I've been updating pretty much non-stop about fun, cheerful, Christmas-y things that have been going on in Disneyworld. Today, though, I'm going to take a break from that to talk about something that I actually find pretty depressing.
Someone has apparently broken into the old, defunct River Country waterpark and returned with a large amount of photos. Although it isn't entirely clear how they got in, I'm going to assume that this was more or less illegal, since I'm sure Disney wouldn't have wanted these photos to hit the web. It only makes them look bad. Really, really bad.
For years rumors had been floating around that the waterpark would be reopened as an exclusive extra for guests of the Fort Wilderness Resort, or was at least available for rent by private parties. Neither seems the case here, as River Country has fallen into complete and total disrepair. It would take a lot of money to bring it back to something worth presenting to the public - and besides, if Disney had any plans for the waterpark, just a minimal amount of maintenance would have helped save it from what it's become now.
Trying to get a peek into the current River Country has always been fascinating for me. I never had the chance to visit the waterpark, as it closed not long after my first trip to Disneyworld. Like many others, when I was at the Fort Wilderness Resort, back by what is now the Mickey's Backyard BBQ area (this was actually once a part of River Country), I tried to look through the gaps in the temporary walls set up to block off view of the old waterpark. Now that I've seen everything, I'm not sure I wanted to in the first place.
It's just very, very sad to see what you could call a "classic" piece of Disney history fall into ruin like this. River Country was based off an idyllic version of the American South taken from sources like Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Like Tom Sawyer's Island (which thankfully is still up and running), these types of attraction have largely been overwhelmed by those that promote a movie or franchise. It's always sad when an old attraction is closed down, but at least if it's shut down and then torn down, or replaced, it retains its dignity in one's memory. Disney's River Country looks like it was just abandoned one day, or hit by a nuclear attack, or something ... it's been completely neglected and forgotten about. Very surprising, considering the care with which Disney manages its properties. It's amazing how much nature can take back in just nine years.
Especially sad is the inside of an employees-only "shack" in the middle of the park. Outside, a deflated yellow tube used in the water slides sits on the ground next to an old banner that, ironically, encourages guests to recycle. Inside, the building is full of trash. An old employee recognition plague sits on top of it. Why was this stuff never cleaned up?
Pretty depressing overall, if intriguing. You can view all of the pictures (there are many) here. Thanks, Disney blog.
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