Questions about Disney World History from 2000

[Pixylew]

Hello
Upon reading an old 2000 Disney Guide book and being a more recent Disney addict I am curious about:
a) River Country
Why was it shut down? Was there not enough business with people preferring the other water parks? I found a thread showing what the abandoned park looks like today but am currious as to why it was let go? The new parks look fantastic. I can see that River Country may have become eclipsed by the other parks. I am just curious and don't want to assume things.
b) Dixie Landing Hotel
Why is it not around any more? Has this morphed into something else now? or?
c) The Disney Insitute
This sounds fantastic for personal development, but it looks like it has also gone by the wayside or has now morphed into a businessness development program. Are there any art, animation, cooking, gardening or photography courses still available in other forms?

I noticed that Saratoga Springs was not in 2000 guide book. Is this on the old Disney Institute location?

Just enjoying getting to know Disney better and am curious as to what makes Disney tick.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Dixie Landings was renamed Port Orleans Riverside - supposedly because the name 'Dixie Landings' was or could be considered offensive to some.

Yes, the Disney Institute - which was great while it lasted, but apparently not the success Walt Disney World expected - is now Saratoga Springs. The DI still exists as a development program for businesses, but not the residential program it was for Guests originally. Most of the buildings were replaced with multilevel DVC units. While the intent was for Guests to stay at the Disney Institute and participate in specific learning programs, it was also possible - perhaps not originally, but after a point - to take classes as a "day" Guest.

My plants from that class are long gone, but another time we spent a day taking pictures at Discovery Island (animals moved to Animal Kingdom - I realize you didn't ask, but you might someday ) and I still have two of those blown up to poster size. There was a TV production class where we split into two groups and made commercials; I remember my ideas all getting shot down and only handling the camera for about five minutes, but the mens' ideas all getting accepted - NOT that the female CM leading our team was sexist or flirting or anything...

 

[AKL_Megs]

River Country was the first water park at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on June 20, 1976 and ceased operations on November 1, 2001. On January 20, 2005, The Walt Disney Company announced that River Country would remain closed permanently.

According to a Disney employee the main reason for the closing was the new state regulations concerning water parks. Pools and water parks must have their water originating from municipal water systems, not natural bodies of water.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Dixie Landings was renamed Port Orleans Riverside - supposedly because the name 'Dixie Landings' was or could be considered offensive to some.

While this is a true statement, there was another reason the resort's name changed from Dixie Landings to Port Orleans Riverside.

Originally, there were two moderate resorts next to each other. One was named Port Orleans and the other other was named Dixie Landings. Being in the moderate category, each resort needed to have a table service restaurant, as that is an amenity listed for moderates. The restaurant in Port Orleans, named Bonfamille's, was probably not profitable, so Disney closed it.

To get around not having a table service restaurant for each mod resort, Disney combined the two resorts into one and renamed the whole thing as Port Orleans. The Dixie Landings part was renamed Riverside, and the resort formerly known as Port Orleans became the French Quarter section of the new PO resort.

 

[Pixylew]

Very very interesting. Thanks so much for all your insights. I appreciate them.

Is the Disney Institute now based at Saratoga Springs or the Swan and Dolphin or is it a floating program that can take place where ever there is space available?

Is there a book that anyone could recommend on the developement and evolution of Disney World resort?

If you happen to have any other history tid bits I would be interested in hearing them.

Thanks again

 

[SandrA9810]

I found several old birnbuam guides on ebay for just a few bucks. The first ones starting in the late 80's. It's so much fun to read the different years to see the changes. The best part is reading the resort guide pricings. Seeing that it was a measely 30-50$ a night to stay at the contemporary way back when.

I think the "new florida law" was mearly one of the excuses for shutting it down. Disney is grandfathered in on so many levels, it's not even funny.
Some things that shouldn't exsist today are the steam trains, river boat, and tom sawyers island. TSI is not handicap approved, but opened prior to the disability act. If the riverboat's steam engine over heated and exploded, it could take out the magic kingdom, but it's grandfathered in.
Things like discovery island and river country would have to become more handicap accessible in order to reopen, and disney doesn't want to spend the money on it. River country was cool and amazing, but only to a handful of people, so it didn't bring in the money for them.

The brightly colored building across from DTD, and next to typhoon lagoon is the old disney institute. BTW, it's a sun dial on top of the building.
But prior to the disney institute, market place and there used to be vacation homes on the SSR site, that was all called disney village.

There's some one on here that has a picture of the dixie landing's sign at the resort, prior to becoming port orleans. Besides the name, i don't think anything changed at the resort. You still have the mansions and the bayaus.

Waltdatedworld would really spark your interest. It shows how things have come and gone, or morphed into new things around property.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Some things that shouldn't exsist today are the steam trains, river boat, and tom sawyers island. TSI is not handicap approved, but opened prior to the disability act.

Respectfully, because the Magic Kingdom and Tom Sawyer's Island were built before the ADA existed and because there has been no substantial redesign of TSI, it is 100% legal that it is not fully handicapped accessible. Guests with mobility impairments can get TO the island, we just can't get around it.

If the riverboat's steam engine over heated and exploded, it could take out the magic kingdom, but it's grandfathered in.

The Liberty Belle has undergone, I believe, over two years of rehab. Steam engine or not, it's no more likely to explode than a gasoline engine. You know how big on safety Walt Disney World is.

Things like discovery island and river country would have to become more handicap accessible in order to reopen, and disney doesn't want to spend the money on it. River country was cool and amazing, but only to a handful of people, so it didn't bring in the money for them.

Given that River Country wasn't financially viable, it makes no sense to reopen it, laws or not. To the best of my recollection, even without the ADA, Discovery Island was accessible. It was simply redundant after Animal Kingdom was opened.

The brightly colored building across from DTD, and next to typhoon lagoon is the old disney institute. BTW, it's a sun dial on top of the building.

Respectfully again, Saratoga Springs currently exists on the grounds of the old Disney Institute. I don't recall if the main building was torn down and rebuilt, or if it was simply renovated - I saw it only from the front as Disney Institute, and only from the back as Saratoga Springs. But it's the SAME property.

 

[SandrA9810]

i know that TSI was opened prior to the act, as to why it is grandfathered in. And can remain operational today. But like when disneyland converted their's into pirate island, there were rumors about this one changing too. But disney isn't going to sink the money into doing the changes to make it wheelchair accessible, so it remains open as what it is.

I'll avoid further comments on the steam train. And all of disney's steam engines use propane or natural gas to run. I don't know of the safety difference of different gas engines.

Just like my speculation, it's anyone's guess why the big wigs do what they do... So no one will ever really know the truth about discovery island and river country. And the birds weren't too happy about being relocated to animal kingdom and many of them returned to the island.

Things change, disney changes, and occasionally disney makes stupid decisions.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

If you happen to have any other history tid bits I would be interested in hearing them.

When the Poly first opened there was a big "wave" machine under the water in the lake to give the illusion that you were actually by the ocean with "real" waves. The waves eroded the beach too quickly so they removed it.

 

[SueM in MN]

Respectfully, because the Magic Kingdom and Tom Sawyer's Island were built before the ADA existed and because there has been no substantial redesign of TSI, it is 100% legal that it is not fully handicapped accessible. Guests with mobility impairments can get TO the island, we just can't get around it.

Agree.
And, there are some loopholes in terms of changing things and 'triggering' a need to make it more accessible. 'Cosmetic' changes can be

Given that River Country wasn't financially viable, it makes no sense to reopen it, laws or not. To the best of my recollection, even without the ADA, Discovery Island was accessible. It was simply redundant after Animal Kingdom was opened.

Discovery Island was 100% accessible, as far as I remember. We went there several times with DD in a wheelchair and there was nothing that we were not able to go on because of accessibility. (DD even got a big bird to sit on her wheelchair armrest).

 

[diznygirl]

The brightly colored building across from DTD, and next to typhoon lagoon is the old disney institute. BTW, it's a sun dial on top of the building.
But prior to the disney institute, market place and there used to be vacation homes on the SSR site, that was all called disney village.

That building is a Disney office building. It was never part of the institute. And the sundial isn't on top of the building. The circular structure is hollow - the sundial is at the bottom inside the building.

All of the Disney Institute was where SSR is now.


http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Team_Disney_Building.html

 

[SandrA9810]

ohh some one said it was part of the institute. And i've never been inside to see the sun dial, some one told me while driving by it that it was a sun dial. To me it looks like a smoke stack off a cruise ship.

I never spent time outside of the magic kingdom growing up. Most my history lessons came from kari. I didn't start knowing the parks inside out till about 03-04. I'm still fascinated by the history of WDW, but like a lot of people, i know i have some of it wrong. But sometimes it's hard to know the truth