Fort Wilderness News

[wanabeimagineer]

When I was eating at the breakfast buffet (that is sooooo good) last week, my waitress told me that with the closing of River Country, they are not getting crowds at the breakfast buffet anymore (I walked right up at 8 in the morning and sat down, no waiting) and she told me that because of this, they may be forced to stop serving breakfast soon. This is really sad news because I loved their breakfast.
And also she said one of the main reasons River Country was closed was because recently they stopped allowing people to swim in Bay Lake for safety reasons (bacteria I think) and the water in River Country comes directly from the lake, so they had to close it because it was unsafe.
Lastly, when I was there, I went by River Country on the boat to MK and it looks like there is work being done there, not sure what kind though.

 

[DanStat]

Why don't they just put padding on the bottom of the lake (inside of RC), that is the same color as the water in Bay Lake, and put filters, and clorinated water in there?

I don't like swimming in RC because I have to swim in that water...there is gasoline from the mouse boats, etc.

Just cut it off from the lake, and use different lighting effects, etc.

 

[wanabeimagineer]

Thats what I was thinking, just start using cholrinated(sp) water, maybe thats the work thats going on right now.

 

[walthimself05]

I heard that they are tearing down some of RC so that it is not too thrilling to be a water park but fun enough for a good resort pool. I think its gonna be Ft. Wildernesses new pool.

I swear if they close that breakfast buffet

 

[WDWFREAK53]

I dunno, I went to RC one time...and it wasn't all that thrilling to me...I mean, I was little and I did have a good time but my parents obviously didn't enjoy it much either because we have never returned. (This was WAY before BB and TL too) I love BB and I make every attempt possible to go on every vaca. RC just doesn't have what it "used" to have and I for one would like to see it downscaled and turned into a regular swimming area for Ft. Wilderness so that money can be used for other areas of the WORLD. Just my opinion though, sorry if I upset anyone who is a RC fan.

 

[DisneyGal]

Originally posted by WDWFREAK53
I dunno, I went to RC one time...and it wasn't all that thrilling to me...I mean, I was little and I did have a good time but my parents obviously didn't enjoy it much either because we have never returned. (This was WAY before BB and TL too) I love BB and I make every attempt possible to go on every vaca. RC just doesn't have what it "used" to have and I for one would like to see it downscaled and turned into a regular swimming area for Ft. Wilderness so that money can be used for other areas of the WORLD. Just my opinion though, sorry if I upset anyone who is a RC fan.

I must agree with you there...they definitely should use the money to do some improvements or new attractions in other areas of the world that attract more people.

 

[castmember604]

When I stayed at Fort Wilderness in May I was talking to a cast member and they said the rumor about RC was it was going to be turned into a themed pool for both Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge. They said that they would build a walkway from the lodge to it.

 

[bearboysnc]

Lets face it River country is the Grandpappy of waterparks. They've neither updated it, nor maintained it the way is should be. At this point, It's barely a step up from the Poly or the GF pool.

 

[Samwayla]

NOOOOOO!!! I love that buffet breakfast at Trails End. I too walked right in with my family and sat down. We had a BIG family too and had no problems waiting so we could all sit together. I mean there was just a few people there. Now the day we were leaving though on a Sunday(we went at the beginning of may) there WERE alot of people there but none of the other 4 days we were there was it crowded. I really hope the attendance picks up there because it's such a good breakfast and a great value. Hey wanabeimagineer, When you went, was the hostess an old lady with grey hair and glasses? Her name was mary and that was our hostess like every morning we ate there, I swear this woman was as SLOW as Christmas. She wasn't like "I'm so old I can't go fast" slow because she wasn't THAT old but she was so slow, like deliberately slow. We called her "Speedy Gonzales" <----completely satire. Anyway enough of my babbling on but let me know.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Here's a totally outrageous suggestion for RC (or is it). Maybe they should completely wall off the outlet to Bay Lake. Then put in a cement bottom covered with sand. That would alleviate the "bacteria problem" that everyone is so worried about. Make it a bit more like Stormalong Bay at Y&B. Of course then it wouldn't be the Ol' Swimmin' Hole. I'm sure the cost would rule this one out though.

 

[atownsend]

I have only been in FW in the winter when RC is closed and have never seen less than 10 tables occupied at breakfast. Even at opening time there is always a line of campers waiting to get in. :slurp:

 

[wanabeimagineer]

Originally posted by Samwayla
Hey wanabeimagineer, When you went, was the hostess an old lady with grey hair and glasses? Her name was mary and that was our hostess like every morning we ate there, I swear this woman was as SLOW as Christmas. She wasn't like "I'm so old I can't go fast" slow because she wasn't THAT old but she was so slow, like deliberately slow. We called her "Speedy Gonzales" <----completely satire. Anyway enough of my babbling on but let me know.

No, we had a younger woman with brunette hair, but I know who you are talking about, we have had her before and you are right she is (im going to borrow an expression from my grandmother) "slower than molasses in January."

 

[leeocean]

River Country is a classic. It's the beginning of all water parks. It is getting really old but I think it is the best water parl if you have younger children that you just want to hang around with.

 

[kaos]

Originally posted by DisneyPhD
Here's a totally outrageous suggestion for RC (or is it). Maybe they should completely wall off the outlet to Bay Lake. Then put in a cement bottom covered with sand. That would alleviate the "bacteria problem" that everyone is so worried about. Make it a bit more like Stormalong Bay at Y&B. Of course then it wouldn't be the Ol' Swimmin' Hole. I'm sure the cost would rule this one out though.

OK... RC IS isolated from Bay Lake. The water from river country is filtered and is the same water that is in the swimming pools at the rest of the resorts. There is a rubber "bladder" that sits about 6 inches above the water line at the end of the authorized swimming area. It extends down beneath the bottom of Bay Lake (remember that, although natural, Bay Lake was completely drained and dredged during construction). The white sand that you see all around the resort originated from Bay Lake. DisneyPhD, just as an FYI, the sand at Bay Lake is on top of a cement floor.

For verification, the book WDW the first 25 years contains all this information.

 

[prberk]

Breakfast Buffet

Just putting my vote in for the breakfast buffet at Fort Wilderness. I loved it last year, and it was one of the few things left that was slow-paced at WDW. After all, it is a RESORT, which implies that people should find ways to relax! Not everything at WDW has to be fast-paced and expensive.

Now applying that same logic to River Country... :animwink:

 

[walthimself05]

Originally posted by Samwayla
When you went, was the hostess an old lady with grey hair and glasses? Her name was mary and that was our hostess like every morning we ate there, I swear this woman was as SLOW as Christmas. She wasn't like "I'm so old I can't go fast" slow because she wasn't THAT old but she was so slow, like deliberately slow. We called her "Speedy Gonzales" <----completely satire. Anyway enough of my babbling on but let me know.

i've had her before, my mom asked me why we dont carry around a shotgun cuz she was about to unload a woopen on her

 

[djmatthews]

There has been many threads on the forums about RC and its closure etc. Has anybody got any pics of the contruction work that is said to be happening there?

Can someone tell me what pool FW guests use now, and how close are the resorts to RC i.e FW, WL?

- Darren

 

[wanabeimagineer]

Originally posted by djmatthews
There has been many threads on the forums about RC and its closure etc. Has anybody got any pics of the contruction work that is said to be happening there?

Can someone tell me what pool FW guests use now, and how close are the resorts to RC i.e FW, WL?

- Darren

There are 2 pools that FW guests use right now, one is the big Meadow Complex pool (im not sure about the official name) but its just like any other resort pool, there is also another smaller pool.
FW is very close to RC, you can walk to it. WL is close too, and if there was a walkway then you could walk to it, but its all woods between RC and WL.

 

[Hurricane]

When I stayed at WL I occasionally (often) got caught in the WL to FW to Contemporary boat loop and passed by RC. From what I can tell there is a sump that is pumping water out of RC, meaning that it has been drained. From what i remember hearing (and I have a tendency to remember things like this) was that river country is seperated from bay lake bysome type of natural tide filter, and that water is filtered by passing thru some natural material much like our (south florida) water is purified by the aquifer. But there is some barrier between bay lake and RC.

 

[wanabeimagineer]

Originally posted by Hurricane
When I stayed at WL I occasionally (often) got caught in the WL to FW to Contemporary boat loop and passed by RC. From what I can tell there is a sump that is pumping water out of RC, meaning that it has been drained. From what i remember hearing (and I have a tendency to remember things like this) was that river country is seperated from bay lake bysome type of natural tide filter, and that water is filtered by passing thru some natural material much like our (south florida) water is purified by the aquifer. But there is some barrier between bay lake and RC.

The water is filtered, but that doesnt necessarily mean its clean/safe.