Why is River Country still there?

[pilferk]

On the parasite/ameoba:

http://www.yesterland.com/rivercountry.html

There was one documented case...in 1980. The park was open about 21 years afterwards....

Another interesting point from Yesterland:

Photos and maps of River Country show that the park had two bodies of water. The smaller one was a clean, clear swimming pool. The larger one appeared to be a natural cove, completely open to Bay Lake, the largest natural lake at Walt Disney World.

In reality, the cove’s water was isolated from Bay Lake by a barrier across the mouth of the cove. Large pumps pulled water from Bay Lake through filters to feed the water slides and White Water Rapids. The water level of the cove was higher than that of the lake. Water from the cove would cascade over the top of the barrier into Bay Lake—but not the other way around.

and, from the same source, an explanation of why it actually closed:

http://www.yesterland.com/rivercountry2.html

 

[IslandAdventure4]

The last time I went to RC was my Senior trip in 1988. I remember having a blast with my friends.....

 

[ghtx]

I will be risking my life all next week swimming in a Florida freshwater lake. I will also be driving a 2-ton vehicle and passing within feet of other 2-ton vehicles--many driven by morons.

If I don't make it back, it probably wasn't the lake parasite thing.

This is in my opinion one of the most overblown scary hype things I've heard on the DIS, not helped by the "stay out of the damn lakes" catchphrase. The reason it is a problem for Disney is because they own lots of the little buggers (and their lake homes) and can be sued over them.

Yeah, trying saying that after an amoeba has eaten your brain!

 

[mesaboy2]

I don't want anyone to think I take dangers such as this lightly, but it is a question of infinitesimal odds affecting my desire to live my life. If I were to die from something with such a ridiculously small chance of happening, I figure my number was up anyway.

 

[chartle]

Heres a thread with pictures of what it looked like in 2009. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2344523 I doubt that anything that is still there will ever be used again. I find it weird that it seems that one day they just decided to close it. They didn't clean out the cm shack or take the tubes out of the park. I also find it odd that they did not at least get a pool cover for the pool.

Yea from what I have seen it was like one of those "Life Without People" TV shows.

I think when they first closed it they didn't think it would be permanent and when they finally did no one was around to clean things out.

 

[Reddog1134]

And the parasite thing wasn't the big driver for closing River Country. crowds had decreased as guests went to TL and BB where there were more rides as well as heated and chlorinated water.

I can see the "killer parasite" being an afterthought in the decision to close it down.

"Hey BB and TL are really cutting into River Country's attendance. Should we close it?"

"Yeah, then maybe people will stop talking about that stupid amoeba."

 

[Luvchefmic]

I don't want anyone to think I take dangers such as this lightly, but it is a question of infinitesimal odds affecting my desire to live my life. If I were to die from something with such a ridiculously small chance of happening, I figure my number was up anyway.

Always love his voice of reason around here

Now take your post and drop it into whatever terrifying weather thread is running rampant today

 

[jtowntoflorida]

and, from the same source, an explanation of why it actually closed:

http://www.yesterland.com/rivercountry2.html

I'd poked around Yesterland a few times in the past, but never read that particular page before. Thank you for posting it! It's fascinating.

I have a non River Country question...how long was POR closed for? I can't believe that attendance was down so much to justify closing an entire resort. The parks must have been downright easy to tour back then.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort would close the Riverside section, leaving only the French Quarter section, for an unspecified length of time. Apparently, it was good business to shutter some resorts entirely to improve occupancy at the remaining resorts.

 

[chartle]

I'd poked around Yesterland a few times in the past, but never read that particular page before. Thank you for posting it! It's fascinating.

I have a non River Country question...how long was POR closed for? I can't believe that attendance was down so much to justify closing an entire resort. The parks must have been downright easy to tour back then.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort would close the Riverside section, leaving only the French Quarter section, for an unspecified length of time. Apparently, it was good business to shutter some resorts entirely to improve occupancy at the remaining resorts.

I vaguely recall that it was after Xmas before it picked back up. Because I had read a post that that year Xmas was dead. But I could be wrong.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I don't want anyone to think I take dangers such as this lightly, but it is a question of infinitesimal odds affecting my desire to live my life. If I were to die from something with such a ridiculously small chance of happening, I figure my number was up anyway.

Forget that amoeba the one we should be worried about is this one jumping to humans...Ophiocordyceps unilateralis.

 

[pilferk]

I'd poked around Yesterland a few times in the past, but never read that particular page before. Thank you for posting it! It's fascinating.

I have a non River Country question...how long was POR closed for? I can't believe that attendance was down so much to justify closing an entire resort. The parks must have been downright easy to tour back then.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort would close the Riverside section, leaving only the French Quarter section, for an unspecified length of time. Apparently, it was good business to shutter some resorts entirely to improve occupancy at the remaining resorts.

At least 2 to 3 months, begining in late Oct, early Nov of 2001. I know it was re-opened by the following spring.

Edit: Looks like it may have reopened in May of 2002.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...rleans-resort-walt-disney-world-world-resorts

My wife and I were actually there on Sept 20th, 2001 (for a 17 day trip). All the parks were scary, eerily empty. We did IOA, Universal, and SeaWorld, too. Same thing. I'm sure there were a lot more people in the parks than there seemed to be, but...we never waited in a line that was more than 5 min..and even those were few and far between. There were restaurants (Narcosees, for example) where we were one of 2 or 3 tables in the whole restaurant that had people at them.

I've never, ever seen it so empty...before or since.

We drove down....left on the 19th and actually hadn't planned to check in til the 21st (Friday) at AKL. We ended up getting in around 6 PM on the 20th, walked into the Grosevner to see if they had a room available. They charged us $89 for a corner suite....because they were so empty.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

My wife and I were actually there on Sept 20th, 2001 (for a 17 day trip). All the parks were scary, eerily empty. We did IOA, Universal, and SeaWorld, too. Same thing. I'm sure there were a lot more people in the parks than there seemed to be, but...we never waited in a line that was more than 5 min..and even those were few and far between. There were restaurants (Narcosees, for example) where we were one of 2 or 3 tables in the whole restaurant that had people at them.

I've never, ever seen it so empty...before or since.

Wow. That is creepy. Do you have any park pictures from that trip that you'd be willing to share?

 

[pilferk]

Wow. That is creepy. Do you have any park pictures from that trip that you'd be willing to share?

I'll have to hunt through. We (and by "we", I really mean "my wife") took close to 200 rolls of film on that trip (and, I think, I took some digital pics, too...but I have no idea where they went), but the pics are all packed away in boxes (we moved into our current house about a year after the trip). I'd have to fish them out and scan them...I'll try to do that over the next week or so, but no promises.

Lest you balk at the 200 rolls of film..thats not a typo. My wife was, at the time, a pro photog. She went through film like it was going out of style (pun firmly intended).

 

[wfjny]

Heres a thread with pictures of what it looked like in 2009. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2344523 I doubt that anything that is still there will ever be used again. I find it weird that it seems that one day they just decided to close it. They didn't clean out the cm shack or take the tubes out of the park. I also find it odd that they did not at least get a pool cover for the pool.

From what I understand, this is par for the course for Disney.

I have seen pictures over the years of areas that Disney has closed, and it seems like it is the same situation over and over. Papers left on desks as if they were just there yesterday.

Apparently, Discover Island in Bay lake is in a similar state. The 20,000 leagues ride was left basically in plain sight. The Skyway towers were only removed recently as well.

As I understand it, other areas, such as some of the VIP rooms to attractions without sponsors are in similar states. Then there are places like the second floor of the figment ride, also left in a strangely abandoned state.

 

[pilferk]

From what I understand, this is par for the course for Disney.

I have seen pictures over the years of areas that Disney has closed, and it seems like it is the same situation over and over. Papers left on desks as if they were just there yesterday.

Apparently, Discover Island in Bay lake is in a similar state. The 20,000 leagues ride was left basically in plain sight. The Skyway towers were only removed recently as well.

As I understand it, other areas, such as some of the VIP rooms to attractions without sponsors are in similar states. Then there are places like the second floor of the figment ride, also left in a strangely abandoned state.

With River Country...I think it's just the way it happened. It was open, one day, and then it went down for it's normal rehab. I think, at that point, Disney was not sure (and River Country employees were not told) exactly what they were going to do with it. I know, from reports at the time, that it received it's "normal" rehab that year...and "upkeep" year after (even though it had been closed for a year). In fact, there were rumors it was going to reopen because people saw activity/workers/etc in the area during that second year.

But it never reopened. I think Disney realized it was more costly to keep it open than it was to funnel the customers who would normally use it to BB or TL...especially once Charlie had his way with the area in 2004 (though, likely, the decision was pretty much made by then..but that pretty much sealed the deal and spurred the announcement in Jan 05 that it was permanently closed). And they never really heard loud enough, or numerous enough, complaints to justify reopening it. They came to that conclusion, though, "late". So there was no opportunity to shut it down correctly at the time, and by the time they finally decided to shutter it for good, there was no good reason to go out and try to clean up, or salvage, what had been abandoned.

 

[larryz]

No bubbles allowed!

Especially in the pool!!!

 

[HSXJedi]

Mentioned on Roadtrippers on Facebook today:

https://www.facebook.com/weloveroadtrips?hc_location=stream

https://roadtrippers.com/places/disneys-abandoned-river-country-bay-lake/5202a7f754b972418f0052c6

 

[2Tiggies]

No, I don't want a western theme!

Katie

I do! I'd love a western theme!! (Sorry )

 

[dzaharchuk]

I recently came across an old Disney Commemorative book at a flea market that appears to have been published the year WDW opened. (no date on it)

It was very cool to read, it appeared to be written prior to the actual park opening, and it has a map with some cool things that never came to be. There was an Asian hotel, which turned out to be Poly., a Venetian Hotel, and a pirate island, which they were calling Blackbeard Island.

As a huge Pirates of Caribbean fan, I think this would be an AWESOME idea, maybe a hotel and water park, or even a few rides! I had heard rumors before about something with Pirates at Tom Sawyer Island, but that was just a rumor.

I am sure that the cost of refurbing the island would be huge, but I for one would love it if they made it a pirate island!

 

[d1gitman]

what i heard about discovery island is that it is now a natural reserve for protected wildlife because the Osprey has taken up residence. Maybe that is the same for Rivercountry? Of course i heard it from a boat captain while doing the Wishes Cruise, so who knows how true the Discovery Island story is.