time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusky_Seaside_Sparrow

Aw...

 

[DisneyGuyNYC]

Random drift, but I read this a while back and found it interesting: a species of bird called the Dusky Seaside Sparrow reached the end of its existence on Discovery Island. It is widely considered to be the most recent, well-documented extinction of a vertebrate in the United States.

From wikipedia:
In 1983 the last four living dusky seaside sparrows were taken to Walt Disney World Resort, to continue crossbreeding and living out their days in a protected habitat on the Discovery Island nature reserve. By March 31, 1986, only one male remained. Despite being blind in one eye, he reached extreme old age for a sparrow, living at least nine years, and possibly as many as thirteen, before dying on June 17, 1987.

Very sad, but interesting read if you have time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusky_Seaside_Sparrow

Well this is incredibly depressing. This whole topic is just sad.

 

[steve2wdw]

With the large number of flying fowl over the island, I think an update on the classic Hitchcock movie "The Birds" should be filmed there!

 

[Donald96]

For those of you like me who have never seen these "abandoned" photos:
http://shaneperez.blogspot.com/2009/12/discovery-island.html
Also, the whole island sounds pretty trashed; from his description I'm not so sure you could salvage anything on the island now... They'd have to clear off the Island and start from scratch.

 

[NiarrNDisney]

At least they would be doing something with the space, and they wouldnt need to relocate any of the endangered wildlife.

Something that rarely if ever happens! My father worked with the Corp of Engineers and whole projects would be canned due to an endangered species home being found.

 

[Mouseketeer #1]

Something that rarely if ever happens! My father worked with the Corp of Engineers and whole projects would be canned due to an endangered species home being found.

I agree, they would never move endangered species. However I am not aware of any endangered species that still remain on this island and use it as the primary habitat. It is highly unlikely that they would remain on this one random island in the entire state of Florida with thousands of lakes and islands.

 

[bethymouse]

I guess those endangered species use the leftover rafts, tables, chairs, lights ( still working), and music ( still piping in)?

 

[GrumpyFan]

I would love to see it turned into an exclusive resort/hotel/cabins.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

There exist pictures of maps from the first few years of MK being open that indicated that they had plans to put a resort on the island...all the resorts they planned in that area were eventually scrapped...

 

[EOD K9]

Turn it into the, "Hunger Games - Fastpass" edition.

 

[Lord Pheonix]

^----id definatly kick someones a** for cream cheese stuffed pretzel----^

 

[PhotoDave219]

As the story goes, Walt was flying in the company jet above Florida to find the perfect place for development, and he spotted what we now refer to as Discovery/Treasure Island and decided that that was the area where the resort would be constructed. In 1999, when it officially closed down and the animals were moved to Animal Kingdom (where the area known as Safari Village was changed to become known as Discovery Island), they closed the gates and now threaten litigation and banishment from Disney property should anyone trespass on the island. Ever since then, no one has really seen or heard anything about it. So what is going on there? Any ideas? Future development or will it sit abandoned for good?

The islands arent going anywhere; I see them every time I go to MK. They're ISLANDS, we cant exactly tow them backstage.

 

[Mouseketeer #1]

The islands arent going anywhere; I see them every time I go to MK. They're ISLANDS, we cant exactly tow them backstage.

Obviously they're not going anywhere. I never said the island was going to go anywhere. I am simply asking for people's opinion or rumors about what Disney plans to use the island for in the future. It seems a large waste to let such a cool area that was discovered by Walt himself to go to waste like it is.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

That was back in the day, though, that the only thing that was being planned was the magic kingdom...the focal point of the theme park area is no longer the lakes, nor even that area of their massive landholdings.

 

[Stu bailey]

It was a very cool, almost unused space. Wife and I liked it. Doubtful the public will have access again anytime soon.

 

[Nubs70]

make it into a honeymoon island with cabins

How about moving the wedding pavillion there? Wedding / reception concluded by the end of day fireworks.