Orange County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man who had been living on Disney’s Discovery Island, telling authorities it felt like a “tropical paradise.”
Deputies said they were called after Richard McGuire, 42, was spotted on Discovery Island, located at Walt Disney’s Bay Lake.
According to reports, McGuire told police he had entered the island on Monday, April 27, and had planned on staying there for a week or so. He told the deputy he didn’t know it was a restricted area, despite there being numerous “no trespassing” signs.
Discovery Island, which was a zoological attraction before Disney’s Animal Kingdom park opened, has been closed since 1999. All of Disney’s theme parks are also currently closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.