Bay Lake
Bay Lake is a natural lake at the northern end of Walt Disney World in Orange County, Florida, immediately east of the Magic Kingdom. Roughly triangular and about one mile (1.6 km) across, it reaches a depth of about 35 feet (11 m). Published figures for its surface area vary, commonly given as roughly 400 to 450 acres. Bay Lake connects at its western side, by a canal crossed by a water bridge over World Drive, to the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon.[1][2]
History
Unlike its neighbour, Bay Lake existed long before Disney arrived, and it played a part in the choice of the Walt Disney World site: Roy O. Disney later recalled Walt Disney standing beside Bay Lake and deciding that the theme park would be built nearby.[3]
Before the resort opened, the lake — then choked with weeds, algae and muck — was completely drained. Crews removed a deep layer of silt and root matter from the lake bed, uncovering white sand that was used to line the beaches of the new Seven Seas Lagoon and the lake itself.[4] At the same time, wetlands west of Bay Lake were dredged to create the Seven Seas Lagoon, and the two bodies of water were joined by the water bridge, an aqueduct-style crossing that carries boats over the road below.[4][1] The lake was then refilled, and its water level has since been managed as part of the resort's wider system of canals and water control structures.
Geography and features
Bay Lake has two islands. The larger, near the centre of the lake, is Discovery Island; the smaller is Shipwreck Island.[1] The lake is bordered by three resorts: Disney's Contemporary Resort on its western shore, with its Disney Vacation Club addition, Bay Lake Tower; Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground along the southern shore; and Disney's Wilderness Lodge, with its own Vacation Club villas, on the south-western shore.[1]
Watercraft — including resort launches and the barges of the Electrical Water Pageant, which tours both Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon each evening — move between the two lakes through the water bridge. The lake is also used for recreational boating and guided catch-and-release fishing excursions.
Former attractions
Two of Walt Disney World's early attractions stood on and in Bay Lake. Discovery Island opened in 1974 as a walk-through wildlife sanctuary, home to birds and other animals, and operated until 1999, when its animals were relocated following the opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom; the island has remained closed and undeveloped since.[1]
On the lake's southern shore, beside Fort Wilderness, stood River Country, Disney's first water park, which opened in 1976 and drew its water from Bay Lake through an inflatable dam system that kept the park's lagoon filtered and separated from the lake. River Country closed in 2001 and never reopened; the site was later cleared, and Disney announced a new Vacation Club resort, Disney Lakeshore Lodge, for the site, while the lake shore itself remains part of the Fort Wilderness area.[1]
See also
- Seven Seas Lagoon
- Discovery Island (theme park)
- River Country
- Disney's Contemporary Resort
- Electrical Water Pageant
- Magic Kingdom
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Bay Lake (Florida lake)." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Lake_(Florida_lake)
- ↑ "Bay Lake." D23 Disney A to Z. https://d23.com/a-to-z/page/775/
- ↑ "The Mystery of Walt Disney World's Bermuda Triangle." MiceChat. https://www.micechat.com/319186-the-mystery-of-walt-disney-worlds-bermuda-triangle/
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "History of the World, Part V." MousePlanet. https://mouseplanet.com/history-of-the-world-part-v/799/