Defunct. Definition — “no longer living, existing, or functioning.”
Florida’s eerie theme park history is always in season. And, if you can’t wait until October to enjoy some spooky content, let’s kick off this #ThrowBackThursday with 8 defunct theme parks in Central Florida.
Water Mania, Kissimmee, FL | 1987-2005
Water Mania’s heyday circa the 1980s
Photo via Florida Memory
Situated off of U.S. Hwy.192 in Kissimmee, the park originally opened as the first of its kind in the area and dawned wave pools, state-of-the-art slides, and a steady 500,000 visitors per year. After its demise, possibly due to other theme park growth, the park sat abandoned for about a year before a Golden Corral and mini-golf took its place.
Circus World, Haines City | 1973-1986
Circus World elephant performer, circa 1973 | Photo via Florida Memory
Photo via Florida Memory
Circus World touted a 27,000-sqft building resembling a circus tent, a carousel, ferris wheel, wooden coasters, live animals, performances, and clowns. Originally pitched by the then owners of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Circus World was tossed from owner to owner until it was replaced with another defunct amusement park.
Boardwalk and Baseball, Haines City | 1987-1990
Hurricane wooden roller coaster at Boardwalk and Baseball, circa 1989 | Photo via Florida Memory
Photo via Florida Memory
Remember Circus World? Meet its replacement, Boardwalk and Baseball. This park hoped to compete with Disney World’s latest addition, Epcot, by offering 32 rides, including the famous Hurricane roller coaster. Ultimately, the park could not meet the same standards as its neighbors down the road and closed its doors. The park sat abandoned until it was completely demolished in 2003.
Splendid China, Kissimmee, FL | 1993-2003
Musicians performing at Splendid China, circa 1998 | Photo via Florida Memory
Owned by an agency of the Chinese government, the park was a near-exact replica of the Splendid China location in Shenzhen, China, near Hong Kong. The purpose of the park was to highlight the intricacy of Chinese architecture + culture, in hopes of influencing tourists to visit the country. Like many other defunct parks, Splendid China could not compete with Disney World and closed, where it sat abandoned for 10 years until it was demolished in 2013.
Disney’s Discovery Island, Kissimmee, FL | 1974-1999
Originally pirate-themed, the island was revamped in 1976 as a tropical zoological nature area to view exotic animals. The island got a reputation as a half-day park, with a boat-only entrance, that ultimately led to its closure. Though the island closed its doors on its 25th anniversary, remnants of the theme park still remain today.
Disney’s River Country, Kissimmee, FL, | 1976-2005
Visitors enjoying River Country, circa 1977 | Photo via Florida Memory
Disney’s first water park, situated on Bay Lake, filtered lake water through Disney’s rides + pools. Why did it close? For starters, the park had a maximum capacity of 4,700 guests and because of the filtered water, people worried about the potential of amoebas in Bay Lake. The property was abandoned after Disney built its newer water parks. All of the original structures still remain, and the old water park is fenced off near The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.
Cypress Gardens, Winter Haven, FL | 1936-2009
Acrobatic water skiers, circa 1950 | Photo via Florida Memory
While a piece of Cypress Gardens lives on at Legoland Florida Resort, the original park put Winter Haven on the map as the water skiing capital of the world and donned its famous botanical gardens. With the opening of Walt Disney World, dwindling attendance, and a revolving door of new ownership, the park closed and sat abandoned for about a year until it was picked up by Legoland, where visitors can still visit the botanical gardens today.
Jungleland Zoo, Kissimmee, FL | 1995-2002
Known for its 126-ft alligator statue, the zoo boasted a large variety of exotic animals + big cat shows. The demise of the park is said to be due to facility issues including significant draining issues + wood rot. Not to mention, in 1997 a 450 lb. lioness escaped her cage + went missing for two days before being found, which caused some negative press. It’s said that now, many squatters are currently living in the abandoned facilities.
