Where was the Parking Lot for River Country?

[Robo]

Was it AT/NEAR the water-park or did you have to park at the FtW parking and take an internal bus?

It occurs to me that this might have been one of the reasons that they did to try to upgrade River Country.

FtW would not be able to handle the ever-increasing traffic.

 

[Dan Murphy]

From Google search, though out of date.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=r...p6gOxNKMJXCxMsOY=&sig2=S68WbMIc9MrLQZHqS6Y1tQ

River Country is located on the south edge of Bay Lake inside the Fort Wilderness campground complex. The entrance to River Country from the Fort Wilderness Campground is next to the Pioneer Hall restaurant complex. The only way to get there is by bus from the Fort Wilderness bus station or on foot, but it's quite a long trek. There is no convenient parking area specifically for River Country.

 

[metsfan11]

I recently have been interested with River Country. When we took the boat from MK to Fort Wilderness, our skipper pointed out River Country. It is quite scary. Very abandoned, dirty. It looks like they closed it and never attended to it again. Check out Google Earth or Windows Live Local and look at it from the air.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

River Country parking was out in the FW lot. There was a tram for RC, you did not need to use the FW internal transportation, think of it like the tram in from the TTC lot or the monorail from TTC to MK.

 

[Robo]

Thanks folks!

I now must add that the parking/long-distance tram situation (coupled with the unacceptability of the continued use of the poor-quality lake water used in RC's pools, etc.) contributed to its inviability to continue as a major WDW attraction.

 

[erikthewise]

The one time I went (1980), we took a boat from MK over to Fort Wilderness.

 

[Chuck65]

Is the lake water at Disney really of that poor quality that you can't swim in it or have it used for River Country? I know around here we swim in the lakes all the time and really don't give it much thought.

 

[maelstrom]

Is the lake water at Disney really of that poor quality that you can't swim in it or have it used for River Country? I know around here we swim in the lakes all the time and really don't give it much thought.

Yes, there is nasty bacteria in Bay Lake.

 

[Disney Doll]

I am kind of surprised that they haven't taken it down though. It's kind of an eyesore, and one would think somewhat of a liability should some guest happen to wander their way over there and get in.

 

[tink1978]

Yes, there is nasty bacteria in Bay Lake.

We went when I was twelve....that was the first place we went. I ended up getting "swimmers ear" (which is really bacteria that gets trapped behind your ear drum and causes infection). I ended up in the hospital and had to have my ears drained. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere else that week (to not reinfect).....I had to sit in the room while my family enjoyed Disney.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

I use to love RC our family use to spend many a weekend there. I can remember sliding down that cliff that just kinda dropped off and having family picnics (coolers were allowed) it was lots of fun. I'm sad it's closed and seems it will not ever reopen. =o(

 

[eeyoreiscool]

In most Florida lakes and ponds, there is a type of bacteria that can be fatal once the water gets above 80 degrees. If it gets in your nose, ears, or if you swallow it, it starts attacking the brain and generally kills the person in a couple of days. There are usually a few cases a year of this happening to kids. That is why a lot of the lakes close down once the temperatures get too high.

 

[OrlandoMike]

They did treat the water before it was pumped into River Country so it was safe to swim in.

BUT it was still lake water, and if someone disappeared into the lake it was very hard for the lifeguards to spot them. The water wasn't crystal clear like the chlorniated water in the newer water parks.

 

[phisigprincess]

My most vivid memory was of my little sister using that big log boom to swing out over the pool and smacking her face off of it and falling into the pool. I have never seen a lifeguard or my dad move so fast in my life. She was fine - just a split lip, but that was our last trip to river country!