curious about River Country?

MICKEYMOO42

MICKEYMOO42

Active Member
Original Poster
So I was just on YouTube and came across a video about the abandoned water park River country. I love that kind of stuff so it really intregued me! Does anybody remember it or know what happend to it?

There's a rumor there was some disease In the water.
 
DisneyJunkie

DisneyJunkie

Well-Known Member
I remember it, having been there one time. It was small, but it wasn't anything terrible. They probably should have kept it up and instead made it the main swimming spot for Fort Wilderness guests.

I believe Disney wanted to focus more on bigger water parks, and the small River Country couldn't allow them to fully realize that. It's too bad that they simply abandoned RC and left it to rot rather than doing something else in that location.
 
MICKEYMOO42

MICKEYMOO42

Active Member
Original Poster
the part that most amazes me is how people are able to sneak in there so easily.
You think they'd have tighter security especially because if someone got hurt in there Disney would be liable
 
KCheatle

KCheatle

Well-Known Member
I remember it well. We went every year to it when I was a kid because we always stayed at the Contemp, so it was right there. It was a blast! They had a pool that had two amazing slides (although I remember being terrified by them for years) that you would go down and they dropped you a good 5-8 feet in the water. It was such a rush! Here's a picture!
tumblr_ly5r24dEJZ1qdzzd8.jpg


And behind them I remember there being a cave that you would explore and go through.

And the lake part was awesome too. They had great tubeslides to go down, and platforms to cross and jump off of.
WDW-922%20-%20Swinging%20%27n%20Splashing.jpg


Here's the map of the park:

rivercountry_map2001disney.jpg
 
riverscu0m0

riverscu0m0

Active Member
Yeah, if you value your WDW visits, I'd strongly suggest not exploring. That's the type of stuff that got youtube user, Adamthewoo banned. Anyway, speaking of the man, he visited RC in 2010. Of course, he youtubed his experience and here it is
While I'm pretty sure no one is entirely sure as to why the park closed, the most logical reasoning (imo) would be that RC was fairly small compared to the other two. When it closed in '01 BB had already been opened for 6 years. Blizzard Beach is muuuuuuuuuuch larger, therefore, not only more rides, but bigger rides and more to do in general. While it seems like there was concern about parasites and such in the water, I don't believe it was ever proven.

I could be wrong on any of this, I do a lot of reading about this particular subject and everywhere I read tends to say something different.

I'm honestly more curious about Discovery Island. I read an article a while back on a group of people swimming there, but no matter where I look I can never find the article again only other articles alluding to that one.
 
Squigglove

Squigglove

Active Member
The decay is disheartening.
My last visit to RC was in 1992, I barely recollect it. Seeing any site in abandonment always weighs heavy on my heart. It truly is a graveyard.
I'd expect more of Disney - pay the costs of dismantling the park rather than allowing it to become dangerous even if the only peoplee endangered are trespassers because I would personally always think of Disney as clean and safe. I agree with the above statement that they'd have "a creepy abandoned" anything!
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Squigglove said:
The decay is disheartening.
My last visit to RC was in 1992, I barely recollect it. Seeing any site in abandonment always weighs heavy on my heart. It truly is a graveyard.
I'd expect more of Disney - pay the costs of dismantling the park rather than allowing it to become dangerous even if the only peoplee endangered are trespassers because I would personally always think of Disney as clean and safe. I agree with the above statement that they'd have "a creepy abandoned" anything!
Click to expand...
If Disney ever wants to build on that site again, they pretty much have no choice but to let the place sit and rot until they are ready to build .
 
JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
I've seen the videos before and theres nothing there that would cause me to risk my future visits on. Heck... I'm not going to risk running into a poisonous snake or something else thats taken up residence there. :eek: Sure, walk over those rotted boards and fall into a nest of something. No thanks. I'll be satisfied to wait until Disney re-builds something more interesting, fun and especially.... safe.
 
riverscu0m0

riverscu0m0

Active Member
I'd assume if they're ever going to rebuild it will be something using most of the existing structures just fixed up. Like @DisneyJunkie said, if they were to do anything with the space, it'd probably be something relating to FW.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
riverscu0m0 said:
I'd assume if they're ever going to rebuild it will be something using most of the existing structures just fixed up. Like @DisneyJunkie said, if they were to do anything with the space, it'd probably be something relating to FW.
Click to expand...
Most of what is there is unusable. If they do build there again I feel they will save just enough to have the project classified as a remodel (all it takes is a piece of a wall, foundation, etc) and demo the rest.
 
D

daisy26

New Member
My husband was there in 1979. He said it was awesome! When we went back on a future trip, we were told it was closed because the water to fill the pool area was really part of the lake? Something about not being able to chlorinate the water properly. At least that is what a worker at the Contemporary told us.
 
MICKEYMOO42

MICKEYMOO42

Active Member
Original Poster
I wouldn't want to go near that water especially if there's some brain eating bacteria :eek:
I hope they build something on it and don't waste the space
 
Victaman

Victaman

Active Member
KCheatle said:
I remember it well. We went every year to it when I was a kid because we always stayed at the Contemp, so it was right there. It was a blast! They had a pool that had two amazing slides (although I remember being terrified by them for years) that you would go down and they dropped you a good 5-8 feet in the water. It was such a rush!
Click to expand...

That's the exact same thing I was telling my wife and the kids (and grandkids now) about my time in River Country. I only really remember going once when I was little but I was so frightened of the slides that dropped you into the water. Of course, to be fair to the 7-8 year old me, I did almost drown when I was around 4 so there's that. :)
 
KCheatle

KCheatle

Well-Known Member
MICKEYMOO42 said:
I wouldn't want to go near that water especially if there's some brain eating bacteria :eek:
I hope they build something on it and don't waste the space
Click to expand...

I'm certain if there was a brain eating bacteria, we would have known about it. ;) My best guess is that there were multiple issues that made them decide the cons outweighed the pros. Probably included in that was the rate of growth of the entire resort. When River Country opened, the only hotels that were open were Contemp, Poly and FW. So, a very small population and for all it was quickly accessible by boat.

In the late 80s and 90s, WDW boomed. With both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach being open and having more options, and being more easily accessible to more people, I'm sure River Country became less populated, less in demand, and more of a hassle to keep up.

Plus, in this time period you've got the ADA that came out, and several other rules and regulations for safety that just didn't exist before. So at a certain point, I'm sure Disney said it's not worth it. To become compliant would cost a fortune and we won't make the revenue to make it up in the end, so let's call a spade a spade and shut it down.

I miss it, but if there's one thing Disney knows it's how to turn a profit. So, it is what it is.
 

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