Discovery Island falls prey to Animal Kingdom

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Discovery Island, one of the oldest attractions at Walt Disney World, is shutting down because of the opening of the resort's newest theme park, Animal Kingdom.

The 11-acre zoo's demise has been in the works since Disney announced plans for Animal Kingdom, which opened in April 1998. The park will close April 8, exactly 25 years after it opened under another name, Treasure Island.

''Our guests have so many more choices. And they are choosing other things,'' said Disney spokeswoman Diane Ledder. ''It's a little bit sad when we say goodbye to an old favorite, but change is part of the process.''

Disney must find homes for the park's inhabitants, which include more than 130 species of animals. Most of the animals are birds but the park also has Galapagos tortoises and ring-tailed lemurs. Some of the animals will be moved to Animal Kingdom, while others will be transferred to zoos around the country.

When it opened in 1974, Discovery Island was the first attraction that charged an admission separate from the Magic Kingdom. Tickets to the park are $12.67, including tax, for adults and $6.89 for children. By contrast, tickets to each of the resort's four theme parks are $44, including tax, for adults.

Ledder said no specific plans have been made for the island.

Despite its small size and the fact that it was overshadowed by Disney's theme parks, Discovery Island did gain some notoriety.

In the 1980s, Discovery Island was home to the few remaining dusky seaside sparrows. The last of the species died in 1987. Two years later, four sparrows that had been crossbred with the dusky were lost during a storm that swept through Walt Disney World.

In 1989, state and federal officials charged Disney with 16 counts of animal cruelty stemming from the deaths and mistreatment of vultures and other birds at Discovery Island. Charges were dropped after Disney made improvements at the attraction, and company officials never admitted any wrongdoing.

The closing of the attraction didn't surprise some Disney observers.

''It was sentimental to some people at Disney but it was never a major attraction,'' said Abraham Pizam, professor of tourism management at the University of Central Florida. ''That land is very valuable. Why waste it on something that doesn't generate much profit?''