A man has been caught camping out at Disney World’s Discovery Island while the resort is closed.
Richard McGuire, 42, was arrested by Orange County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday, April 30, after he was spotted by the resort’s security. Despite the several ‘no trespassing’ signs visible at Discovery Island, McGuire apparently didn’t realise he was doing anything wrong.
Discovery Island is located at Walt Disney’s Bay Lake, and is entirely isolated. The resort can only be reached by boat. As of this writing, it’s unknown how McGuire successfully got onto it.
According to Newsweek report, McGuire told the cops he had entered the island on Monday, April 27, and had planned on staying there for a week or so. McGuire called the island a ‘tropical paradise’
Despite the police using a megaphone to try speak to McGuire, he apparently didn’t hear them because he was sleeping inside one of the buildings on the island.point 242 |
He is now facing trespassing charges as well as no longer being allowed to enter any additional Walt Disney World properties.point 105 | His arrest report states Orange County police searched for McGuire on foot, by helicopter and by boat before finally arresting him.point 218 | 1
Discovery Island is once a key part of the resort and is no longer used for guests to visit despite it still being owned by Disney. The island was first opened in 1974, as Treasure Island, and used as a wildlife resort. The name was changed to Discovery Island in the late 1970s. The island closed to public in 1999, and has mostly been unused since then.
Last March, Disney announced it was temporarily closing its parks until the end of the month; however, with the pandemic still prominent in many parts of the world, they have remained closed.
Currently, all Disney theme parks and water parks are closed ‘until further notice’.