Long Live River Country!!!

[Melrosgirl]

I miss RC too. As a kid we always went to RC when we went to WDW. Sometimes we didn't even go to MK, just RC! When I went back to WDW with my own dd 2 years ago, I was disappointed to find that we were there when RC was under rehab. Now it looks like it's closed forever.

 

[eeyore0062]

I have several memories of River Country. The 1st one that stands out was when I was in 8th grade, and River Country was new. We all went down the large slides into the Swimming Hole. The bottom was pretty deep, my mom is pretty short and doesn't exactly swim. She went down, couldn't touch the bottom and kept calling for my Dad, who didn't realize she was in trouble. He did go get her, but she NEVER went down those slides again.

The 2nd was my 1st time down the slides in the pool. What a rush all that air time was before hitting the water. Compared with Summit Plummet now, it was nothing, but at the time, it was pretty awesome!

The 3rd was the tube slide. That was, and to me, still is the best of all of the slides in any of the Disney water parks. We would just keep getting back in line over and over again to ride it. By itself, it was well worth the cost of admission!

I do miss the quaintness of River Country, and hope that they will bring it back someday, even if it is part of Fort Wilderness.

 

[christinou]

We really miss it, we camp at Fort Wilderness every summer, and we just loved going there, they had the best pool on property, only pool where you could actually dive, and the water was so cool and refreshing, I really wich that they would just reopen the pool, for WL, and FW.

 

[kevind65]

we loved RC as well. I hope it comes back someday.
some of our most fondest memories of disney come from RC and the FW area. we would spend an entire day in the area: petting zoo, pony rides, river country, lunch or dinner at trails end, discovery island and the floating water pageant. we just returned sunday night from our 8th trip and we all commented about how this was the first year that we didn't do that. we loved the relaxed atmosphere at RC and really miss it. This area was as much of a family tradition as we had and it's making my eyes water thinking about it being gone forever. let's all hope that disney makes good use of the area and creates something new that we can all make more great memories enjoying.

 

[donac]

I too remember RC and Discovery Island. I remember the time we went to Discovery Island and my nephew lost his flip flop off the dock and we couldn't get it back.

I had been to RC two or three times and always had a ball. I remember the first time my husband went down the tube slide and kept getting caught in the corners and counldn't move.

I never did the slide into the pool but my husband said it was a big ruch when you went off.

I too agree that BB and TL are very busy and hard to keep track of kids and miss RC for its simplicity.

 

[MinnieGi]

River Country was also the ONLY water park in my youth. It was definetly an old fashioned swimming hole. Not very crowded, you're family was always in sight yet it had lots of fun activities for everyone. My favorite was the tire tube slide - went on it countless times! I thought swimming in the river with the little fishies was also cool. The beach area was real nice. I also remember a toddler area where my brother and sister played when they were young. I'll never forget the two big pool slides. At the time they were the tallest water slides I had ever seen and it was quite a plunge into the pool!

 

[house_of_princesses]

Just how much could it cost to revamp RC? Whatever it is, I think there's enough of us out here to do more than support it! (I feel a sit-in coming on....)

 

[Octoberbride03]

I too wish they would re-open RC. I went there in 81 long b4 TL and BB. It was terrific. I remember the lifeguard accusing my sister and I(5&8 yrs old respectively) of not being able to swim when we went to go down the rock slides with the drop off. Dad told him we swam just fine and off we went. The last couple of times i went we got rained out both times. its the perfect relaxation away from everything. I hope they decide to re-open it. If anybody's got a petition to sign, I'll gladly add my name to it.

Maureen

 

[HakunaMatataMan]

Ahhhh! Great to hear that I'm not alone! Thanks for the posts everyone. Keep em coming! I love reading how much everyone enjoyed this park.

I think River Country really captured the essence of what Mr. Walt Disney really tried to do when he created WDW. RC was a place where the WHOLE family could enjoy together. The slides weren't too scary for kids or too wild for the more timid grown-ups.

I remember my bother and I playing for hours, while my mom would play water volleyball because she wasn't really a thrill seeker. Even my grandparents would join us for the day at RC while my uncles would build up my courage before going on the "drop off" slide. ("You're gonna catch me, right?")

That's what separates WDW from Universal Studios and Six Flags. The ability to make attractions for both young and old to enjoy TOGETHER. I hope Disney doesn't feel the need to "Universalize" its parks with a bunch of thrill rides, because in my opinion, that's not what Walt wanted at all.

 

[ChairborneRangr]

I wish they would refurb it and possibly reengineer to reduce CM requirements and operating costs. It fits in so well with the Fort Wilderness/Wilderness Lodge.

I know Disney personnel read these boards... Please bring RC back! There are so few places in WDW that are quiet and relaxing.

Thanks,
Stephen Johnson
a life-long Disney fan