Roughly three years ago, a man was arrested on charges of sneaking onto Disney’s abandoned Discovery Island. His story of madness and survival went viral in July after a lengthy Twitter thread described the absolute pandemonium that ensued during his journey.
It’s like something out of every millennial kid’s dream: a man named Richard McGuire (42 at the time) set out at the start of the pandemic to explore a long-abandoned theme park deep in the Florida’s wilderness. His destination was Disney’s Discovery Island, a predecessor to Animal Kingdom. It closed in 1999, according to the Twitter thread and news reports from the time.
The island is a short boat-ride away from Disney’s mainland, and was thought to be inaccessible to the public. McGuire, believing it was a place of “hidden science experiments” reportedly parked his car in a wooded area within the empty Walt Disney World (COVID lockdowns), and paddled his boat across the waters and onto the island.
He had only a small bag of provisions, and ended up staying on the island for a few days. He was apparently hoping to stay for a whole week, but the police caught on to his behavior, and set sail to see him off. When they couldn’t find McGuire, the police reportedly took all of his provisions and his boat, seemingly leaving him to starve.
despite not really discovering anything to prove his point, richard maintains that discovery island is home to disturbing secrets and hidden science experiments that had been ordered by walt disney. pic.twitter.com/4OxPTfLMPt
— ash ✿♥‿♥✿ (@epthot_) July 16, 2023
So, like any normal person, McGuire decided to swim back to the mainland. The alligators swarming the area didn’t seem to concern him. (RELATED: Camera Catches Mysterious Beast Roaming In Texas, Officials Ask For Public’s Help)
This is when his wife (maybe girlfriend) called, and said that he needed to turn himself in to local law enforcement. After his arrest, Disney World hit McGuire with a lifetime ban, a $100 fine, plus costs associated with court and prosecution, according to Click Orlando.
The best part? He filmed a bunch of the stuff he saw on the island, and it really does look creepy as heck. You can watch his video here:
Oh, and if you’re looking for more crazy content, McGuire also snuck into Jeffrey Epstein’s abandoned Palm Beach property. This dude just doesn’t give a crap, and it’s so entertaining.