So if Disney rebuilt a River Country exactly as it was

[doctornick]

I don't remember River Country that well from my youth, but I do remember than once Typhoon Lagoon opened that I loved it and didn't want to go back to RC. I also greatly enjoy BB as well. So, basically, unless it was drastically improved, I don't think I'd be inclined to visit a re-opened RC unless they updated and enhanced it significantly. Well, except for maybe once for nostalgia/curiosity sake.

I think WDW is probably fine with the two water parks. If they need more capacity to deal with crowds, it would make sense to add more stuff to TL or BB than build a third park. I've personally never felt like they were intolerably crowded though we tend to go early in the morning and leave mid-day.

 

[BigRedDad]

River Country like anything else Disney was ahead of its time. If they rebuilt it, it wouldn't be much more than a glorified Deluxe Pool. Back in the early 70s, there was nothing better. Now that they have TL and BB, RC would not even come close to comparing.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

At any rate, a River Country name and aesthetic would totally work, I think. But then, for me Horizons also totally works whereas common wisdom holds that we need celebs or toon IP for the snowflake generation. And would they even understand the Mark Twain imagery? ('Mark Dwayne who?")

While I agree we don't need Frozen everywhere, I also don't think we need to go and put down the current generation, as most people have at the very least heard of Mark Twain (and they still have Tom Sawyer island in MK, which is dreadfully boring).

I'm not opposed to a River Country themed water park (though I don't really care for water parks much), but people really must stop putting down the current generation.

 

[JohnHangen]

While I agree we don't need Frozen everywhere, I also don't think we need to go and put down the current generation, as most people have at the very least heard of Mark Twain (and they still have Tom Sawyer island in MK, which is dreadfully boring

101% disagree. My three kids, age 13 and twins of 9, love Tom Sawyer Island. Don't underestimate a retro attraction like that since it's so well done.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

101% disagree. My three kids, age 13 and twins of 9, love Tom Sawyer Island. Don't underestimate a retro attraction like that since it's so well done.

I guess it may just be something I'm not into, or rather never really was (it was kind of neat when I first saw it). Though, I am disappointed that Aunt Polly's has been closed the past few times I've been there, that was at least nice to go and sit there and grab something to eat (luckily the upstairs of the Harbor House is also pretty relaxing to just hang out in). I think the island would be better if there was a bridge or something to get there instead of waiting for the limited capacity boats to come over (of course I understand they have the ferry, so a bridge would be tough. Speaking of, they should do something more with the ferry, maybe have it be like a retro ice cream quick service type thing when you're on it or have actors pretend to be from the era it depicts and have them go around and interact with people).

 

[JohnHangen]

I guess it may just be something I'm not into, or rather never really was (it was kind of neat when I first saw it). Though, I am disappointed that Aunt Polly's has been closed the past few times I've been there, that was at least nice to go and sit there and grab something to eat (luckily the upstairs of the Harbor House is also pretty relaxing to just hang out in). I think the island would be better if there was a bridge or something to get there instead of waiting for the limited capacity boats to come over (of course I understand they have the ferry, so a bridge would be tough. Speaking of, they should do something more with the ferry, maybe have it be like a retro ice cream quick service type thing when you're on it or have actors pretend to be from the era it depicts and have them go around and interact with people).

To be honest, I was surprised they like it, but they do. I don't think I've ever seen Aunt Pollys open, is it still in operation? The rafts can be a hassle, but I do like the feeling of being on an island.

 

[englanddg]

How did this already go two pages without a discussion of the bacteria infested water????!?!?!

I'm disappointed in you all.

Amoeba. And, that incident happened in the late 70s, early 80s to 1 child (during an outbreak in central florida that sadly claimed the lives of 4 (or 5?) kids. River Country wasn't closed due to it.

In addition, River Country's water, while it was pumped in from Bay Lake, was highly filtered and treated, and the pool of river water (where the slides were) was isolated from the actual river in this manner.

Urban myth that it was closed due to bacteria / contamination. Most likely they just shuttered it because it was aging, needed a lot of maintenance, and they already had two other world class water parks with Typhoon and Blizzard that had better designs and newer water park technology.

 

[englanddg]

To be honest, I was surprised they like it, but they do. I don't think I've ever seen Aunt Pollys open, is it still in operation? The rafts can be a hassle, but I do like the feeling of being on an island.

It opened briefly about a month ago, some reported online.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

To be honest, I was surprised they like it, but they do. I don't think I've ever seen Aunt Pollys open, is it still in operation? The rafts can be a hassle, but I do like the feeling of being on an island.

I believe it is just seasonal at this point, at least according to this article.

 

[ToInfinityAndBeyond]

Amoeba. And, that incident happened in the late 70s, early 80s to 1 child (during an outbreak in central florida that sadly claimed the lives of 4 (or 5?) kids. River Country wasn't closed due to it.

In addition, River Country's water, while it was pumped in from Bay Lake, was highly filtered and treated, and the pool of river water (where the slides were) was isolated from the actual river in this manner.

Urban myth that it was closed due to bacteria / contamination. Most likely they just shuttered it because it was aging, needed a lot of maintenance, and they already had two other world class water parks with Typhoon and Blizzard that had better designs and newer water park technology.

I think they were being sarcastic, but yeah, it's a silly myth.

 

[englanddg]

I think they were being sarcastic, but yeah, it's a silly myth.

Maybe.

A lot of people believe that urban legend.

 

[Communicore]

If they can cure the disease from the amoebas, I would rebuild it where it is!

 

[Bairstow]

101% disagree. My three kids, age 13 and twins of 9, love Tom Sawyer Island. Don't underestimate a retro attraction like that since it's so well done.

The place could use some new bells and whistles, though.

Disneyland's version has a bunch of neat details and enhancements.

Amoeba. And, that incident happened in the late 70s, early 80s to 1 child (during an outbreak in central florida that sadly claimed the lives of 4 (or 5?) kids. River Country wasn't closed due to it.

In addition, River Country's water, while it was pumped in from Bay Lake, was highly filtered and treated, and the pool of river water (where the slides were) was isolated from the actual river in this manner.

Urban myth that it was closed due to bacteria / contamination. Most likely they just shuttered it because it was aging, needed a lot of maintenance, and they already had two other world class water parks with Typhoon and Blizzard that had better designs and newer water park technology.

Also, River Country had only a fraction of the crowd capacity of Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach.
It straddled an untenable line between over-sized resort pool and full-fledged water park as we know them today.

I tried to find that picture of the long line of bumper-to-bumper cars on World Drive with the big electric sign on the side reading "TURN AROUND: RIVER COUNTRY FULL" but I can't find it.
I'll post this instead:

 

[ItlngrlBella]

Urban legend or not, this is some scary stuff:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/health/amoeba-case-florida-warning/

 

[WDWoptmist]

They would have to greatly improve it for me to go...it would make an awesome pool area for Wilderness Lodge though!

 

[harryk]

Maybe.

A lot of people believe that urban legend.

Then why did they stop swimming at the Grand Floridian and Poly and Yacht & Beach?

 

[englanddg]

Then why did they stop swimming at the Grand Floridian and Poly and Yacht & Beach?

I didn't say the lakes didn't/don't have the issue. They did (along with other issues, pollution from years and years of boating being one of them).

The ONE incident with the Amoeba happened in the early 80s (1980, iirc). Swimming wasn't banned at the resorts until the mid 90s. And River Country didn't close until 2001.

You'd think if it was that big a deal, Disney (or the State) would have shut it down long ago.

It used filtered water and treated water that did come from Bay Lake, but it wasn't "lake water" at that point, aside from that being the original source. The waters from River Country overflowed into Bay Lake, but never vice versa (River Country was several feet higher than Bay Lake's water level).

So, my point was, it wasn't closed due to bacteria / amoebas. That's an urban myth.

 

[lunchbox1175]

I thought I read somewhere that it was more advantageous to them to keep it from being demolished if they decided to use it in the future. Something about refurbishment vs. new construction costs.....maybe someone can expand on it, cause I can't remember.

 

[mergatroid]

I thought I read somewhere that it was more advantageous to them to keep it from being demolished if they decided to use it in the future. Something about refurbishment vs. new construction costs.....maybe someone can expand on it, cause I can't remember.

Looking at the state of it now, it's difficult to imagine anything could be salvaged. I'm no builder but I'd guess only the pool could be perhaps restored with everything else needing demolishing?

 

[lunchbox1175]

Looking at the state of it now, it's difficult to imagine anything could be salvaged. I'm no builder but I'd guess only the pool could be perhaps restored with everything else needing demolishing?

Sorry, not exactly what I meant, I thought there was something about the "status" of the land being more tax advantageous or had something to do with Reddy Creek. I really can't remember and now its going to drive me nuts.