River country now?

[BBQChick]

I know for some this is a dead topic but I was wondering what the current rumor mill was spitting out. I am nearly obssesed with it. I spent the better part of a day reading the board about it in the camping thread...any new news or photos?

[doconeill]

I know for some this is a dead topic but I was wondering what the current rumor mill was spitting out. I am nearly obssesed with it. I spent the better part of a day reading the board about it in the camping thread...any new news or photos?

No rumors that I have heard in recent history...it's been a while since someone has posted about "it's a done deal" in rebuilding and reopening it... :)

[CandyMandy]

Still rotting away:

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn76/Tri-Circle-D/River%20Country%202009/RiverCountry028.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn76/Tri-Circle-D/River%20Country%202009/RiverCountry023.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn76/Tri-Circle-D/River%20Country%202009/RiverCountry045.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn76/Tri-Circle-D/River%20Country%202009/RiverCountry070.jpg

[ConcKahuna]

Not to mention the big section that was graveled over for parking for Pioneer Hall cast.

[BBQChick]

i'm thinking 2013 will be our next trip out there and I am chomping at the bit to get to check it out again.

[skier_pete]

RC is DEAD and GONE and NEVER coming back. The only question that would remain is do they plow it under at some point.

[Uncleromulus]

Looking at those photos, it would be a merciful thing to do---

[mitros]

I think Disney is too busy re-working sections of Fantasyland to spend any time or money doing anything to RC. Don't look for anything being done anytime soon. :sad2:

[doconeill]

I think Disney is too busy re-working sections of Fantasyland to spend any time or money doing anything to RC. Don't look for anything being done anytime soon. :sad2:

Disney wasn't doing anything major for years and still didn't spend any time or money doing anything to RC...it's just less likely now. :)

[skiingfast]

I heard that Florida requires that pools be chlorinated to limit bacteria in the water. Since RC used the lake it couldn't meet the level or be controlled. So RC in a manner could never come back.

[Uncleromulus]

And to think of ALL the times I went to River Country in the old days--maybe 15 times? Never a problem. Of course I used to "swim" off the beach at the Poly in the old days--again with no problem.

I understand the health concerns now--but why not back then???

[skier_pete]

I understand the health concerns now--but why not back then???

Less lawyers back then.

[Figment632]

I know for some this is a dead topic but I was wondering what the current rumor mill was spitting out. I am nearly obssesed with it. I spent the better part of a day reading the board about it in the camping thread...any new news or photos?

RC is DEAD and GONE and NEVER coming back. The only question that would remain is do they plow it under at some point.

It could be demolished sooner than you think. Disney is getting a lot of pressure from local government that the place is becoming a hazard.

The amoeba idea for the reason it closed it pure myth. It exists in every Florida natural body of water the water was clean enough to swim in. When WDW first opened the water was crystal clear. They had a bad allege problem and used a chemical to kill it. As a side effect the chemical permanently stained the bottom of the lake and that is why the water looks dirty, It was last tested in 2008 and it was actually very clean.

The main reason RC closed was because there was no need for it with Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach

[Uncleromulus]

Well--I had a need for it:)
At least there was a fair chance of getting some shade. And not a 1/2 mile hike back to the top of each slide.

[Figment632]

Well--I had a need for it:)
At least there was a fair chance of getting some shade. And not a 1/2 mile hike back to the top of each slide.

I enjoyed it as well and they did have plans to keep it open but only if you were staying at Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness or if you were a DVC member.

IN the end it came down to $$$$$$$$$$$$$.

[CandyMandy]

Less lawyers back then.

Truer words couldn't have been spoken!!

[skiingfast]

Less lawyers back then.

I think the water is too full of blood sucking leaches now. Oh sorry Pete, my mistake to repeat what you said.

[troynkasey]

To my knowledge, nothing has been eliminated or anything like that as far as Disney is concerned. Stuff is closed for refurbishment and then is either refurbished into something else or just closed for refurbishment. Rarely, if ever, do they close something and level it. For that reason, I doubt they will level River Country completely. I think it will get swallowed into the wilderness and then at some point there won't be any more people around that visited it and you won't be able to see it and then they won't have to address it anymore...

[Dznefreek]

The amoeba idea for the reason it closed it pure myth. It exists in every Florida natural body of water the water was
Especially since RC was higher than Bay Lake and had a spillway into the lake.
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/medium/18596100_9527_Medium_.JPG

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/medium/18596100_9523_Medium_.JPG
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/medium/18596100_9528_Medium_.JPG
http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/medium/18596100_9518_Medium_.JPG

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/medium/18596RCPool_Medium_.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/medium/18596FW_15_.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/18596100_9517_Medium_.JPG

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/544/18596100_9515_Medium_.JPG

http://www.thethemeparkguy.com/filestore/themepark/magic-kingdom/25/this-used-to-be-the-river-country-water-park-big-compressed.jpg

[skiingfast]

Especially since RC was higher than Bay Lake and had a spillway into the lake.

http://www.thethemeparkguy.com/filestore/themepark/magic-kingdom/25/this-used-to-be-the-river-country-water-park-big-compressed.jpg

Spillway where? It's not in your picture nor mine.

[doconeill]

I think the amoeba thing was pure speculation, based on the myth that the water was shared with and/or easily contaminated by Bay Lake. The standard chemicals they would have used should have been sufficient to protect against it anyways...

The damage from treatment is believable to some level, but not as a definitive reason. Perhaps against simply re-opening as an added location for FW/WL.

It really was simply redundant with TL/BB having far more capacity and draw, that the overhead of operating RC wasn't worth it. Economies of scale and all that (IMO).

Why not plow it under? Because it costs money, and until they need that location for some other use, there is no need to spend the money.

[ConcKahuna]

Spillway where? It's not in your picture nor mine.

It's that white line on the bottom-right side of the watering hole. It's a wall that goes over the surface of bay lake by about 2'.

ETA: It's a bit more obvious on Google Maps.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fort+Wilderness+Trail,+Orlando,+FL&sll=28.323725,-81.672363&sspn=11.031215,22.91748&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fort+Wilderness+Trail,+Florida&ll=28.411415,-81.564686&spn=0.001347,0.002798&t=h&z=19

[jlewisinsyr]

It's that white line on the bottom-right side of the watering hole. It's a wall that goes over the surface of bay lake by about 2'.

ETA: It's a bit more obvious on Google Maps.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fort+Wilderness+Trail,+Orlando,+FL&sll=28.323725,-81.672363&sspn=11.031215,22.91748&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fort+Wilderness+Trail,+Florida&ll=28.411415,-81.564686&spn=0.001347,0.002798&t=h&z=19

Bing has an even better one:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=nr1qfn862n64&scene=27657256&lvl=2&sty=b

[ConcKahuna]

There's a view of the spillway from the higher side of it in this video. It's the part where the camera shows the Contemporary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ofV8vsk0U

[skiingfast]

Bing has an even better one:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=nr1qfn862n64&scene=27657256&lvl=2&sty=b

I can see it well there. But a spillway does little to stop cross contamination. A bird can swim in one and fly over to the other.

[Figment632]

Again the main reason RC closed was because it was not needed.

[Uncleromulus]

troynkasey:
It'll get swallowed up and then become like one of those Lost Cities of the Incas. Centuries from now an archeological expidition will stumble upon it and excavations will be conducted to try and figure what it was and what sort of people used it.

[doconeill]

troynkasey:
It'll get swallowed up and then become like one of those Lost Cities of the Incas. Centuries from now an archeological expidition will stumble upon it and excavations will be conducted to try and figure what it was and what sort of people used it.

What if aliens dug up WDW thousands of years from now? (http://www.oinc.net/disney/mkaliens.php)

[Uncleromulus]

You're right--what would aliens think???

[skier_pete]

I always wondered what aliens would think of amusement parks (not specificly Disney).

Note from alien observance report: "It appears to be some sort of prison / penal colony. The humans are herded in and force to march in long winding lines in the heat. They are then strapped into torture devices that either revolve until the humans are sickened or launch them into the air. The suffering is obviously great as much screaming and crying is apparent on these devices. The reason for this is as yet unknown, possibilty to illicit information from the humans, for after a time they are allowed to leave."