River Country?

[Reddog1134]

Yes I would think most agree that the reason it closed was that it was a small old water park in an area that was tough to get to.

And also as long as they can hide it there is no reason to tear it down. The demo cost is usually part of the construction cost.

I thought it was because of the deadly microbes in the water.

 

[chartle]

I thought it was because of the deadly microbes in the water.

I think that law came into effect after it closed due to low attendance after 9/11.

If you think about it, WDW had two other much much larger water parks with better and safer rides that had parking lots and buses that stopped right in front of them.

To get to RC you had to drive and take another bus. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

On our 1999 trip we did hit all 3 parks and while it was late in the day RC was dead.

 

[Zombierella]

I went to RC in the 80's and have fond memories of it. I remember I was to scared to go down the last drop on the inner tube ride. A cast member had to get me off the ride! But I always thought it was cool to swim in that water because I had never swam in lake water before having grown up by the ocean. Now I would not put my hands in that water!

We used to call Action Park, Traction Park. I never saw the loop open either. One of my friends even got hurt on their mini golf course! It was on the side of a steep hill and lots of jagged rocks as part of the "landscape " and he had slipped on some of the wet astroturf and tumbled down the hill scraping his back on a rock!

 

[ars0525]

I remember going to RC...probably early-mid 90's with my family as a teen. It was fun back then, but water parks are so different now. I remember thinking the lake water was icky & not being able to see the bottom bothered me. I still feel the same way today so perhaps RC contributed to that?

I just read about Action Park on Wiki. I am a mix of horrified & entertained by the former employees & visitors commentary. Apparently nobody ever quite sat back & said "wow, this really isn't a good idea" about anything there.

 

[foodrocksluver]

To everyone looking back nostalgically to River Country I think you are looking through very thick Rose Colored Glasses.

Disclaimer: This review is from someone who first visited RC as a teenager and then as a father with a 6 and 7 year old.

River Country was a first gen water park. Not at all like water parks today. Today RC would be an insurance nightmare.

The water for all the slides came from the lake. They supposedly treated it, but it was greenish brown.

Some of the body slides (not just the "shotgun" slides at the pool) dumped you into over 6 feet of water. Everyone had to be a strong swimmer but at the time there were no "height" limits. In order for younger ones to use the slides you had to go down first, tread water and then push them to the ropes that defined the splash down area.

If you went under and stayed under, good luck, the water viability was maybe 2 feet if that. The life guards would have had to search for you or your kids blindly.

The real pool had rocks around it for diving, yes diving, at one time in this country diving was encouraged.

So besides that, other issues that it was much smaller than the other water parks and it was tough to get to* I can see why it closed.

* At the time RC was built it was in the middle of what was WDW. As they started to build other parks and resorts it was now in a lost corner of the world. If you told guests that at one time there was a water park near the campground in WDW they would ask "There's a campground in WDW? "

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble.

Oh and yes I too have a very special place in my heart for RC.

I feel like you're basically telling me that I shouldn't be nostalgic about my childhood because of all the things that were wrong about RC.

However, I went there when I was little with my niece whom is my best friend (we are VERY close in age) and my parents. It's one of the only things I can remember about that very early trip.

I did say I want it back, simply because it is a reminder of when I was a little girl and real life hadn't gotten in the way. But honestly now, as a 25 year old, I don't know that I would go back in there if they fixed it up and only had real pools etc. after seeing it in it's current state. Not that it would ever happen, I understand that it won't.

Everyone has that one part of WDW history that they will always love, always hold onto and hope that one day it will return. For my mother it's the Skyway, for my father it's probably Kitchen Kabaret. And for me it's River Country. I'm not blind to all the problems it had but I will NEVER forget the time I spent there as a child.

P.S. I also grew up swimming in the Chesapeake Bay. RC was perfect for me.

 

[mcd2745]

I had heard about a water park that tried a loop and how it was a disaster. Might have been this one.

Probably. I never saw it open. You couldn't miss it though, it was right at the enterence to the park. You had to be either drunk/stupid/crazy or some combination thereof to have tried it. I primarily went there during my teens - when you think you're invincible - and I wouldn't have tried it. You looked at it (at least I did) and just knew there was no way it could work.

Sorry to revive a "zombie thread"...but this recent news item caused me to remember the discussion in this thread and and so I had to post this news link in here. The looping water slide is making a comeback!!! Apparently, the son of the original (crazy SOB) owner of Action Park has regained control of the park. First, he changed the name back to 'Action Park' last year (and there were a lot of commercials in the area with the tag line "the Action is back!"), and now he wants a re-boot of the infamous slide.

http://nydn.us/196QCnk

 

[capegirl]

I LOVE RC threads, great memories, but I have to agree with a PP that in today's world it would surely be an insurance nightmare! Back in the day who knew it was dangerous, we were too busy having a great time.

 

[Belle61513]

We drove by on our private pontoon boat the night we got engaged on the 7SL. The captain took a huge spotlight and showed up some of the structures and where some birds/gators were hanging out. It was pretty creepy at night in the dark!!

 

[chartle]

Sorry to revive a "zombie thread"...but this recent news item caused me to remember the discussion in this thread and and so I had to post this news link in here. The looping water slide is making a comeback!!! Apparently, the son of the original (crazy SOB) owner of Action Park has regained control of the park. First, he changed the name back to 'Action Park' last year (and there were a lot of commercials in the area with the tag line "the Action is back!"), and now he wants a re-boot of the infamous slide.

http://nydn.us/196QCnk

This one looks like it was actually designed by engineers that understand how to do a loop. You will notice its not a circular loop but clothoid-based which makes the g forces more bearable. Also they are using sort of car so you can't slow down with your feet.

 

[flsun-shine]

I took my oldest son a few times when he was younger, he is now 22. It was fun at the time for what it was, but looking back now it does seem a little unsafe lol. I think my son just basically did the same water slides over and over. The lake swimming did freak me out a little bit, as things would brush up against my leg that I couldn't see (sticks, leaves etc.) and the water was so murky. I saw a bird grab a whole bag of chips off a table while a family was eating and fly away - the poor little girl sat there stunned.

 

[chartle]

1. I think my son just basically did the same water slides over and over.

2. The lake swimming did freak me out a little bit, as things would brush up against my leg that I couldn't see (sticks, leaves etc.) and the water was so murky.

3. I saw a bird grab a whole bag of chips off a table while a family was eating and fly away - the poor little girl sat there stunned.

1. Well as i recall there were only 3 slides. A tube slide and 2 body slides.

2. Though it really wasn't lake swimming, the water came from the lake but it was sort of filtered. It then ran back out out into the lake. There was a dam to keep the regular lake water out.

3. Well that could happen how.