River Country: Disney's Abandoned Water Park

[@twoblacklabs904]

Great video, George. I was a lifeguard at River Country in the mid-to-late 1980’s. It was a great job for a guy like me, who loved the Florida sun and the water. We rotated 3 lifeguard stands, 30 minute shifts at each different post, then took a half-hour break. We had an “unwritten rule” that any “found money” of small proportions in the water was ours for the keeping, as almost no one ever seriously reported lost money in the Bay Cove lake water. At the bottom of each of the 2 “Whoop & Holler” slides, people would lose small amounts of pocket money, mostly small bills and pocket change out of their swimsuit pockets, and it was all ours for the diving pleasure. I went home with $40 in quarters on a good day. One time, while guarding the bottom of the tube slide, a $100 bill floated right past me. There was no way I was not jumping in to grab it. I turned it in, certain that someone would be missing that amount of money, but after 3 weeks, I got called to the Supervisor’s office and they handed me the $100 bill! They said no one reported any missing cash, and it was now mine. The job itself was probably the most memorable for the camaraderie we had as lifeguards. Management was excellent, and we had a great time cleaning the park up, both pre-opening and after closing time. The place is still very memorable to me, and I hold those memories very tightly as my favorite job of my youth…

[@DianaDeLuna]

This story made my night. We only went to Disney World once, in 1982. River Country was absolutely my favorite day of our vacation. '82 was probably too early for you to be the lifeguard that told me off for doing a flyaway flip off the zipline into the pool. I was a Gen-X middle child, and no one in my family was nearby to film it. 😅

[@Spencycle]

Why would people just casually have $100 bills in their swimsuit pockets while going to swim there?

[@SissypheanCatboy]

@@Spencyclerich people.

[@nicolasmagne6213]

@@Spencycle i'm going to guess that disneyworld was expensive in that time aswel 🤣

[@autiethebandito7170]

did you ever swim with goofy though??? DID YOU EVER HAVE TO SAVE GOOFY?

[@faithmahoney2253]

why are the pictures of goofy lurking in the background so haunting

[@GeorgesSpace]

he's always watching 👀

[@powdermuaythai]

for real, right?!

[@pilarcervantes7977]

Bruh

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Dont let OP play Luigi's mansion.

[@amoeba_x]

Goofy told me nobody would ever find out about what happened at River Country. We both pinky promised not tell.

[@seventeen_nights]

as funny as it is seeing goofy going down waterslides with guests i can only imagine how MISRABLE it mustve been in that suit. Theyre bad enough when theyre dry but making them heavy with water must have been hell for the actor

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Ya, i saw goofy trying to hold his head on so it could fill with water. Looked like my breaking point...

[@drdewott9154]

Honestly the world needs more places like River Country. Not in the abandoned state, but a small cozy swimming hole with some activities and slides amidst nice landscaping would be really nice to have in more places.

[@sunnydayzie1202]

In today's day and age of higher faster bigger as far as water parks, those days of river country are gone. We went there the very first year it opened. I was seven. As a seven year old who had never been to a water park, it was absolutely magical.

[@AJFishing2009]

Lmao you know a kid died there right due to a brain eating parasite

[@fleetwoodmak777]

@AJFishing2009 did you watch the video??

[@AJFishing2009]

@ yes lmao

[@doriangray6985]

I remember visiting River Country with my wife and daughter. Arriving to find no seats/loungers available, they were all in use. A lovely American family gave us a couple of their loungers and it really made our day.

[@presidentfrog4683]

I mean, Goofy being the mascot for River Country makes sense. It's classic America to have a dog swimmin around with you at the local swimmin hole. The inclusion of Pluto makes that point obvious.

[@amoeba_x]

Goofy is a cow. Google it.

[@presidentfrog4683]

We love to hate on Michael, but he gave us all the Disney memories we had as kids. He wasn't the best guy for the job, he was the perfect guy for the job.

[@GlennJimenez]

You don’t know what you got until Disney fucks up Star Wars makes you miss all the past guys in charge

[@piperian3962]

@@GlennJimenezI think Michael Eisner would have just put good people in charge of Lucas film and not focused on “the message”. First film would have probably been directed by Brad Bird or something.

[@robertwilliamnobregajr5892]

Eisner is way better than Iger

[@jaredjlinden]

Michael Eisner did an amazing job. The one who ran the company into the ground was Ron Miller, Walt’s son in law (who took an executive producer credit on EVERYTHING the studio produced). Eisner saved the company.

[@loganrounds7755]

Michael wrote this for sure

[@downfromtheattic]

Always stings seeing River Country in such a horrendous state of neglect and disrepair because it's not how I experienced it nor remember it. My family and I went to WDW for the 2000 celebrations Aug 2000. River Country was one of the first parks we visited. As you approached the park, near to the water tower, there were stable and farm animal, a petting zoo of sorts and I'm almost certain you could rent ponies there to go pony trekking around camp wilderness. River Country itself had an atmosphere all of its own, completely different feel to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon lagoon. The overall feel was relaxed fun, carefreeness and being silly, Goofy being the mascot absolutely fit this. We saw goofy taking the slide down into the plunge pool and there's family photos with us with Pluto, there were covered picnic tables, a large hall of them really, and the characters would walk round and play jokes on people eating their lunch. The rubber ring slide was by far the most popular with guests and the advantage of it being a smaller capacity water park to the other two? barely any queues. I managed to get on the slide plenty of times. The rubber ring ride had a splash pool of sorts halfway along the slide and with the current of the jets you could find yourself getting stuck spinning in circles in there! We went twice to River country, each for a half day and loved our time there. Really is a shame what happened to the park, I do miss it. The closest the other parks come to the feel of River Country is the lazy rivers, they're relaxing and fun but interspersed with silliness, like the sneezing chalet in blizzard beach that sprays ice cold water over you, it's that daft, goofy, carefree approach that I River Country for

[@SilasGebbesen]

thanks

[@Quert_Zuiopue]

It's a shame that they didn't make an nature reserve out of it, as such overgrown culture wastelands provide a great habitat for many endangered species, that may not survive in the modern cultivated landscape around it.

[@Quert_Zuiopue]

I hope i didnt use the wrong terms, as translating ecological technical terms into another language is not the easiest thing.

[@farfetchdthegamer3810]

@@Quert_ZuiopueNo, you did great! Also, yes, it would have been nice if they’d handed the area management over to a nature reserve organisation. Plenty of fish, birds (especially wading birds), reptiles and crustaceans might well have been attracted to the area.

[@artsyscrub3226]

@@farfetchdthegamer3810 Disney likes the no take backsies rule when they buy stuff, they REALLY don't like reselling land, I want them to do something with it because it's just sitting there

[@RemoWilliams1227]

​@@Quert_Zuiopuesounded reasonable to me.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Its Disney, not the make a wish foundation.

[@richantonelli3293]

This is by far the most in-depth video I've seen regarding information on what happened to River Country and great footage too. Strong work!

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

More on the Fort Wilderness Railroad: It only lasted from January 1974 to February 1980. The 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge Fort Wilderness Railroad (FWRR) began operating on a trial basis in late 1973 and officially opened on January 1, 1974. It had a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) loop around Fort Wilderness, utilizing four 2-4-2T steam locomotives and twenty passenger cars built in 1972 by WED Enterprises in Glendale, CA. 2-4-2 means the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. It debuted in the UK in 1863 and was showcased at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Due to issues with track maintenance, pedestrian safety, noise concerns, and its locomotives' low fuel capacity, the railroad only operated occasionally after 1977 and closed permanently in February 1980. After the railroad closed, railroad ties remain in place along certain sections of the railroad's former right-of-way, the FWRR's roundhouse was also converted into a laundry facility, and two of its passenger cars were used as ticket booths for Pleasure Island before said cars were sold to a local railway museum.

[@MeepMacArthur]

He should also talk about the former underwear store on main Street

[@danielbaer5804]

Never thought I'd get a history of the Fort Wilderness Railroad from the dictator of North Korea.

[@matthewbowen5841]

​@@danielbaer5804I guess he has a good amount of free time to learn and then teach minuteae

[@tiffprendergast]

Pretty awesome

[@damski8637]

I went a few times in the early 90's as a child. I was always a little freaked out that the pools were more natural and sandy bottoms, especially when a lifeguard fished a snake out of the water during one visit. That said Ive seen snakes at Typhoon lagoon too, but the water is clear there and visability is better. I also remember drama around one of the super twisty slides when a woman was taken away on a stretcher with a neck brace after a bad accident.

[@ShenmueAtheist]

God, I miss old Disney so much. This video reminded me how much I used to love them, something I haven't felt in over a decade.

[@campizzapasta8655]

The closest Ive ever experienced was belle and beast going on the the carousel together at Disneyland, with Gaston in the foreground flexing to get her attention. It felt really weirdly organic and not scirpted. I kinda miss seeing that sort of thing

[@lauraholmes2402]

Imagine going to an abandoned place and hearing music in the background. I’d be noping right out of there and never looking back

[@MF.Animal.Mother]

Great video! RC was my first water park in 1982 and I was 9. I loved it and when Typhoon opened in 89 I was excited but preferred RC. Heart breaking what happened to RC. Glad they put it to rest. Hands down the best tube ride ever! RIP RC!!!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

If I had a nickel, for every time something around Bay Lake closed because a bigger thing opened elsewhere on property, I'd have two nickels...which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice. Nearby Discovery Island closed because the much bigger Animal Kingdom was built! But seriously, it's wild that nearby Discovery Island has been abandoned too! It would've been interesting if Disney revived Discovery Island by teaming up with Cyan Worlds to turn the island into a replica of the titular island from the video game Myst. Discovery Island's history is just as fascinating. From 1900 to 1937, the island was known as Raz Island, named after the family that lived there. In the late 1930s, it was purchased for $800 by a man named Delmar Nicholson, who renamed it Idle Bay Isle and lived there for 20 years with his wife and pet crane. It was later sold, renamed Riles Island and used as a hunting retreat. Disney bought it in 1965. Delmar lived on the island and grew exotic plants prior to the island's acquisition by Disney. The island's facilities was home to the very last Dusky seaside sparrow, a bird once endemic to Merritt Island where the Kennedy Space Center is, they went extinct because of pesticides and flooding the island to control the mosquito population around the space center on top of highway construction.

[@berndk.9741]

River Country was such a nice place! I do like Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, but River Country had this laid back, fun and genuine feeling to it.

[@AJFishing2009]

Yup and a kid died there due to a brain eating parasite in a pool

[@berndk.9741]

@@AJFishing2009 Which can happen in pretty much every pond or lake that's used for swimming.

[@martind701]

The absolute worst thing to happen to Fort Wilderness is to build a DVC hotel there. No more laid back peacefulness for those who enjoy camping there.

[@kmd2210]

I was there in 1979 with my family & we had a fabulous time. There was no other place like it then. It's amazing now to think how uncrowded everything was. We went back in the evening & practically had the place to ourselves. We just went round & round on the slides. We also stayed at the Treehouse Villas on that trip - 3 kids to a bed. A great memory for our family!

[@Sethmire8]

Great video as usual! So refreshing to see a video on the park that’s not just controversy and abandonment. Also, glad someone finally acknowledged how odd and interesting goofy being the mascot was!

[@bradye21playsIndieHorror]

Much more thorough video on the history! I obsessed back when i first heard about it, yet i didnt know about the nature trail or goofy being a permanent guest.

[@Somebritishguyontheinternet]

Wake up, the goat uploaded

[@sunnydayzie1202]

Disney: bigger, more extravagant and more expensive. As kids we lived in a blue collar town in nj amd but most families could afford to load up the station wagon and camp in fort wilderness and go to disney. Disney has literally priced itself totally out of reach to most families except the very wealthy or singles. What are we at like $150 a ticket for one day ? During covid, they were closing the park at 6 pm and still charging full price. River country was part of old Disney. Disney has gone a totally different direction, catering to a totally different clientele. After going many times as a kid in the 70s , since we had grandparents in Florida , my husband and I honeymooned there in 1994. We paid just under $1200 for nine days in Disney's Caribbean beach resort and park hopper passes for nine days to all the parks and that included air fare both ways!

[@saint0wen]

Good job covering this park! You included a lot of information I haven't seen covered in other videos and more up-to-date. I happened to "visit" (stand outside the fence) in 2018 and didn't realize it'd been torn down later that same year!

[@stacystec]

I was there in 1980. My memory is how dangerous the rapids slide was (I was 8 at the time). The downward pressure of the water was intense on my body, when you got knocked off the tube, chances are you were going down the rest of the way without it. Those rapids were strong enough to fling you off the tube (the video showing the guy trying to fetch his tube was a common experience ). Not shown was hitting the rocky structures at speed or colliding with other riders. I think there was a height restriction for the slide but in retrospect a child my size should have never been allowed on that. I remember swallowing a lot of water after a few attempts and just gave up. No way they could make a ride like that these days, the thing must have been a giant legal liability for Disney.

[@DannyBoycustom]

I went to Orlando in 2000 and went to river country.... It was one of my favourite memories. They really missed out here because that old school American country theme is very desirable to us Brits. If they only closed and just revamped and expanded I reckon it would definitely outdo typhoon lagoon!

[@SilasGebbesen]

true.

[@itouch4mac]

I’m so damn glad I found your channel, George! Your videos are incredible! Please, keep them coming! 🙏🏻🖤

[@weston407]

I grew up in Orlando and remember going a few times as a kid. It was my third favorite park in the area after 1. Typhoon Lagoon and 2. Wet n' Wild. I only went to Blizzard Beach once or twice growing up and I definitely only went to Water Mania once. Good memories!

[@gc4644]

I've been to River Country quite a few times thru the 70s & 80s. We always had a great time there! Was sorry to see it close, just another black eye from the Eisner era..

[@SunnyS0lac3]

Actually, I myself had an experience like they mention at 7:22 !!! When I was younger, I had ridden tea cups with Alice and The White Rabbit, and we have photos from it!

[@Rachel-xu4br]

Just came back from Fort Wilderness. It's sad to go to the beach area where the dock is to take the boats and just seeing off to the side a "go away green" fence and beyond that all just nothing. It's all grass now and what little trees are left that were not knocked down. It's just off putting since it wasn't just River Country, but a set of bathrooms, Mickey's BBQ, and the Circle D Ranch (which they moved). So it was a lot they took out for this new project that never came. So it's sad to see not just the water park, those other attractions, but all the nature that was all around it. I'd be less off putting if they just planted a bunch of big trees instead of the "go away green" fence.

[@hawaiicampers1]

Thank you so much for this! I always remembered going over the lake on the cable ride but I had no idea it was not typhoon lagoon. I went to typhoon lagoon and just thought they had changed it all🤣. I’m glad to know that I’m not crazy and I really do have those memories! It was such a cool place

[@ambersans3527]

Love this video man. I love learning more about Disney and river country. ❤❤❤

[@Solo13508]

My Dad told me about this place but he didn't remember many details. Thanks for the education, I've been curious for awhile!

[@randykoger4646]

Was there in 1980. The pools and the RC experience was awesome. I always miss it.

[@yolo_burrito]

I remember going to River Country in the very early 90s with my parents. I was probably 6 or 7 at the oldest I also remember going to 6 Flags Atlantis in Ft Lauderdale too.

[@loserface516]

Sculpted characters going completely underwater is WILD

[@Megalania1]

Surely there must have been a risk with that

[@loserface516]

@@Megalania1 There must have been! I can only imagine...

[@artsyscrub3226]

@@Megalania1 The risk of my peaceful swimming dreams that's for sure

[@cattoloafs85]

As someone who has tried to swim inside a mask, I can confirm it’s very dangerous and I have no idea how they did that safely

[@gabbyfarr3904]

Hey, thanks for making this video! I haven't seen your channel before, but did because of this video. I like your content so have subscribed - keep up the awesome work!!

[@emigohome]

We tried to visit River Country in October 2001 only to be turned around by someone at the gate telling us that it was closed. The parks as a whole were pretty quiet, given we flew out at a very, very quiet airport a mere month after 9/11 on October 11th, so they likely figured it wasn't worth the cost to stay open so late in the season with lower tourism.

[@CorpsiTV]

I went on a ride with goofy at toon town back around 2003. I vividly remember because he was sitting in the front of the ride. That’s the one and only time I’ve ever seen a character ride a ride in person

[@randyjax09]

Out of all the great childhood memories I had at Walt Disney World, River Country was by far my favorite. Such a shame it’s not around anymore.

[@ellie9457]

My algorithm doing the lords work 💜 cracking channel 😊

[@Cre80s]

We stayed in Fort Wilderness in 1980, and it was a fantastic era, the 80s was WDW's peak, imo. We went to the water park on a single occassion, and I mostly enjoyed it. I was 12 years old at the time and I was a puny swimmer, so the deep stuff didn't turn my crank. It was fun, but tbh it wasn't "Disney special". It was like loads of other water parks that are a lot cheaper, and not hogging up premium Disney vacation time. The most outstanding memory I had was going down the wider rapids thing seated in the inner tube, and it would not be too strong to say I hated that part, because the irregular surface intended to stir up water turbulance struck my ass over and over going down, and I'm telling you, it hurt like hell, and my tailbone ached the remainder of the vacation (something I wouldn't let on to my "you sound like you're not appreciating this" type parents). Anyway, I can imagine it's "quite nice but not being particularly special" aspects is what shut it down, especially while it was surely far more expensive than average to upkeep. Despite the nostalgia, if it still existed, I would have zero interest in returning to it.

[@MissMyMusicAddiction]

4:50 I think the "barrier" was actually a weir dam. Bay Lake water was pumped in, filtered, then put in Bay Cove, which would then continuously overflow into Bay Lake. Guests would not notice the barrier, unless they were on the Cypress Cove walkway.

[@TheADHDTravelLife]

Can confirm goofy in the park - I have a memory of my father splashing him as he pushed our raft down one of the slides.

[@Jay-wk9xj]

As someone who went there many times as a child, it blew away any water park I've been to since...the atmosphere was incredibly authentic to an old timey huck finn watering hole... so much fun other than the cold the lake water jn February (yes it was open in the winter months!)

[@ayanoaishi8489]

Honestly, I think it’s so fascinating that Disney is so huge as a business and ahas so much land that they can abandon whole ass water parks

[@brainrotbrands]

I rarely comment on KZbin videos, but I absolutely love your topics and editing style, and I can't believe you aren't better known! Can't wait for your next upload!

[@gr33ngirlsea]

Darn, I'm sad it closed. It looked like a fun, digestible size water park. Sometimes, theme parks get too overwhelming and this looked just right.

[@PreciousPayne-g6o]

Too bad

[@DaveTexas]

My only childhood trip to WDW was in late November 1976. River Country was brand new and I wanted to go there so badly. I was very disappointed that it wasn’t open…even though it was really cold the days we were there. I didn’t make it back to WDW until January 2001, when River Country was closed again. I became an annual passholder in December 2002, but River Country was closed for good then… 😔

[@MissKathyG]

Never been to Disney (hope to at some day… maybe next year) but I love videos about Disney pass Disney attractions and history. Love it

[@pamelaharnage]

In 1994 back when Walt Disney World in Orlando, had grad night. I rode the mine train with Goofy. He was the best ride partner I ever had.

[@ryandefranco7740]

You ever wonder if Disney keeps the remains of River County around just to create lore?

[@sheryllong8963]

I just subscribed to your channel. I never knew about river country. I honestly wish that Disney would do something with it besides just sitting there. Your video caught my eye and I was very intrigued.

[@dezee7944]

I dont particularly like disney, have never been to a disney park, not even sure why i watch these videos but shits fire keep it up

[@alexandersims1613]

River country was our favorite water park growing up. Super chill, no one went, it was a trek to get to and I love fort wilderness. Was very early WDW

[@HERETICSCAR]

I think you should do a video about montazumas revenge at knotts berry farm and what happened to it I think it would be a cool video or even on the ride boomerang

[@stpworld]

someone on youtube has footage of river country from when they went in the 1980s they rented a vhs camera and uploaded it.

[@MaxEverywhereSystem]

ive always been really interested in how national tragedy tends effects media, so i think its really interesting how disneys reluctance to do anything with river country meant it experienced two deaths as a result of 9/11 and covid, both being literal decades apart from each other.

[@charlottestreet3301]

Also didn't a young boy die at River country because of a brain eating amoeba.

[@tiffprendergast]

@@charlottestreet3301yes

[@tiffprendergast]

It was not covid

[@robsantilli7207]

so sad. I went with my family in the 90s several times. this is so nostalgic.

[@youngn813]

Life-long Florida resident here. We never had much growing up but every couple of years my mom and my aunts would throw in on a campground at Fort Wilderness for my siblings, cousins, and I to get a decent vacation. We'd just pop up as many tents as theyd allow and pile in. I was born in 1995 so only had a couple of visits but do remember River County. I remember Goofy going down the slide. I thought i made it up as i got older because, obviously, it shut down. I asked my mom about it some years down the line and she confirmed it was real. Then when I was around 16, my sister became a CM for DRC. That scored us 15-20 free visits per year and discounts on hotels, Fort Wilderness included. We went back to Fort Wilderness a lot, getting cabins from that point forward. The old tavern was at least still there at that time. I'm not sure if it's still open. But peaking behind the go away green fence, honestly, was a bit heartbreaking. All those childhood memories I thought I'd dreamed of were crushed before my eyes. I will say though, it did intrigue me to go back there. On one trip (in later years) we took our golf cart rental back there and my cousin and i peaked over the fence and talked about climbing over. Lets just say we were a bit sauced up and later fell off the back of our Golf cart 😂😂 Really glad we didnt for a few reasons. 1) I love Disney and dont wish to be banned. 2) Snakes 3) Gators. I DEFINITELY have a strong memory of my siblings, cousins and I running from a gator on 1 trip. Yes they do teach us how to run from gators in school in Florida. No it doesn't work the way they teach you. My cousin ended up covered in yellow jackets somehow 😅 Loved your video. Brought back good (and some slightly bad) memories.

[@youngn813]

Talking to my mom today. She reminded me that we also used to swim in the water off the beachy area next to river country at Fort Wilderness. They also used to have little boats you could rent. Kinda scary looking back knowing about the gator infestation and the bacteria in the water. My brother and my cousin also swam over to discovery island during this time though I'm not sure if it was abandoned yet or not.

[@MattyMcDoodle]

This place was wicked. Went there as a kid and loved it!

[@donnanash5057]

I love fort wilderness!! Love the most of the resorts and all of the parks as well!!

[@elmhaven]

Best days spent in Disney were spent in River County. I still can't believe they left it to rot!

[@scottdepotter8262]

I remember going as a child in the late 70's

[@njt002]

When I was a kid, River Country and Wet N Wild were the only two water parks available I think. Got to visit both happily.

[@hillelhalevi]

I went to River Country with my family as a kid. It was a blast!

[@robinellsworth]

So many parts of this video cracked me up, but “get out of the way Bob” and “THEN DISNEY CEO” take the top spots

[@theforcer1762]

The old fashioned waterhole is a perfect space for a 20 foot gator...

[@twoblacklabs904]

Hey forcer, the story I could tell you would make your toes curl. I was a RC lifeguard from 1985 to 1988. We were instructed to suspend park opening one rainy morning until “Critter Control” could get to us and remove a 14 foot alligator from Bay Cove that was spotted floating on the surface by me, the opening shift pool chemist, and the opening ticketing cashier. The gator kept going into deeper water, towards the bottom of one of the “Whoop & Holler” slide exits. The Gator Wranglers used an aluminum boat to haul it in, and just like in the nature videos, it did the “death roll” to become ensnared in their netting. The biggest guy in the group actually duct-taped his jaw shut, but it took all four of these guys to carry it to the back of their “paddy wagon,” where it was driven away, presumably relocated elsewhere in the Gator-infested Bay Lake. It was a scene I’ll NEVER, ever forget…and always made me more suspiciously paranoid of that dark water…

[@stephenbanks5860]

​​@@twoblacklabs904Wow, that's quite a story! Scary.

[@artsyscrub3226]

@@twoblacklabs904 If you're in florida, it's a decent sized water area, and you can't see it? There's a 99% chance there's a gator in ther, if its not a gator it's a snake

[@IndiaHamilton445]

I have exactly 2 memories of River Country (I was probably 6 years old): all of the dock poles in the “river” pool were slimy as hell and goofy tapping me on the shoulder at the top of the drop off slide and motioning to ask if he could cut in front of me (of course I said yes) 😂 absolutely wild

[@shriderrad4123]

Babe wake up George Browning just uploaded!

[@emilyofjane]

I’ll never understand why they abandoned everything and let it fall into ruin instead of just dismantling it when it first closed, especially since you could easily trespass into it from Fort Wilderness Campground for the longest time. Heck, I almost did this accidentally while looking for the walking trail in 2014.

[@caligula9292]

Great vid!

[@anna78190]

When I was four at Disneyland in California, I went on the Autopia ride with Goof! My mom took so many pictures lol. This was roughly around 2004 though so i'm not sure if they still let them do that.

[@youngn813]

They probably don't do this anymore cuz people don't control their kids anymore. Just wild.

[@Jenna-q6w]

I remember River country very well. It was a BLAST

[@jackmyers2649]

If you've been at the park when it was open, you are a true Disney OG

[@DisTails]

I did indeed go down a water slide with Goofy, also had a water fight in the splash zone…. And then 3 years later ended up going on the Winnie the Pooh ride with Tigger. It was awesome!

[@mikejones-zi5et]

Oh man i was here when i was a little kid ive seen a ton of pictures but dont remember too much as i was like 4

[@adamtarasievich1221]

Going down the slide in a full costume must have been a nightmare

[@sarahthomson878]

I remember going to this park just once. I took part in a hula hoop competition and got pretty far in it, but didn't end up winning. Personally, I much preferred Typhoon Lagoon!

[@theotherjared9824]

River country could come back if it was made free and advertised primarily towards fort wilderness guests. That would certainly drive up attendance towards the water park and incentivize staying at any of the fort wilderness lodging options as an upgraded version of the pools at the other hotels.

[@beep6202]

You mentioned that only one theme park at Disney has closed. Not true, there’s a second one! Discovery Island closed too.

[@GeorgesSpace]

Read the description ;) It definitely gets a bit blurry about what does and doesn't count as a theme park, so it's totally fine to consider Discovery Island as a closed park, but I've never really considered it a fully fledged park in its own right.

[@hotshot104]

I thought I freaking made this place up in a dream as a kid

[@youngn813]

Yoooo same 😂

[@SarahDeStefano-y7f]

it always felt like a fever dream but i finally found the pictures my family took of the time i got to ride the barnstormer with Max

[@Bluekinky81]

I'm glad that I was able to experience RC in the 90s wish they would have refused the park. There are enough resort and overpriced parks not affordable to locals 😢 RC was fun and could have been kept affordable.

[@opabl]

I played Goofy @ WDW on 2004/2005 and as the character I once opened up the barnstormer, hopping into the first cart with a random kid that was handed over. I had to hold my head, similar to the scene in this vid where goofy jumps into the water. Let me know if you have any questions 😆

[@samuelrod8784]

How does Goofy go down a water slide without loosing his costume

[@opabl]

@@samuelrod8784 i dunno, that's crazy for sure

[@sisterscope]

Isn’t weird how Disney has had plenty of these parks amusement or water, past or present, and they’re all just abandoned? With the high value that Disney is at you’d think they would demolish the properties but instead they just keep them up to rot instead of refurbishing , I wonder why

[@TeganCantEven]

That “vacation kingdom” idea really stuck around through the mid 90s; even at that point all of those recreation options were available and highly promoted. It was a great time to be a kid. 😊

[@MISTERKOOLGUY193]

18:22 damn i never knew that Slippery Slide Falls was that big

[@Xantexhunter]

I went to River country with my parents and younger sister in 2000. I was 11. I remember seeing Goofy walking around the park and taking pictures with guests, I waited in line to get his autograph for my little autograph book. But I never saw him in the water.

[@MsDisneylandlover]

This was good 😊

[@jeremyenglish114]

My family visited Disney for the first time in May 2001 and we had the choice of the Waterparks. I was literally the only one that wanted to go to River Country but was outnumbered, so we went to Blizzard Beach instead. I'm now 34 y/o and never got my chance yo go to River Country ☹️

[@markoutwithmark]

With all the gators down there it'd be a cold day in hell before I hit a water park.

[@dr.archaeopteryx5512]

It's pretty funny how Goofy just feels like this waterparks own Slenderman-esque figure sometimes

[@systemler44]

Really interested video thanks

[@MissMyMusicAddiction]

1:20 you forgot to mention The Villas, aka what DVC could have been... Ya know what? The Villas and The Village need their own video.

[@jamesknight3070]

I would suspect that a full maintenance survey was conducted at River Country, costs calculated, a Cost:Benefit analysis performed, and the annual income vs outlay for maintenance (likely an overhaul/ refit) just wasn't worth it. Hence the comment regarding demand, if a million people had complained, then maybe.

[@sidetaunts]

on characters not riding rides: I actually rode magic carpets with jasmine once as a kid! it was completely unexpected, and I got lucky since I was alone up front with my dad and sister in the back. we got little certificates that said that we rode with her but unfortunately they're lost now :( Also, the trip we went on last month we saw Anastasia and Drizella riding the carousel which they seem to do frequently in the mornings from what my mom told me

[@austinrichard8046]

It's nice they repurposed the wooden water tower