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A man who was caught camping on Discovery Island back in April has struck a plea deal with Disney. Check out the conditions of his deal and a behind the scenes look of the abandoned Discovery Island!
Camper Caught Trespassing On Discovery Island
Back on April 30th, 2020, after an hours-long manhunt, a camper was finally arrested for trespassing on the abandoned Discovery Island. Disney was first alerted to the man’s presence when he triggered a wildlife life camera on the island.
While authorities searched for the trespasser, he continued to post videos on YouTube. When authorities finally caught the man, he said he had been camping on the 11-acre island for a few days and called it a “tropical paradise”.
Charges and Plea Deal
The man initially pleaded “not-guilty” to the trespassing charges, which could have landed him in jail for a 1-year maximum sentence. We have just learned that a plea deal was filed on September 30th, 2020.
The plea entered was: no contest and adjudication will be withheld, meaning the trespassing charge will not show up as a conviction on his criminal record.
The man must also pay a $100 fine, plus court and prosecution charges and has been banned for life from the Walt Disney World Resort.
You can see portions of the manhunt below from WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando:
Discovery Island Today
Discovery Island has been closed since 1999. It’s almost eerie to see the footage of the authorities walking through the decaying remnants of this forgotten theme park.
You can see them walking through abandoned buildings and hacking away at overgrown foliage.
It’s hard to believe this jungle was once a guest attraction, but the ghost of it’s past life can be seen all around in the remains of left behind trash cans adorned with the Discovery Island logos and abandoned animal cages.
It is really interesting to see the footage of the island via the authorities body cameras. We are just glad to see this case resolved and that no parties were hurt in the process.
What did you think of the footage of the abandoned Discovery Island? Do you think the plea deal was fair? Let us know on Facebook.
-Christina
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