River Country

[Thom72]

When I was a child we went to River Country and loved it. In 1998 I was on my honeymoon and was told it was closing . But when I went to FW a few years ago I noticed it still was in tack but vegetation over time has taken it's toll.

Is their any plans to reinvent the area as a watering hole for the campers? Seems the pool at meadow is not as great as other moderates.

I would love to be able to have my boys enjoy the area as much as I did. A true classic.

 

[SinceDay1]

As of now I do not think there are plans in the works. I, along many others, including yourself would love to see something come about at The Ole' Watering hole. Let's all hope we see something soon, with all the movement around property.

Richard

 

[bama_ed]

SinceDay1/Richard is correct - there are no plans.

Conventional thinking is once Disney converts part of the Poly into a DVC unit, the hungry DVC machine will cast its eye over to the area along Bay Lake between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. That will include the RC area.

We've shared plans here of what's been speculated for the DVC resort there. But rest assured - lakeside property is too valuable to waste on us campers. They will flog the DVC machine to get folks to lock in and pay dues every single year.

Meanwhile, I'll be taking my camper to the Fort when it suits me, to the beach when it suits me, and elsewhere when it suits me. The DVC mermaid song failed on my ears. My trailer is my DVC at Disney, my cabin in the mountains, my condo at the beach. Honestly, my heart aches for those folks stuck in a 40-year lease to DVC.

I kinda feel sorry for those folks stuck in a DVC or on-property hotel. We get to sleep in our own beds and take them where we want to. They get the bed bugs and the high price of a room that's you're awake in for maybe an hour or two.

All you can take now, Thom72, are memories and pictures from the perimeter. It will all be bulldozed in a few years and that's when I'll start requesting loops as far away from that area as possible. (1100 looks really nice).

Sadly there's no going back to the good-old-days.

Bama Ed

 

[John VN]

Having been a former DVC Member, I will say that it was great while we had it and it can be a good deal if worked correctly.

Our wants changed so we sold and have no regrets other than missing the OKW 1 Bedroom units.

 

[MichaelaF]

I kinda feel sorry for those folks stuck in a DVC or on-property hotel. We get to sleep in our own beds and take them where we want to. They get the bed bugs and the high price of a room that's you're awake in for maybe an hour or two.

In all fairness, FW - and camping in general - has its fair share of bugs!

(Don't get me started on the waterbug that thought my ear would be a great place to "camp" last year there....while we were in a brand-new 43' RV, NOT a tent! :heebiejeebies: )

 

[tiggerdad]

Yes, but bugs like those are expected when camping.

Well...maybe not in your ear...

 

[Napria]

At one time I had read that River Country closed because it used lake water which was later deemed unsafe to swim in. I'm not sure how true this is, but it made sense to me.

My parents took me on my first trip to WDW in February of 1981. I really wanted to go to River Country but it was closed for refurbishment. I didn't get back to WDW till 2001. By then River Country had long been closed. It's my biggest Disney regret that I never got to experience it.

 

[gratefulfred]

At one time I had read that River Country closed because it used lake water which was later deemed unsafe to swim in. I'm not sure how true this is, but it made sense to me.

My parents took me on my first trip to WDW in February of 1981. I really wanted to go to River Country but it was closed for refurbishment. I didn't get back to WDW till 2001. By then River Country had long been closed. It's my biggest Disney regret that I never got to experience it.

They did have an incident in the mid 80's where a child was infected by an organism in the lake but that was more than a decade before it was closed.