Disney's River Country

[ADantuono]

Did anybody ever get the chance to go to River Country? If so, how was it? I never got the chance to go and I'm curious about what it was like. I've seen videos on YouTube of the park when it was in its heyday and it looked like it was a lot of fun.

Feel free to share any experiences that you've had there.

P.S : If you explored the ruins of RC at some point, you don't have to talk about it. I wouldn't want anybody to risk being banned from Disney parks.

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Back when it opened it was off the hook fantastic. Every kid wanted to go there.
It was bigger than life.
Amazing, unique, nothing like it.
It just got out dated and the WDW other parks simply took it's place.

[The Great Marko]

Yeah, I got to go to River Country a few times as a teenager.

I'm not really into big water slides and such, but River Country was a lot more "laid back" with its lazy river and such - I really enjoyed it!

[nittanylions]

I was there when I was a kid. My recollection of it isn’t the best. We had breakfast nearby, maybe at Trail’s End. Then we went to River Country. I had never been to a water park and I was very excited. It was ahead of its time. It felt like an offshoot of Tom Sawyer Island, it had that type of feel. There was a beach. I think I remember a slide where you dropped what seemed like a long way into the water below that scared me. There were a few slides. I think there was a cable with a T bar you could ride over the water, and ropes and other stuff you could swing on. Frankly, some of it probably wouldn’t be allowed today. It had a rustic old fashioned swimming hole feel. The other water parks are much bigger and more modern. I think they learned a lot from River Country that they used to build Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

[GAN]

I went back in the mid-80's ...had a great time. It was pretty revolutionary by that time periods standards ...although compared to today's water parks would be pretty tame. It was a lot of fun, not especially crowded when I was there which was nice. Only went that one time before it closed. I know I have some pictures somewhere....

[ResortTV1]

Did anybody ever get the chance to go to River Country? If so, how was it? I never got the chance to go and I'm curious about what it was like. I've seen videos on YouTube of the park when it was in its heyday and it looked like it was a lot of fun.

Feel free to share any experiences that you've had there.

P.S : If you explored the ruins of RC at some point, you don't have to talk about it. I wouldn't want anybody to risk being banned from Disney parks.

We went once when I was about 10 years old. I don't remember much, and I wasn't a great swimmer at the time, so I don't think I appreciated the place as much as I could have. I do remember thinking that it was strange to be swimming in the lake at Disney, but it was still a really neat place. The funny thing is, I said that having been swimming at a few lakes back in Indiana. LOL. I do remember that the old country swimming hole feel of the place was neat, and some of the old-fashioned attractions like the zip line that allowed you to jump into the water were really cool.

[ChrisC]

I was pretty little when I went with my family, but I remember going a few times since we stayed at the camp ground a lot and it being fun. Years ago there was a rumor (from a CM at the campground) they were going to revamp it and make it into a pool/water park area for the campground only...that obviously hasn’t happened and probably won’t anytime soon, if ever.

There is a river country montage (about 5 minutes in) on The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World on Disney+.

[ADantuono]

I was pretty little when I went with my family, but I remember going a few times since we stayed at the camp ground a lot and it being fun. Years ago there was a rumor (from a CM at the campground) they were going to revamp it and make it into a pool/water park area for the campground only...that obviously hasn’t happened and probably won’t anytime soon, if ever.

There is a river country montage (about 5 minutes in) on The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World on Disney+.

The last rumor that I heard is that a new hotel is going to be built on the site.

And I've seen the River Country scene on Youtube. The park had a pretty catchy theme song lol

[ADantuono]

I was there when I was a kid. My recollection of it isn’t the best. We had breakfast nearby, maybe at Trail’s End. Then we went to River Country. I had never been to a water park and I was very excited. It was ahead of its time. It felt like an offshoot of Tom Sawyer Island, it had that type of feel. There was a beach. I think I remember a slide where you dropped what seemed like a long way into the water below that scared me. There were a few slides. I think there was a cable with a T bar you could ride over the water, and ropes and other stuff you could swing on. Frankly, some of it probably wouldn’t be allowed today. It had a rustic old fashioned swimming hole feel. The other water parks are much bigger and more modern. I think they learned a lot from River Country that they used to build Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

Is this the slide you were talking about?

[Splashtest]

We went all the time as a kid. We would spend at least one full day there each trip growing up. The water rapid tube ride was the absolute best. I wish the parks would do something like that again. I also remember being deathly afraid of the slides that went Into the pool when I first went. I worked up the nerve as I got older to finally go down and felt so accomplished. Lol.

I still to this day have a River Country Towel. Still in great shape and definitely a prized possession.

[nittanylions]

I was there when I was a kid. My recollection of it isn’t the best. We had breakfast nearby, maybe at Trail’s End. Then we went to River Country. I had never been to a water park and I was very excited. It was ahead of its time. It felt like an offshoot of Tom Sawyer Island, it had that type of feel. There was a beach. I think I remember a slide where you dropped what seemed like a long way into the water below that scared me. There were a few slides. I think there was a cable with a T bar you could ride over the water, and ropes and other stuff you could swing on. Frankly, some of it probably wouldn’t be allowed today. It had a rustic old fashioned swimming hole feel. The other water parks are much bigger and more modern. I think they learned a lot from River Country that they used to build Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach.

Is this the slide you were talking about?

Yes I think so.

[DisNerd11]

I went back in the 80s. I loved it, especially the river tubing slide. The safety regulations were much more lax back then. The tubes would get very congested at points. I went down the first hill, and my dad followed me. He crashed into me and knocked me right off my tube. The lifeguard dove down to make sure I was okay. I was fine.

I wish that when they build Reflections that they would have a top-level pool that pays tribute to River Country. I think that would draw guests in.

[ChrisC]

The last rumor that I heard is that a new hotel is going to be built on the site.

That’s right, I forgot about that...the “nature inspired” resort with some concept art that was floating around a couple years ago. I remember disliking it, so probably why I chose to forget about it.