I was a lifeguard for Disney when they closed River Country. Multiple reasons for closing, no visibility in the water for lifeguards, snakes, amoeba growth when the water hits 86 degrees. Not to mention everything needed to be rebuilt due to 20+ years of wear & tear. Safety precautions too numerous to list. Those were the main reasons I was told anyway. Yes I posted this on another vid.
The story of the bacteria is true. My mum was one of the people who were affected by it and she is now disabled because her brain does not work properly. Her illness came about 2 days after arriving home from Florida. On her last day she was in River Country. Disney probably didn't want to admit to the bacteria story because it's off-putting...
Hannah Louise I'm very sorry about your mom. However, those bacteria and amoeba are found in pretty much all waters in the South.... The people affected are very very very few, unfortunately your mom was among them... But it's not just Disney it can happen anywhere...
Love to hear videos like this...it's so interesting how a major corporation can just close down monumental points and have it decompose like that...so cool
the water supply disney had set up was pulling water directly from the properties lakes, the water wasn't treated and not chlorinated. . the park could be reopened, but the water supply system would have to be reconfigured. and guest demand was not high enough. disney just went good riddance as it was much more cost effective
I think the creepy thing about abandoned theme parks is that at one time they were swarming with people, and to see them empty and decaying is a huge contrast, making one uneasy... to say the least... I love abandoned theme parks! The fact that the music still plays and the lights come one.... gives me the creeps! It's sort of awesome!
According to satellite imagery from April 2002, the park was STILL being maintained almost a year after it closed which was on 9/1/01 as it usually did on that day due to the end of the warm-weather season.
Ron King - As you can see, working at Disney is a lot like serving in the military, except everybody that worked there, from being poor, middle class, or wealthy WANTED TO BE THERE! It was and is like a family and we ex-Disney cast members or current cast members tend to treat each other like family and are very protective of what we love. And the cast members that worked there loved River County.
Debby Hoyt Hawkins: I agree with Reggie. I worked there from 83-88 as a guard, chemist, and lead. Before I got there the collapsible dam was replaced with the permanent metal one which got rid of the fish living in the cove. The bromine system was put in place before I got there too. During that time the news reported that a 15 year boy picked up an amoeba at River County.
It's funny when people complain that they get banned from Disney for sneaking into River Country... That is private property. Breaking an entry as well. soooooooo
I don't like the idea of the island turning into a campsight. I mean how creepy if something goes wrong and you get stuck on the desert island all alone with no information on what's going on.
I was there this past weekend and saw the high green fence blocking the swimming area from view but was able to stick my hand through the fence and collect some video of the old swimming area. What's still odd though is the old ticket counter is still there and you can walk past it and into the old recreational portion of the park without a soul present. I'm glad to see this video and the all-in-one info provided here, as various info seems to be strewn all over regarding this old park.
I saw the pictures and it's so sad. To those who have been it must be real depressing, seeing how the place has fallen apart, but to people like me who never got to go (the park closed when I was about 4) it's like looking at the ruins of a great place that is now gone. I think that Disney was better back then, than it is now.
I remember visiting River Country many times, the water never made me sick. Then I remember when Blizzard Beach opened, I was very disappointed. River Country was a lot more fun.
I was there in the late 90's. In comparison to the other water parks, it was gross. The water was just nasty. I remember being surprised it was not cleaner. It was like swimming in the lake.
I went to Disney World once in 1996 and again in 2000 and I never heard of this park until I saw a video showing this in a creepy pasta. It was creepy yet cool to see the photos of what it looks like now. Plus surreal because of how Disney is supposed to be the happiest place on earth. Thanks for video! Very cool and informative. Also, it isn't just the bacteria in the water, I sometimes wondered if any snakes or alligators moved into the park.
the thing is that the people that worked there even left personal stuff in the offices, privete pictures and everything i wounder why they didn't even take that with them..
Are Florida's natural inland bodies of water REALLY that dangerous when it comes to microorganisms? I've swam in some rivers and lakes in Florida and I've had no adverse effects from swimming in those bodies of water
The water at River Country was treated and was safe. It then emptied into the lake after. They closed the Park because they wanted people to go to the new water Parks and they lied about it when they did it. They said it was closed for refurbishment.
I went to River Country and Discovery Island as a kid in late 90's. I always wondered what happened to them, I've seen the videos and pictures and have to say that it is very creepy to see how it was just abandoned.
Tad Brown: Debby, you reminded me of my one of my first tasks at RC as a MK. When we arrived the park was closed for maintenance, and the fiberglass slides had just been refinished. So us MK's had to go down on our hands and knees with towels to get all the loose fibers dislodged, and then after that the water was tuned on and we went down the slides over and over until no one reported getting fibers stuck in our bodies. Damn we were stupid! But had fun
Im fascinated about forgotten Disney attractions. I remember we visited Disney World for the first time in June of 2000. My brother got a rash the day after we visited River Country. My parents thought it was a food allergy but ow that I'm watching this video im realizing that it was probably from the lake.
We were just at Ft. Wilderness last week and my son was talking to a CM about the fact that RC had closed due to the fact they used natural water sources; and she tried to tell him, that was untrue. I don't know if she was ill informed ,or Disneys official response is to deny it. Also we were told the reason the music, water fountains, and lighting still work is that those system are all linked to Ft. Wilderness.
Thank you for the video and for expanding on the basics. Abandoned theme parks/etc are intriguing to many and certainly something you wouldn't expect on Disney property. Very interesting.
I use to work there and you are pretty much correct. Disney put a moratorium on swimming or even wading in Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon in the late 90"s because of an amoeba outbreak and didn't want the liability. I worked at the poly at the time and we had the beach closed and would allow anyone in the water.
I too filled those bromine tanks. I wore a paper mask when dumping the buckets of bromine in. Then I jumped in the cove to wash off. I also dove on the intake from the lake to get the weeds off. I had a blast there put I wonder how we made it out alive . I also remember acid washing the slides with a mop, gloves, and a towel wrapped out the mouth and nose!
@LeavingForVenus The reason the music was still on was because the backyard bbq is right before the entrance of river country. The backyard bbq is still going on to this very day. That is why the music is on.
Ron King - Con't: We were taught values, developed strong friendships, and many of us met our wives/significant others there, fell and love and got married. If you never lived it, it is difficult to explain or understand it, in short...The Happiest Place On Earth
Excellent video, thank you for sharing. I too was shocked that Disney has not done anything with this piece of land in ten years! Really odd, especially when Disney has really never stop expanding and building resorts, rides and restaurants. The music loop still playing, wow, yes creepy and again ODD!! Its like a huge mystery as why Disney does this. Thank you again for the info, and all your other videos. You are very accurate.
Very interesting info... as an engineer, I believe Disney should have constructed a concrete cofferdam across the entire frontage of River Country, separating the water from that of the lake, then proceeding to chlorinate/filtrate as in any other water park. This is very feasible, technically (though I've no idea what the cost would be). Disney REALLY needs to do this and get River Country fixed up & back in operation! (The longer they wait, the more expensive will be the overall clean-up).
@AxisPowersChibitalia Have you ever gone during christmas? If you haven't you should really go. It's amazing! Especially Magic Kingdom. It's all decorated with wreaths and garlands, carolers singing, snow falling, a tree higher than the eye can see. It's like a scene in a storybook or a long forgotten memory. It feels so.........magical.
No wonder Disney tickets are so expensive, excessive electricity bills for things that aren't even used anymore..... Makes you wonder if they're forcing their electric bill up to justify charging more for tickets.
You're assuming that River Country was left to rot since 2001. When River Country closed on September 1, 2001, that was thought to be a temporary seasonal closing. It was assumed that the park would reopen for the 2002 summer season. Then come the terrorist attacks that pretty much killed tourism. This led to cut backs in the remaining Disney parks. The permanent closure of River Country wasn't announced until 2005. So from 2001 to 2005, it can be assumed that some maintenance had been going on in anticipation of a possible future opening date but no one knew when that would be. Of course by then, the much bigger water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, were doing so well there wasn't thought to be a need for River Country.
Ron King - Con't: It was smaller than the other water parks, so you knew everyone on a personal basis and it was like a family. When it closed, if was like the dissolution of a family, so my fellow cast members are going to have strong feelings about - what we consider - the best times of our lives.
Back in 2002, in my honest opinion they didn't know what to do so they just left it standing there. WDW made an official response in 2005 finally officially stating that they wouldn't re-open the park again
good job on the video. I have been looking at these videos because I too have a morbid fascination with Disney's abandoned parks. I heard that there were several.
the reason the stuff works is because River Country was to be reopened after fixing all the errors they had! They also had a kid go hospital after falling of a slide but they fixed the mistake very quickly Will River Country be rebuild maybe or maybe not - It was to be rebuilt in 2005 and finished in 2015! To this day river country is still abandoned but they have cops out there how do i know i work at disney!
I think the water, lights and music are on the same loop as Mickey's Backyard BBQ area. They would have to shut the whole line down, then tear the whole system out and re-do it. The same music you hear in the River Country is the same over by the store.
The lake part of River Country was very specifically called 'Bay Cove', and indeed was water from Bay Lake. There was always a park legend that an amoeba went up someone's nose and killed him/ her, but I've never substantiated this claim.
They did. Mostly because of Animal Kingdom. Pretty much, Animal Kingdom was ridiculously huge version plus a few of Discovery Island. That and because you could only access it through a boat, most people bypassed it.
I had to go through the chemist reports to show the levels of bromine were good. Later we learned that the boy had swam in other Florida lakes that tested positive for the amoeba. Later we learned that the boy had swam in other Florida lakes that tested positive for the amoeba. There were about 40 jet points in the cove that we tested the bromine levels at on a rotating schedule.
This is a very informative and well made video. If I can make a suggestion of a future topic, I've heard different things about resorts in WDW that never were built. Information on those would be cool as well.
not only was it closed because laws and safety, but because of the making of Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Those parks are 4 times as bigger than River Country, so it was able to hold 4 times as much people and there would be attractions and entertainment. So, River Country would basically no longer exist, not for real, but no one would visit it anymore, because of the new parks being made, so just some more info. And yes, I think WAW will be destroying River Country for other stuff. Thanks
I agree they should clear out the old park if they don't want anyone exploring there. Think about it, why are we enticed about it? Because a lot of us went there as little kids(or just young adults who had fun there), and since the park still looks a lot like it used to - we simply want to see what had happened to it and recapture some old memories. If they cleared it out, it would look like a boring old natural island. We wouldn't be enticed to nose around it any more
Your facts are correct. The temperatures were almost perfect for many bacterial organisms, some of which if inhaled by suspension within airbourne water particles (mist & spray) can be VERY dangerous. It wasn't so much about 'ingestion' but 'inhalation'. Thanks for sharing. I was there in the early 80's, left a huge impression on me, went to see what was left in September 2009 through a gap in the huge green screens. Shame about that law, because todays technology could easilly fix that.
Tad Brown: I filled those bromine tanks more than a few times. Remember jumping in the lagoon to get the bromine dust off our bodies. Probably not OSHA complaint
I wish I would have been able to go to DRC one day... I think it was quite cool there. I am really interested in this DRC thing, since I've read something about it on Twitter. I watched a lot of videos, read about it and have now even uploaded my own video about it. It is German. So everyone who understands German here I would appreciate if you watch it. Hope you like it!
Wet and wild has a knee boarding attraction that is conducted on a lake, so wonder if it's a law based on a percentage of the park being from sanitized water and not the entirety of the park being supplied from standing water?
Nathan Hebert: Disney also lost their self governing status in 2000. They have to go through the "Man" now for building codes and such. (even though their own standards exceded anything the state or county requires) Tuesday at 11:42pm · Like
Great info. We camped at Ft Wilderness April 2010 and the boat captain from the Ft to MK gave all the info you just stated and more. He stated that when TL opened and I believe BB, attendance levels dropped and due to low # guests RC could accomodate compared to TL and BB, they didn't see it feasible to install a newer filtration device for a park that had a low profit margin (low #guests=low revenue). of course in 2001 TL/BB didn't reach capacity. no longer true thus our quest for 3rd park
@Pastamdpresantgaming Yes, that is one of the reasons it closed, because the Naegleria fowleri Bactiria can enter your body just from water in your nose, which causes a fatal infection in the brain. *Quoted from a former Disney employee and biologist in charge of water quality*
I don't know what exactly they will be buildingthough, haha. And I meant to say that the other parks would have more attractions and entertainment than River Country. Once again, thanks and your welcome! May the magic be with you! :D
It is very easy to get into river country. My Daugther and I Went exploring in their 1 year ago.... took Pictures and everything... We took the Sign from the Nature Trail that use to go around the park.... we found it laying in the mud and dirt.... we are still planning on going back because its like being in a Indiana Jones Movie... But to get in to the old park, you have to find the Secert Path tht leads you right inside..... Good Luck!!
I am a disney employee.. they closed for rehab like they do every year for the water parks... because of the new law they obviously had to change a lot... when they looked into it cost too much and just wasnt worth it so they never reopened.... they have 2 other water parks so its okay.... and they cant do anything else with it because of some law with building in that area...
Only thing I can think why the music and lights are on in one of the walk around vids is, someone, at some point has probably broken in and turned them on.
I saw a video with two guys walking around and taking videos of the place and the lights still were on, and the music still playing...TEN years later. That is odd to me. Any insight on that?
dude..u are a true disney fan rock on:D, i watched the same video and yeas it was creepy...so i reasearched it and i found an article that said a portion of it was sometimes rented out to private parties, that may be due to why its all still working
Has anything new happened as of May, 2014? Looked this up two years ago when I last visited Disney World, and thought about it today with a return trip in the works.
Well, there are many reasons why River Country shut down in 2001, but the REASON is because 2 new water parks opened such as Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Those water parks where way bigger than River Country. As well as in 2001 which we all know was the 9/11. Tourists were afraid to fly to a new destination so less people would visit. I have never been to River Country, but it’s sad that it shut down :( Now River Country is rotten, wasted and dead. If I get anything wrong, Please let me know in the comments!
Walt Disney must be rolling in his grave. I never could understand why they would not clean that up. Funny, I'm a native and never went there. I'll have to go check it out sometime. Oh, and I saw that one video you were talking about with the father and son, very eerie. So sad, not up to Walt's standards.
Don't forget the gators..Each year I'm there, I see 2 or 3 & I'm careful when I'm on the beaches even..just always aware of my surroundings. I woudn't want to swim or do anything in that water, lol!!
Yes, the abandoned park is not up to Disney standards, but no one is supposed to see it. The only reason we're seeing it is because people are sneaking into the area and taking pictures.
