16 photos of abandoned Disney resorts that will give you the creeps

The island could only be accessed from a Disney resort boat or a Walt Disney World Cruise and was known as a premier tourist destination from the 1970s to the 1990s.

It was rebranded as "Discovery Island" in 1978, and it featured a range of exotic animals, an aviary, flamingo pool, and a beach for tourists.

Reasons it closed included a fear of wild-roaming alligators, accusations of staff mishandling the birds, and deadly bacteria found in the park's waters.

The island has not been maintained since.

Those caught trespassing could be arrested and banned from Disney World.

In fact, last year, that exact scenario happened. According to a police report acquired by USA Today, Richard McGuire, 42, of Mobile, Alabama, was arrested on April 30, 2020, after camping on Discovery Island for multiple days.

McGuire told police officers he was not aware that the park was closed to visitors.

Even if visitors were allowed, you probably wouldn't want to check out the area anyway.

Though some have sneaked onto the island to film the forgotten remains, the decrepit, abandoned buildings and overgrowth could pose a serious safety hazard to those who dare to enter the island.

You can check out more photos from photographer Seph Lawless' expedition to the island here.

As Disney's first water park, it was very popular.

The amoeba attacked his brain and nervous system, resulting in his death. Disney was absolved for this because the amoeba could have bred anywhere.

Disney was sued by the family, who claimed that there was no warning about how deep the water was. A lifeguard testified that they had to save dozens of kids from that slide daily.

However, the park continued to operate until 9/11, when a country-wide setback in tourism forced Disney to cut opening hours.

River Country then shut its doors for maintenance but never reopened. Disney announced its permanent closure in 2005, despite it having laid abandoned for three years before that.

The area is much different than it was when originally advertised in 1976.

Now that it's abandoned, that advertisement sounds much creepier.

It opened in 1961 as a Japanese version of California's Disneyland, complete with its own Main Street USA and Sleeping Beauty's castle.

It closed in 2006 due to dwindling attendance.

In 2016, the park was demolished, meaning no more visitors could stop by to photograph its creepy forgotten rides.