Discovery Island, also known as "Bay Lake's Tropical Island Paradise," is an 11½-acre island in Bay Lake at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It opened as "Treasure Island" on April 8, 1974, and was a place to observe wildlife. It was 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 (which retained the Discovery Island name in the hub area formerly called Safari Village) and other zoos. An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: The City Beautiful, O-Town, 407 Location in Orange County and the state of Florida. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Disneys Animal Kingdom is a theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. ... Giraffes in Sydneys Taronga Zoo A zoological garden, zoological park, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures and displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred. ...

After its closing, Disney considered teaming up with the makers of the MYST video game to create a cutting-edge interactive experience to be called "Myst Island". Guests to the island would explore unusual locations and unravel a mystery about the island's previous inhabitants. This unusual attraction never got beyond the concept stage. Myst (or MYST) is a graphic adventure computer game designed and directed by the brothers Robyn and Rand Miller. ...

The island was the habitat of the last remaining dusky seaside sparrow before it died in 1987 [1]. The species was officially declared extinct in 1990. Trinomial name Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens (Ridgway, 1873) The dusky seaside sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens, was once a non-migratory songbird common in Southern Florida, in the marshes of Merritt Island and along the St. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ...

As of 2007, the island remains closed to the public. 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ...

Attractions

• Trumpeter Springs - Trumpeter Swans
• Parrots Perch - The Discovery Island Bird Show, featuring macaws, cockatoos, and other trained birds.
• Bamboo Hollow - Lemurs from Madagascar.
• Cranes's Roost - Demoiselle Cranes
• Avian Way - The United States' most extensive breeding colony of Scarlet Ibis
• Pelican Bay - Brown Pelicans
• Flamingo Lagoon - Flamingos
• Tortoise Beach - Five Galapagos tortoises

Binomial name Cygnus buccinator Richardson, 1832 The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest native North American swan. ... Genera Ara Anodorhynchus Cyanopsitta Primolius Orthopsittaca Diopsittaca For other uses, see Macaw (disambiguation). ... Subfamily Microglossinae Calyptorhynchinae Cacatuinae A cockatoo is any of the 21 bird species belonging to the family Cacatuidae. ... Superfamilies and Families Cheirogaleoidea Cheirogaleidae Lemuroidea Lemuridae Lepilemuridae Indriidae Lemurs are members of a class of primates known as prosimians and make up the infraorder Lemuriformes. ... Binomial name Anthropoides virgo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo) is a species of crane. ... Binomial name Eudocimus ruber Linnaeus, 1758 Range The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is a species of ibis that occurs in tropical South America and Trinidad and Tobago. ... Binomial name Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus, 1766 The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis †) is the smallest (42-54) member of the seven species of the pelican family. ... Flamingos are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus and family Phoenicopteridae. ... Binomial name Geochelone nigra (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) The Galápagos tortoise (or giant Galápagos tortoise), Geochelone nigra, is the largest living tortoise. ...

History

According to Walt Disney's colleagues, repeated aerial surveys of Central Florida land parcels led to his taking notice of the 11.5-acre island. At that time it was Riles Island and had been owned by several other parties before Disney's purchase. He decided almost immediately that this was the ideal location for his Florida Project.

General information

• Admission cost in 1995 was $10.07 for adults and $5.57 for children three through nine.
• There was also a beach which no swimming was allowed but playing and walking in sand was permitted, plus a snack bar, the Thirsty Perch.

References

• (1995) in Wendy Lefkon: Birnbaum's Walt Disney World. Hyperion and Hearst, 198-199. ISBN 0-7868-8040-6. 

External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 28.414364° -81.566921°
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
  • Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image from TerraServer-USA