River Country

[korbbec]

Does River Country still exist? It just popped into my head, but
I couldn't find any info on it.

 

[Ilovestitch]

No, its been shut down for many years and isn't reopening.

 

[korbbec]

Thanks for the info. Thats too bad because it was really unique & I remember having alot of fun there.

 

[icartjetta]

River Country was my firtst job back in 1987. Great place for it's time, now it's abandoned. Very sad,it was a Disney classic.

 

[windan]

My wife & I were just talking about River Country the other day. It was the first water park we had ever been to and this was on our first trip (1982) to WDW together We spent almost a whole day there and we both got so sunburnt playing water volleyball. Ever since then waterparks have become a fav on our trips. Thanks for starting this thread and sparking some great memories

 

[remmy_7]

No, its been shut down for many years and isn't reopening.

check out what this website says about River Country. I didn't know this until just recently:


"River Country is still in place but is only available for private parties and conventions, not for regular guests. Even then, it is rarely used. There have been rumors that it may reopen someday exclusively for Fort Wilderness guests."

I think that would be cool if they opened it up again.

here's the website with more info on river country:

http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id220.htm

 

[helenm29]

I had heard a couple of years ago that they were going to reopen it but I guess they would have too much to up-date. We were first there in 1982 also and it was our first water park. It was really a lot of fun, I feal kind of sad that my kids won't get to see it!

 

[minnie61650]

WDW opened River Country on June 20,1976.
It was closed in November 2001 because of problems with the water quality(it was reported that some of the Bay lake water contaminated the water).
Our family went to River Country Octoberof 1976 when it was brand new and
returned several times after that. It was a favorite of our family and our son age 25 still talks about how that was his favorite water park.
Because of the water issue I do not think they will ever restore River Country the way it was.
However River Country had a really nice themed pool with a water slide and I always wondered why Disney did not at least keep the pool open for FW guests.
Upstream Plunge Pool and Slippery Slides
At the back of this clear water pool are two steep slides that drop swimmers off in a free fall splashdown.
Here is a photo:

River Country we miss you!

 

[Hobbes]

Was it actually a contained pool?-| never went but remember thinking from the photos that it looked like you were just swimming in Bay Lake. It always looked a little too "rustic" for my tastes

 

[mammoth_fan]

Wow, I didn't know they closed River Country so soon after we were last there (July 2001). We had a GREAT time at RC. I liked how there was both the contained pool (with the drop-off slide that DH, DD, and I went down exactly once...too scary) and the "river water" tube slides and beach. They were having a cannonball contest in the contained pool, and I've never laughed so hard at cannonballers.

BTW, I'm doing the Happy Dance! I booked our August trip yesterday!!!

 

[wdwguide]

Was it actually a contained pool?-| never went but remember thinking from the photos that it looked like you were just swimming in Bay Lake. It always looked a little too "rustic" for my tastes

It was separated from Bay Lake by some sort of barrier and treated with bromine, but the lake (including a bunch of fish) overflowed into the park at least once (in 2001). The result was a disgusting mess of guests swimming around a sea of decaying dead fish and kids tossing them around (which was, sadly, the last time I was in the park).

It was closed as part of the post 9/11 cost cutting spree - my guess is the park didn't make enough money to justify spending millions on needed maintenance and improvements. Now that it's sat decaying for nearly five years, it's unlikely that it will ever reopen in its original form.

 

[korbbec]

Minnie- I love the picture. Anyone else with pictures of River Country? I have the best memories of that place. It was my first water park too, and I feel like no other water park will compare. It may not have had the thrill slides like BB or TL, but it just felt so natural- like it was supposed to be there. Not all concrete. Disney... please reopen river country... by may 14th if ya could...

 

[minnie61650]

Was it actually a contained pool?-| never went but remember thinking from the photos that it looked like you were just swimming in Bay Lake. It always looked a little too "rustic" for my tastes

There was a contained pool as part of River Country.
Here is the photo frome the above mentioned website:
http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id220.htm

The pool is in the lower right corner of the photo.

 

[minnie61650]

Was it actually a contained pool?-| never went but remember thinking from the photos that it looked like you were just swimming in Bay Lake. It always looked a little too "rustic" for my tastes

River Country was a sand bottom contained pool which was cleverly set up to make guests feel like they were swimming in "an OLE swimming hole."

River Country was 6 inches higher than Bay Lake and set up so that any overflow of water would spill into bay lake.
Here is another photo from:
http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com/id220.htm

 

[phisigprincess]

We were there in 1993 and my only memory is of my sister using the big log to swing out over the swimming pool, smacking her face off it, and falling into the pool. She had a split lip and we had to go home early. We didn't go back after that.