River Country?

[chartle]

Yeahhhh...no surprise there.

Personally, I always had fun there and never got hurt. However, on many trips, some of the people I was with got hurt.

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

 

[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.

 

[mjallemand]

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

 

[jjsdad]

I just looked up the Action Park Wiki page and this is the first thing I read.

I have been to both parks and Action park was like 20 x bigger than RC. They also had way more extreme rides, like the loop slide posted above which was never ever open. They had cliff jumping, slides that dropped you out 15 feet above the water below which was FREEZING, they had alpine slides which were basically concrete tracks that went down the ski hill and you rode a little plastic sled with wheels and a bar to pull back on to stop(plent of injuries daily on this thing). THey also had go karts, mini indy cars , mini tanks, and many many more things that one could impail themselves on.

 

[buffettgirl]

I'm nostalgic about a lot of things from my childhood. That doesn't mean I actually want to go back and do those things or that I think they were safe and healthy LOL.

River country falls into that category for me. We swam all the time in the lake at Ft. Wilderness - because they had no pools then, and the lake was open for swimming. ( you could also resort hop and use other pools then..but that's a can of worms) . But we swam in lakes at home too, and thought nothing of it. We still do - there are plenty of places where lake swimming is totally fine. I don't remember RC having particularly nasty water, yes, it was dark but in the areas where you walked it was a clean sandy bottom which they kept free of growth, for the most part. The same with the beach at FW - it was kept clear in the swimming area. Remember, we are talking about a man made lake, and back then, it was a lot less "wild" than it is now.

As for other water parks, we wen tot Wet&Wild when it was new too. Much of the ground at the time was this nasty textured cement which had the lovely effect of ripping the bottom of your feet to shreds. Most of the flume slides were a little too fast and also, if I remember, made of cement, and you had to use a rubber mat on them. Or rip your butt to shreds.

so I think RC just belonged to a time when things were different. Parks were smaller, heck WDW was smaller.

 

[mcd2745]

I have been to both parks and Action park was like 20 x bigger than RC. They also had way more extreme rides, like the loop slide posted above which was never ever open. They had cliff jumping, slides that dropped you out 15 feet above the water below which was FREEZING, they had alpine slides which were basically concrete tracks that went down the ski hill and you rode a little plastic sled with wheels and a bar to pull back on to stop(plent of injuries daily on this thing). THey also had go karts, mini indy cars , mini tanks, and many many more things that one could impail themselves on.

The Alpine Slide/Skin Grafter had to be one of the most unsafe attractions ever built anywhere (besides the Cannonball Loop, of course).

That water you dropped into on the Cannonball (non-looping) and Tarzan Swing couldn't have been more than 60 degrees. The only good thing about it was...how should i put this....let's just say all the girls came out of there with their hi-beams on. I remember diving off the cliffs (I was one of the only idiots to actually dive - everyone else just jumped) and I just recall having a lot of thoughts before hitting the water because it was taking so damn long. I was a strong swimmer though. But the fact that anyone could walk up and do that....as a parent now it's a pretty scary thought.

 

[PHLtoMCO]

I think everyone here pretty much knows the 'full' story, but here is a video discussing the matter. This guy's Disney videos are pretty good and informative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40BAY7LuCOo

There are also links to more photos and a video in the comments.

This was so cool! Thank you for posting!! I can't believe it closed in '01. It seemed much earlier than that!!

 

[Prock]

A loop in a water slide is possible. At Noah's ark in the wisconsin dells, there is a slide called the scorpions tail and it has a huge loop.

 

[chartle]

A loop in a water slide is possible. At Noah's ark in the wisconsin dells, there is a slide called the scorpions tail and it has a huge loop.

Yes its possible but you can see the second has a lot more design in it than just a circular loop.

The second is engineered like current roller coaster loops in that its a teardrop shape.

This just reinforces the fact that at Action park they had no idea what they were doing.

 

[jjsdad]

I have been to both parks and Action park was like 20 x bigger than RC. They also had way more extreme rides, like the loop slide posted above which was never ever open. They had cliff jumping, slides that dropped you out 15 feet above the water below which was FREEZING, they had alpine slides which were basically concrete tracks that went down the ski hill and you rode a little plastic sled with wheels and a bar to pull back on to stop(plent of injuries daily on this thing). THey also had go karts, mini indy cars , mini tanks, and many many more things that one could impail themselves on.

I'd also like to point out that action park was Awesome!

 

[flortlebap]

I miss RC - I really liked how "raw" it was.

I seriously doubt I'd have let my kids go, though!!

 

[onnawufei]

I can't lie, last night I spent way too long reading about the trainwreck that was Action Park. It was like a blueprint for what not to do when making an amusement park.

 

[chartle]

I can't lie, last night I spent way too long reading about the trainwreck that was Action Park. It was like a blueprint for what not to do when making an amusement park.

The more I read the more I thought this place can't be for real.

 

[bball15fan]

Where there ever commercials for River Country? I tried looking on Youtube, but could not find any. I hope I can check it out when I go in July.

 

[Reddog1134]

The more I read the more I thought this place can't be for real.

It reminds me of Peter's version of Cheesy Charlie's on an early episode of Family Guy.

"I'm sorry Timmy, but you need 15 tickets to live."

 

[chartle]

1. Where there ever commercials for River Country? I tried looking on Youtube, but could not find any.

2. I hope I can check it out when I go in July.

1. This is the best you will get.

http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...740.19.16.0.0.0.0.748.4407.2j5j2j3j3j0j1.16.0.
I think I saw some Disney created video for it but it didn't really show much.

2. As in check I hope its just looking at it from the water and not really exploring.

 

[mcd2745]

I'd also like to point out that action park was Awesome!

I can certainly say that I always had a great time there - all its various dangers aside. There was a time from the late 80s to early 90s when it was probably more popular than Great Adventure (I've always refused to call it Six Flags).

I can't lie, last night I spent way too long reading about the trainwreck that was Action Park. It was like a blueprint for what not to do when making an amusement park.

The more I read the more I thought this place can't be for real.

Oh, it was very real. I had gone there probably a total of about 12-15 times...and so I was well aware of many of the dangers. Although, I will add this: if you were not a strong swimmer or couldn't swim at all...you really had no business going there and you kind of, I don't want to say got what you deserved, but let's just say you didn't make a very smart choice to begin with. That said, I still read some things that really surprised me. The biggest surprise to me was that they operated the last couple of years without insurance. How the heck did the state of NJ ever allow that? Some of the anecdotes out there on the web from former employees are pretty frighteneing too.

 

[Disneylovingdad]

Oh, it was very real. I had gone there probably a total of about 12-15times...and so I was well aware of many of the dangers. Although, I will add this: if you were not a strong swimmer or couldn't swim at all...you really had no business going there and you kind of, I don't want to say got what you deserved, but let's just say you didn't make a very smart choice to begin with. That said, I still read some things that really surprised me. The biggest surprise to me was that they operated the last couple of years without insurance. How the heck did the state of NJ ever allow that? Some of the anecdotes out there on the web from former employees are pretty frighteneing too.

I only got to go once but had a blast. I remember the loop slide (was closed) and thinking wow, that doesnt look good. Alpine slide was great but deadly The water was so cold because it was mountain water.

 

[schwaja3]

My wife worked at River Country back in the summer of 1991. During the year of a Million Dreams, we went to DW and due to an extremely nice CM we were offered the opportunity to visit RC.

We were taken behind the locked gate and covered fence by the top Disney employee who was the head of the Campground resourt. With us was the head of all Disney water transportation. We walked onto the docks, and next to the pools with the slides. We were told not to get to close as they don't maintain anything, and aren't sure what wil support us, and what will break.

We were able to go into all the rooms that my wife worked in, and see what has become of it now.

When we asked why it was this way, we were told that once Typhoon Lagoon opened, very few people came to RC. The ampount of guests needed to make a profit was not being met, so they closed the waterpark. When we asked why they left it like that, we were told that until Disney needed the space they wouldn't maintain it. Since they could block off most of it behind fences, thats what they did. When, and if, they need that area, they will demolish the remains.

It was a very interesting behind the scenes tour.

Was was the most interesting part was that they allowed us to take photos, and the cast members who came with us were taking them also.

Jack

 

[chartle]

My wife worked at River Country back in the summer of 1991. During the year of a Million Dreams, we went to DW and due to an extremely nice CM we were offered the opportunity to visit RC.

We were taken behind the locked gate and covered fence by the top Disney employee who was the head of the Campground resourt. With us was the head of all Disney water transportation. We walked onto the docks, and next to the pools with the slides. We were told not to get to close as they don't maintain anything, and aren't sure what wil support us, and what will break.

We were able to go into all the rooms that my wife worked in, and see what has become of it now.

When we asked why it was this way, we were told that once Typhoon Lagoon opened, very few people came to RC. The ampount of guests needed to make a profit was not being met, so they closed the waterpark. When we asked why they left it like that, we were told that until Disney needed the space they wouldn't maintain it. Since they could block off most of it behind fences, thats what they did. When, and if, they need that area, they will demolish the remains.

It was a very interesting behind the scenes tour.

Was was the most interesting part was that they allowed us to take photos, and the cast members who came with us were taking them also.

Jack

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.