Abandoned - Disney’s River Country

[Music] what's up guys my name is Jake and welcome to abandoned episode 52 and this is a very special episode today I wanted to talk about something I've been making videos on for a while a place which inspired me to even start this series I made an episode on it way back in 2015 but so much has happened since and there's so much more than I never got a chance to talk about so today let's revisit Walt Disney world's first waterpark and one of the most iconic abandoned theme park locations in the world River Country this episode is sponsored by Surf shark VPN go to Surf shark dot deals slash BSF to get eighty five percent off and three extra months for free it all began in 1973 with the worldwide oil crisis Walt Disney World had just opened two years prior and the resort was facing the issue of low attendance due to this economic depression so the company began looking into building new yet smaller attractions outside of the Magic Kingdom after building Treasure Island out on bail ache in 1974 that separate ticket attraction proved to be quite popular so the company began planning for a water-based attraction unlike any other of course because this was Central Florida any waterpark would work but River Country was really quite unique unlike other water parks in the country that were just standard gray concrete prefabricated slides this custom waterpark was going to be fully themed having guests enter the loosely fictional world of Tom Sawyer the site selected was the northern corner of the four wilderness campground on land which was previously just horse pastures Fort Wilderness already had a train running through it making it perfect for transferring guests to the new waterpark and was going to help boost the appeal of the campground to new visitors so construction began and on June 20th 1976 River Country had opened to the public with President Ford's daughter taking the first slide it was one of if not the world's first fully themed waterpark immediately the new attraction was a hit with guests being one of the most unique waterpark experiences ever created the layout of River Country was also unique as a major portion of the 5 acre park had water fed directly from Bay Lake into it the water in that main Bay Area called the old swimming hole was made to look like it was just an extension of the lake but in reality it was using a confluent water filtering system to prevent flooding when the natural lakes water level changed the parks old swimming hole was raised a few inches higher ordered by a retaining wall next to the Bay Bridge water from Bay Lake was pumped into the massive artificial Mountain filtered then pumped down into the swimming hole via the water slides constantly ensuring the water wasn't stagnant and always filtered this created a unique sand bottom swimming area to which several themed water slides would conclude most notably out of the sides was the whitewater rapids which essentially was a fast-paced lazy river down a 330 foot winding path of sudden drops there was also structures out in the bay to swing and zipline off of as well as a kiddie area off to the side River Country also featured a chlorinated regular pool with a slide only able to exist from the 1970s to cap off your River Country experience the park had a secluded Nature Trail perched above a swamp and a volleyball court placed out in the actual lake all in all River Country was the ideal family water park at the time and quickly grew in popularity over the next few years millions of people had visited the park mainly with a positive experience filled with cherished memories but as time went by the flaws of River Country began to become more apparent mainly in its size the park was only around five acres large and can hold just 4700 guests per day capacity became a huge problem as popularity grew since the small River Country Park was the only water park experienced annual Disney World and one of very few in the area as the resort in a hole greatly expanded in the 1980s that just meant more people were visiting millions more the waterpark built in the nineteen 70's was just too small to handle the huge influx of guests wanting to visit a Disney waterpark so Disney began construction on something to help alleviate this need a brand new water park called typhoon lagoon this enormous 56 acre park absolutely dwarfed River Country when it opened in 1989 country because River Country was getting so full River Country in the 70s when it opened was revolutionary for its time it was the first themed water park around fed we've compared it to what Disneyland was in 1955 two other amusement parks it became extremely popular and we just decided to build another one bigger and better it was a turning point for the resort making Typhoon Lagoon the must-do attraction for all of Walt Disney World and River Country a good spot if you're visiting or staying in for Wilderness by the early 1990s things got even worse for the park Disney had opened yet another massive water park called Blizzard Beach in April of 1995 Disney had also banned all people from swimming in their lakes by this time and despite River country's water being filtered this wasn't a good sign for the future Disney had then raised River country's admission price which most guests didn't see as much value since there were bigger and better places to visit since the majority of the park's water came from the lake it wasn't heated which meant on slightly cooler days the park would just shut down entirely River Country also hadn't really been updated at all and now in a new world of guests expectations the 1970s waterpark design wasn't exactly cutting it by the late 1990s attendance to the park was obviously down while River Country had its dedicated fan base for those who loved the hometown and nature oriented feel of the park compared to the newer facilities the fact was that River Country likely didn't have much of a bright future by fall of 2001 the park had shut down as it did every year for the winter season however by April of 2002 the Orlando Sentinel posted an article claiming that River Country may not reopen at all a Disney spokesperson was asked to comment and said that the park may open if there's enough guest demand however two months later another spokesperson updated the Sentinel saying the park would remain closed at least through 2002 from satellite photos we can see that the park was kept up during this time all the way up until around 2003 what the pool still chlorinated however as that year came and went there was no word about what would happen to the park the entrance still Red River Country yet photos from this time showed the dormant park very slowly showing signs of neglect finally a fence was put up ordering the property and by 2005 Disney had officially announced that River Country was not going to reopen by that time the park was already in disrepair photos taken during this time showed the upstream plunge pool drained with mildew growing on the sides the amazing Rock work had already begun chipping away and the old swimming hole was now turning into a swamp with grass growing out of the beach area and without filtration the sitting water turned green with algae growing on top for a while the entire park had been cut off by fences to the rest of Fort Wilderness though in 2008 because Mickey's backyard barbecue was now open the dining pavilion where that took place was essentially inside the water park so instead of a fence blocking the entire property now Disney erected a fence bordering the pool area allowing guests to freely walk inside what was formerly the paths and buildings to River Country snack stands were still standing as well as signs obviously pointing out that the land was something else over the next few years Disney didn't make any public statements on the now abandoned water park a few buildings were demolished and the parks water tower was relocated to the pool and Fort Wilderness River Country however continued to rot away in the Florida Sun the once crowded watering hole inspired by nature was now being taken over by nature and because of its abrupt decision to close much of the park was left stuck in time music was even still playing as if River Country had been wrapping up for the day incredibly even the lights remained on inside the park illuminating as fell as far back as 1994 plans called for redevelopment of river country river country was more or less the same as it was when it first opened however when Disney contracted the urban design group to build a wilderness themed Lodge on Bay Lake their master plan also included Fort Wilderness the plan was to build a moderate resort on the shores of Fort Wilderness directly beside River Country and this is where things get interesting the hotel was named Disney's Buffalo Junction but it also went by Disney settlement junction this resort was made to resemble an old western style town comprised of 600 rooms guests would check in at Wilderness Lodge then take a train to the junction now this resort was to be placed right on top of Pioneer Hall meaning it would be directly adjacent to the existing River Country Park but in the site plans in the green space next to the bathroom area over lapping the barbecue pavilion sits something called Country Fair this almost appears to be an expansion to River Country while it's hard to make out what exactly these objects are in the general master plan schematics it could be assumed that they would be small flat rides a green space park or even modern water slides it appears this site would in some way connect to River Country and even leave room for future expansion there's even evidence to suggest that in this new hotel plan River Country was going to be rebranded with a new name to be part of Buffalo Junction in the urban design groups book this is a line when describing the hotel quote a standalone dance hall and long horned steak restaurant animate front street and provide a gateway to River Park a water theme park suffice to say this might have meant that if Buffalo Junction was built River Country likely would have gotten an expansion along with acting as the pool area for the new resort and if so I think it's very likely that River Country would still be active today back to reality though River Country continued to be left abandoned in around 2011 though didn't he began working on something to replace the former / this was designated to be a pretty large hotel and Disney Vacation Club Resort plan to be directly on top of River Country while this hotel wasn't terribly unique it did have a few interesting features like a boathouse and a winding water feature into a lazy river the main pool also called for several theming elements to nod back to the river country park this resort was pretty far along development with the architectural firm even creating a visualization of the timeline and how construction would take place Construction was proposed to have been started in early 2011 with the demolition of River Country and by late 2013 a finished hotel this of course never happened though and River country remained abandoned over the next few years some areas were demolished yet the majority was still left to the elements and by 2014 guests began to get a little curious as the word got out that River Country was abandoned I know I did as I made several videos documenting the yearly progression of decay Disney was still silent in the park though only publicly acknowledging the area as backstage yet still allowing guests to walk right up to the fence for some reason over the next few years the perks condition got even worse a staggering difference from the once cleaned and operating attraction in 2017 Disney had actually filled in the main pool with sand this was likely an attempt to deter mosquitoes from breeding in the still algae filled water as this was the time when the Zika virus was quite a concern but still this was the only update to the park and River Country was left standing a year later in 2018 permits were filed by Disney to perform site boring tests around the river country property these are usually done to test if the ground is suitable for construction and with an apparent positive result finally by October of 2018 17 years after rubber country had closed and was left abandoned Disney had announced a brand-new 900 room hotel and DVC resort it's called reflections a Disney lakeside lodge and is quote a classic Country Lodge reimagined the resort is pretty modern with earthy design cues and large open spaces it also heavily features Disney characters and will have both a frame villas and tree have suites that the majority of guests will never be able to afford some concept art also alludes to there being structures on the water which may be houseboats the resort will also feature a Bayou style restaurant in the former place of the nature trails at River Country reflections as a whole is a modern take on the beautiful and detailed craftsman work of the wilderness lodge one that has many sharp edges and neutral colors but also very generic with Disney character statues thrown in for some reason to me it looks like a wholefoods as a hotel but objectively luxurious as the developer behind the project is well experienced in building premium properties my only gripe is that it doesn't belong where it is all in all the resorts footprint is massive completely replacing River Country and then some so finally in March of 2019 after so long the abandoned now almost unrecognizable waterpark was being dismantled it appears some sections of the park were saved however the majority of the abandoned facility was completely destroyed once demolition was completed the land grading began first with filling in the old swimming hole then clearing out land digging the retention pond and everything else that comes with essentially building on top of a swamp and that brings us to now with Disney starting major construction on the resort one with an opening date of 2022 however what the pandemic situation it may be delayed as long as another year however from what I understand hotels are already funded before work begins so there's no turning back now but all of this still leaves the question why did River Country closed in the first place and why did it take them so long to demolish it well it was honestly a bit of a perfect storm of issues all coinciding until fort wilderness decided to close it permanently the park remember was over 25 years old and with it being one from the mid-1970s of course there are going to be elements that were built for the era it was in because it was built time when attendance was much smaller than it is now the park was constructed to meet the need of the time and give Fort Wilderness a boost while also packaging it with Discovery Island safety was also a bit of a concern as lifeguard placements were a bit far to watch over everyone this resulted in the drowning of a fourteen-year-old boy in 1982 on that point there's actually been a pretty famous urban legend that Disney closed the park due to a deadly brain eating bacteria in the water this is sort of true as in 1980 an 11 year old boy died after swimming in river country this brain-eating ameba is called Naegleria flora and can be found in warm bodies of water across the world there really wasn't and still isn't a treatment for such a case mostly because contracting it is extremely rare and only happens typically in lakes which half of river country essentially was and by rare I mean only 145 people have ever contracted it in the United States this was after all the 1980s and since no blame was put on Disney the park continued to operate as it did but later on as the state of Florida introduced new swimming filtration laws the tourism crash of 911 and other reasons I mentioned earlier the park was likely just too expensive and too convoluted to keep operating especially with its pairing of Discovery Island now closed and the new water parks taking in all the spotlights rubber country was now just for people who were fans of its and guests at Fort Wilderness but then there's the mystery of why it's an abandoned for so long well actually I think I can explain that too from what I understand each resort is allocated funding from Disney Parks and Resorts every quarter so it's like a chain coming right down from the corporate side and each property in Walt Disney World gets their own budgets and more or less on how to spend it Fort Wilderness and their management was in charge of River Country my theory is is that after the company made the decision not to reopen the park after 2003 or so Fort Wilderness didn't want to spend their budget to demolish it from what I've heard as well the large fake mountains with pumps inside had copious amounts of Aspen and demolishing it as well as trekking heavy machinery through a swamp would cost a lot millions of dollars at least perhaps way more than the resort could afford to tackle at the time which by the way was a time when funding to the park division was down and I can only imagine how little the campground was allocated later on when the DVC resort was announced that too was going to be a part of Fort Wilderness but since members who are at the demographic of a timeshare hotel don't really stay at campgrounds the project was likely thought to not have the customer base from what I understand though the reflexions resort won't be officially part of Fort Wilderness and thought of more as a standalone hotel in extreme close proximity to the campground plus in between these two hotel projects River Country was likely just caught up in limbo waiting for someone to pull the trigger to demolish the park when funding for a hotel was ready and that sort of wraps everything up in my opinion River Country was a great and innovative water park at the time but that's the problem the time Disney and really even the world outgrew the park and you can't blame them for that after all it was the mid-1970s and that's what was popular then but that fact ultimately killed a park once expectations and regulations grew as eras passed by the early 2000s the park from 25 years prior was just too much of a liability rather than an asset but as it sat abandoned and decaying for almost two decades it became sort of a symbol or an icon of classic Disney but one that was distorted and forgotten it was sad for some and extremely fascinating for others like me a place that fueled my interest in abandoned places and is pretty much the reason why this show exists it's like looking into a weird and fascinating world where a classic Disney Park was left to the elements finally after being in limbo for years it was demolished and the land will now be home to a luxury resort hopefully one which will have some nods in the pool area to the land it's taking regardless the legacy of River Country will always be talked about and it'll forever be one of if not the most iconic abandoned location in theme park history thank you all so much for watching this episode of abandoned and I want to give a special thanks to Cerf shark VPN for sponsoring this episode if you ever find yourself traveling to countries that have certain Internet region blocking using surf shark can allow you to quickly and seamlessly switch between countries essentially making those sites think you're in a different area for instance if Disney Plus isn't available in your country or maybe you're trying to watch a show on Netflix that can only be watched in a certain country then all you need to do is switch your location just like that surf shark also comes with a bunch of other security and privacy features to ensure that if you're browsing the web on unsecured sites or perhaps wanting to keep your data private from ISPs surf shark will allow you to be anonymous and secure please go use my link surf shark dot deals slash BSF or use the code BSF to get a really great deal of a B five percent off and three extra months for free anyway guys my name is J and thank you very much [Music] you

Channel: Bright Sun Films

Views: 1,651,419

Rating: 4.9339395 out of 5

Keywords: abandoned, disney world, Walt Disney World, abandoned theme park, Disney River Country, River Country exploration, urbex, Adam the woo, never built hotel, Disney Buffalo Junction, Disney Wilderness Lodge, Disney Fort Wilderness, resorts, Disney Reflections Hotel, abandoned Disney water park, Disneys Discovery Island, Discovery Island abandoned, River Country abandoned, bright sun films, 2020, 2021, 2022, Disney world, disney abandoned park, abandoned water park, history, documentary

Id: qewT3SYFqNw

Length: 21min 57sec (1317 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 05 2020