A courageous photographer went deep undercover to show the grim truth behind the Disney parks. Little did we know that part of Disney’s magic is dark magic.
Walt Disney himself has experienced his fair share of infamy. His anti-semitism is widely known, so it’s not surprising that even more secrets are right near the parks.
The place commonly known as the “happiest place on Earth” may be the exact opposite for some people. Next to the park is a smaller island in the middle of Bay Lake, just 300 feet from the shore. In the past, it was used as a smaller park, but now it is used for something much more shocking.
Shipwrecked
The former park was supposed to resemble a stranded island. The island was to be filled with shipwrecks and abandoned forts. As if that wasn’t creepy enough, they wanted to put inns so people could stay overnight on the forbidden island, well away from the mainland. It was to be called “Blackbeard’s Island.”
The Faux Tropical Island
Disney planned to import many tropical birds, plants, and other animals. This included a variety of over 600 pelicans, flamingoes, peacocks, plants, flowers, and much more.
They decided a name change was needed to incorporate the vast and general tropical theme. “Blackbeard’s Island” was soon changed to “Treasure Island” and opened on April 8, 1974.
Failed Island
The island was expected to attract thousands, but it sadly started to fail just a few years after opening. Disney just couldn’t take no for an answer and decided to amp up the island.
Again, a name change was in order, and they chose Discovery Island. More exotic animals were flown in from around the world. Amongst these were five of the famous Galapagos tortoises.
Animal Abuse
Everything came crashing down in 1989. Great controversy broke out as people started coming forward about animal abuse taking place on the island.
Some employees were seen taking shots at hawks, trampling on Red Ibis eggs, and beating vultures, sometimes until they died. A two-month investigation was issued, but what happened next is shocking.
Federal And State Charges
After the two-month investigation, corporate Disney was charged with 16 state and federal charges of bird abuse. This amounted to over $95,000 in fines, which was way too much money in that day.
The park couldn’t come back from this great loss. In 1999, the park was suddenly closed, with no explanation.
Relocation
Disney’s new attraction, Animal Kingdom, claimed the wildlife that was on Discovery Island. The island was closed for good, but there were more mysterious circumstances surrounding the closing of the park beside just the fines.
The island was left untouched for almost a decade and was forgotten about. That was until photographer Shane Perez took an adventure there.
A Mere Memory
In 2009, Perez decided to take the fateful trek to the island, which had been untouched by humans since the 90’s.
After almost a decade, it was time for someone to see the ruins of the failed park. After some research, he gathered up a team of photographers to explore. What they found is extremely disturbing.
Wildlife
The former park was home to many exotic animals, but is now consumed by natural wildlife. Alligators were everywhere and disgusting lake water was home to many more creatures.
There was more in the water that the photographers were unaware of. Something that is surprisingly deadly but often goes unseen.
Naegleria Fowleri Bacteria
When tested, the murky lake water was positive for an infestation of Naegleria fowleri bacteria. This bacteria will infiltrate the human nervous system and can lead to a brain infection. The destruction of brain tissue is life-threatening, and once a human is infected it often ends in death if not immediately treated.
It’s Everywhere
This same bacteria was found in other places in the water near different parks. In fact, it was found in Disney’s River Country water park which was very near Discovery Island. Ironically enough, that park was suddenly and mysteriously shut down as well.
What the brave photographers did next will make you shudder.
Sneaky
In order to get into the abandoned island, the photographers had to swim across the bacteria infected water. Not only that, but they had to brave the alligators and other mysterious creatures lurking in the swampy water. The cameras had to be tightly sealed in bags so they didn’t get wet.
The Lights
What they found was rather odd. All the lights in the park were on, even though the park had been closed for almost 10 years. Who would pay to keep a whole island lit?
It was as if there were people still living on the island, just waiting for the photographers.
Walking Through A Wonderland
Although it was evident that no work was done on the island since it had closed, it was still loud with sounds of natural animals. The paths where travelers once walked were overgrown and the equipment was rusting and vacant.
There were multiple storage units along the path, and what was in them is almost too creepy…
Serpents
There were old papers and photos littering the floor of the storage units. The worst part was the jars filled with preserved serpents.
Broken down, empty cages and old, discarded veterinary tools littered the massive park. There was even a dome area where birds once thrived, or so they thought.
Screeches
All of a sudden, the crew heard something screeching at them. In the old atrium was a clan of hissing baby vultures.
As they headed down more overgrown trails, it was clear why Disney decided to abandon this park. There was more going on behind the scenes than animal abuse.
Pollution
It’s hard to maintain an unnatural ecosystem and keep out the animals and plants that actually belong in that ecosystem. Disney decided to cut its losses and let the real environment take over and stop trying to fight it.
Soon, Discovery Island was left alone and wildlife was allowed to return.
Caught
The team was quickly running out of time. If ferries came back too early, they could be caught and risk getting trespassing charges. If an official decided to take a quick trip to the island, they would be in big trouble.
They still had to swim all the way back to the mainland without getting caught… by a human or an alligator.
What About The Rest?
The crew of photographers had been on the island for three hours. They were able to only cover half the island, but time was running out. They had to high tail it out of there even though much of the island was still left undiscovered.
Even though they had to leave, there is still hope for the future.
Not The End
The crew promised to come back one day to explore the rest of the island. It’s easy to tell that Discovery Island is still begging for inspection.
Disney has a lot of questions to answer, from the infected water to the creepy snake preserves that are stowed away in their empty storage units.
Lost Island
Some say that Discovery Island will soon be renamed and reopened once again as Lost Island. This will hopefully attract more tourists and get people to the island once again. Disney just has to find a way to get rid of the deadly bacteria and infestation of alligators before they can do anything else.