UnDiscovery Island

Walt Dated World | home

UnDiscovery Island

Discovery Island has a very interesting history. Located in the middle of Bay Lake, it was not a man made island. From 1900-1937, it was called Raz Island. The Raz family lived on the island and did some farming on it. The island was purchased for $800.00 in the late 1930's by Delmar "Radio Nick" Nicholson. Radio Nick lived on the island (which he called Idle Bay Isle) for nearly 20 years with his wife and pet sandhill crane. The island then changed hands yet again and was bought by local business people as a hunting retreat before Disney purchased the island in 1965.

Originally called Blackbeard's Island, the island remained undeveloped until 1974, when it was named Treasure Island. The Buena Vista Construction Company added nearly 50,000 cubic yards of dirt to increase the island to 11 acres. The pirate-themed island opened in early April, 1974. It could only be accessed by boat.

(Shipwreck photo courtesy of Brotherdave)

This promotion ran in conjunction with the premier of The Rescuers. Families could win a trip to Walt Disney World, where they had the chance to dig for a $25,000 diamond on Treasure Island!

The name was changed to Discovery Island in 1977. William Clayton, a former River Country Cast Member from Jacksonville, Florida shared the following information about the name change: "A fellow cast member chose the name Discovery Island in a contest to rename Treasure Island. The fellow who named Discovery Island had to sign waivers of some sort. I can't recall the cast member’s name who won the contest. The prize was, I think, $50."

The walk-through aviary and the Thirsty Perch snack bar were built when the island was being remodeled into Discovery Island. Over 140 species of animals were on the island including eagles, alligators, flamingos, tortoises, monkeys, pelicans, macaws, and lemurs . The 250 species of tropical plants made for some very lush scenery.

Discovery Island workers did many wonderful things, such as raising the last surviving Dusky Seaside Sparrows and raising Capuchin monkeys to be helpers for disabled people. One not-so-wonderful thing that happened on the island was the deliberate killing of some of the vulture population.

Bird watching was a popular activity on the island. There were also daily bird and reptile demonstrations. Guests were invited to participate on a scavenger hunt when they arrived on the island. There were given a sheet with 20 clues and the answers could be found on signs throughout the island. The completed sheet could then be turned in at the Thirsty Perch for a Jiminy Cricket Environmentality Earth Day button.

Discovery Island Signs of Conservation Game

The following questions reveal what type of creatures you could find on the island:

Only about 40 of these birds are left in the wild.

Bali Mynah

This feline mammal is a "superb swimmer" and has webbed feet.

Fishing Cat

Building that contains an "extra strength" x-ray machine.

Animal hospital

Has a bill shaped like a spatula or spoon.

Spoonbill

Blue color lets predators know they are poisonous.

Blue poison arrow frogs

Has eyelashes, which is rare for a bird.

Great Hornbill

Small primate that can leap up to 45 ft. between trees.

Red-handed tamarin

Hatches white but gains pink color from shrimp, algae and mollusks.

American Flamingo

How many different species of butterfly can be found on Discovery Island?

Builds gigantic nest with everything from lens caps to stones.

Hammerkap

Only fish-eating duck native to North America.

Hooded Merganser

Animal that needs 6 hours to crawl one mile.

Galapagos Tortoise

Has the most developed eyesight of any bird.

Southern Bald Eagle

Their name means "ghost" in Latin.

Lemur

Having one as a pet is like having a two year old child that NEVER grows up.

Red shoulder macaw

Has a huge CASQUE on top of bill.

Great Hornbill

Is a giant rodent from South America.

Aguti

Builds a nest mound that can be 10 ft. across.

Crocodile

Male is green and female is red.

Red-sided eclectus parrot

How many groups receive support from the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. (Hint: Check out the brochure located at the Thirsty Perch.)

The island received accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association in 1979. At one time the Island was sponsored by Friskies. The opening of Animal Kingdom may have contributed to the island's demise when it closed for good around 1999. Discovery Island was used to quarantine many birds while Animal Kingdom was being constructed and some of the island's scarlet ibis flock was relocated to the park once it was built. Discovery Island still lives on, sort of. The Safari Village portion of Animal Kingdom was renamed Discovery Island in late 2000 or early 2001. For Discovery Island ticket prices through the years, check out the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Here's a view of Discovery Island from the top of the Contemporary Resort. The boat to the island would leave from the dock below.

Here's a picture of the infamous vultures.

A trash can with the Discovery Island logo.

For more information on Discovery Island, check out the book Since the World Began by Jeff Kurtti (Hyperion, 1996).

Brotherdave took the following Discovery Island pictures in 1983.

This is an unofficial fan site that is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or Disney theme parks. All copyrights acknowledged. Please respect the work I put into compiling both existing and my own information on this site by not linking to any text or pictures without crediting that they were located on this site.

See ya real soon!