Have you ever gone to River Country?

[dulcemariamar]

It was the first water park for WDW but it closed in 2001. They didn't tear it down which I find strange. Buzzfeed posted an article about it with pics of what the park looks like now.

www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/parque-cuqui

[dulcemariamar]

Abandoned theme parks are so creepy. And with it being Disney, why didnt they replace it with something else.

[ribollita]

I went down a River Country rabbit hole last year and found the whole thing very interesting. It seems the main hypothesis is they closed it due to the freshwater brain eating amoeba found in the area. The second hypothesis had something to do with a new resort being developed in a Wild West theme that didn't end up occurring due to a recession, IIRC. I never went but it looks like it was a fairly unique thing to be integrated into the "natural" environment.

[gaudi]

We went when I was in 6th grade. It was neat for something different because we had a Wet n' Wild water park at home and had season passes so we we accustomed to the new style water parks. I fell down the rabbit hole last year and went back and pulled our family photos from the trip and it was crazy to see what it used to be and what it is now.

[ilikedonuts]

Mar 24, 2016 9:38:42 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Abandoned theme parks are so creepy. And with it being Disney, why didnt they replace it with something else.

Yes they are super creepy! I drive by one multiple times a week and actually just drove by it a couple minutes ago. All the wooden coasters but 1 are still up. All overgrown and broken. You can still see a lot of the buildings too from the road.

[bexporter]

I loved seeing all the pictures of the closed/overgrown park. I was never there when it was open, but I think my H said he was there one.

[swarley]

Mar 24, 2016 9:38:42 GMT -5 dulcemariamar said:

Abandoned theme parks are so creepy. And with it being Disney, why didnt they replace it with something else.

This isn't Disney but Jazzland in New Orleans. It's SO creepy and even creepier knowing it was Katrina that destroyed it.

www.lovethesepics.com/2011/05/creepy-crusty-crumbling-illegal-tour-of-abandoned-six-flags-new-orleans-75-pics/

[tinkerbell]

There's a huge thread (or there used to be) over on Disboards about this.

[huskymom]

I loved it! I wish they'd restore it.

[Mrs. ChanandlerBong]

Yes, we went when I was five. We have a photo of my dad going off thise slides tvat stopped 6 ft above the pools. I don't really remember much about it other than our photos. We stayed at Fort Wilderness that trip. I belive at one point they were connected?

The amoeba theory is a popular one. But I read something on Facebook (wish I had the link) that once Bluzzard Beach and the other water park were opened, popularity for rc dropped and people didn't want to pay high prices for a clearly substandard water park. It was no where bear as cool or thrilling as the other two. I'm not sure why they didn't tear it down, unless the property can't really be developed.

Or are they using part of it for the bungalows for Wilderness Lodge?

[curbsideprophet]

Thinking about Geauga Lake just makes me sad. It was not the park of my childhood but my mom lives near it now so I had been there numerous times. I remember seeing X-flight being take away in pieces.

This is an interesting article on the subject for anyone who want more details
www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140824/28153/lost-geauga-lake-how-worlds-largest-six-flags-disappeared

[lala]

Mar 25, 2016 23:06:36 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Thinking about Geauga Lake just makes me sad. It was not the park of my childhood but my mom lives near it now so I had been there numerous times. I remember seeing X-flight being take away in pieces.

This is an interesting article on the subject for anyone who want more details
www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140824/28153/lost-geauga-lake-how-worlds-largest-six-flags-disappeared

Wow, that was fascinating & heartbreaking. I'd never heard of it before, but cedar point I know the name.

[bronxgirl]

Mar 25, 2016 23:06:36 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Thinking about Geauga Lake just makes me sad. It was not the park of my childhood but my mom lives near it now so I had been there numerous times. I remember seeing X-flight being take away in pieces.

This is an interesting article on the subject for anyone who want more details
www.themeparktourist.com/features/20140824/28153/lost-geauga-lake-how-worlds-largest-six-flags-disappeared

I also get sad thinking about Geauga Lake. I loved going there as a kid and as an adult I had a season pass one year. It was really fun and a great park. It's really sad how it all fell apart.