River Country, Disneys Water Park That Was Mysteriously Abandoned

Publish date: 2024-08-31

River Country mysteriously shut down in 2001 — and instead of demolishing the once beloved water park, Disney abandoned it, allowing it to rot in plain sight for nearly two decades.

Over 20 years ago, Disney World permanently closed the gates of one of its previously most popular theme parks: Disney’s River Country. Instead of demolishing the park, however, Disney abandoned it completely, allowing it to be reclaimed by nature — a rather odd choice for a park known for its immaculate appearance.

Over the years, many urban explorers have illegally entered Disney’s River Country in hopes of documenting the disrepair and perhaps understanding why the park closed in the first place.

Using a drone camera, photographer Seph Lawless captured exclusive, never-before-seen images of the abandoned park in 2016 — and they’re rather haunting.

Years ago, River Country would have been bustling with families who had traveled far and wide to visit the attraction. But after 2001, the park went to ruin.Seph Lawless The story starts in 1976, when Disney's River Country attraction opened its doors to the public. In so doing it became Walt Disney World Resort's first water park. Seph Lawless Abandoned River Country as seen from Bay Lake.Wikimedia Commons The shift from thriving park to neglected wasteland started in 2001, when Disney officials closed the park without prior warning. Seph Lawless The abandoned Slippery Slide Falls at Disney's River Country.Wikimedia Commons After the company decided to finally close the park in 2001, many speculated as to whether it would ever reopen. Seph Lawless Just four years later, Disney made an official announcement that the park would not reopen. Rather than work with a clean-up team to dispose of the rides, officials simply closed the gates and abandoned the park. Seph Lawless Ohio-based photographer Seph Lawless visited the abandoned park to learn about its history and see if it held any clues as to why a franchise as image-conscious as Disney would leave the park to decay over the years.Seph Lawless To get close to the site, Lawless hired a boat at Disney World and used a high tech drone camera to snap pictures of the abandoned theme park. Seph Lawless A weeping willow at the empty River Country water park.Seph Lawless Drone in tow, Lawless captured never-before-seen images of the remains of Disney's River Country. Seph Lawless According to Lawless, he doesn't intend to use his photos to shame Disney, but rather encourage them to do better. "The goal here isn't just to say that Disney is ruining the land," he said, according to the BBC. "The message is they built something, they benefited from it and then they just left it there to rot. They could have done something with that land that would have benefitted the environment and the existing wildlife." Seph Lawless Regardless of his intent, Disney officials didn't take too kindly to Lawless' project, and reportedly banned him from returning to Disney World after he released his photos. Seph Lawless The old ticket booth to get into Disney's River Country.Wikimedia Commons Lawless concluded that he simply got too close to something Disney didn't want him to see. As he told BBC Newsbeat, "When you're on Bay Lake you're almost chaperoned. They have several security people on boats that watch you. If you get too close to the island they push you away. They'll yell at you, they're constantly watching you."Seph Lawless When Lawless inquired as to why Disney had closed the park, he said staff equivocated. "They didn't even have a clear response," Lawless said. "One Disney employee said it's because the pollution from the nightly fireworks that they have and pollution from the fairs and boats. Others said that it's because of some kind of bacteria that caused a death in 1980."Seph Lawless Regarding the latter, Lawless is referring to a 1980 event wherein a rare amoeba entered the nose of an 11-year-old boy. The amoeba attacked the child's nervous system and eventually killed him. Seph Lawless An overgrown and abandoned shed at River Country.Wikimedia Commons Ten years later, Walt Disney World reportedly began prohibiting swimming in the lakes near River Country. They also issued an explicit statement telling visitors that the beaches were only for sunbathing. Seph Lawless While Disney suffered a bout of bad press, business didn't suffer much. In fact, at the time, public officials told the Associated Press that there was "no reason to blame Disney World for the tragedy," as amoebas of this type are common throughout U.S. lakes and happen to thrive in hot weather. Seph Lawless An overgrown portion of River Country along the water.Seph Lawless Disney never officially commented on why, exactly, River Country was abandoned.

Rumors spread that the amoeba found in the freshwater could have contributed to too many incidents, while others claimed, perhaps more sensibly, that the park's closure was due to a decline in popularity.

Seph Lawless On April 11, 2002, the Orlando Sentinel reported that River Country had closed and "may not reopen.”

At the time, Disney World spokesman Bill Warren said the park could reopen if "there's enough guest demand."

Evidently, there was not.

Seph Lawless Over the years, many of the buildings and attractions became dirty and overgrown, and even closed-off rooms such as this office were left in a dire state.Seph Lawless An abandoned wheel that exemplifies the rustic, old-timey theme of the park in its glory days.Seph Lawless The elements took their toll on the park's wooden infrastructure.Seph Lawless A series of weeping willows line the edges of the lake.Seph Lawless An isolated chair at the abandoned River Country.Seph Lawless An old kiosk still standing at River Country before it was ultimately torn down in 2019.Seph Lawless

29 Eerie Photos Of River Country, Disney World’s Mysteriously Abandoned Water Park View Gallery

A Pioneer In Water Park Design

When Disney's River Country opened its gates on June 20, 1976, it stood out from the other water parks of its time, partly thanks to its immersive themed design.

Built to resemble an old-fashioned swimming hole, the park was inspired by the works of Mark Twain — particularly Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and their depictions of the 19th-century American South.

One of the main selling points of River Country was the way in which it utilized one of Disney's natural assets: Bay Lake. The water park's filtration system drew water directly from the lake, creating a more natural swimming experience than the chlorinated pools typical of water parks.

At the time, this was a novel concept and helped to solidify River Country as not just a standout attraction for Disney, but a pioneer in the space.

Of course, it wouldn't have been nearly as remarkable if it didn't have the proper attractions.

Memorable Attractions And Rustic Charm

The naturalistic design of Disney's River Country spilled over into its rides and attractions. Notable among these were the "Whoop 'n' Holler Hollow" — two water slides that propelled guests into the park's lagoon — the "White Water Rapids," which was similar to a lazy river, and the "Bay Cove" area, a half-acre pool with a sandy bottom, tire swings, and a barrel bridge.

The park, like many other Walt Disney parks, sought to appeal to the widest possible audience, offering experiences for thrill-seekers and the more faint of heart alike.

Wikimedia CommonsSlides at Disney's River Country circa 1981.

Its appeal lingered for nearly two decades and even saw a slight resurgence in the 1990s thanks to the park's "All-American Water Party" events, featuring themed games, food, and live music. That said, in hindsight, these events seem like an attempt to lure people back to the park as guests flocked to newer, more enticing water parks.

Looking back, it's possible that when Disney opened Typhoon Lagoon in 1989 and Blizzard Beach in 1995, it marked the beginning of the end for River Country.

Amoebas In The Water At Disney's River Country

As Disney World continued to expand, River Country increasingly became a relic of the past. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach offered more thrilling modern attractions that sharply contrasted with River Country's more old-timey design.

Moreover, technological advances further illustrated how, frankly, outdated River Country was. Its once-innovative water-filtration system struggled to meet continually evolving health and safety expectations.

So, when River Country closed for its regular seasonal break in 2001, it never reopened. For four years, Disney declined to explain why — though rumors flew that it was due to a slew of tragedies that occurred there.

For example, Yesterdayland cites a 1980 Associated Press article which reported: "A rare but deadly disease caused by an amoeba found in Florida fresh-water lakes has claimed its fourth victim — a New York youngster who spent his vacation swimming at Walt Disney World's River Country."

Wikimedia CommonsGuests at River Country in 1977.

The article states that this 11-year-old boy died of "amoebic meningoencephalitis" — an infection that attacks the nervous system and brain — after visiting the park. The infection had reportedly killed three other people in Florida that season.

A state epidemiologist said the child died "after the amoeba entered his nose, went through the nasal passage, and attacked the nervous system, including the brain."

Disney officials at the time refused to take any responsibility for the deaths, saying they were "of course concerned" but did not "know of any action that could be taken" in response. Public health representatives determined that Disney was ultimately not responsible, as the amoeba could "breed in almost any freshwater lake during hot weather."

Still, the water park stayed open for 21 years after that report. In that time, two teenage boys drowned at the park, in 1982 and 1989.

Many have since suggested that it was these tragedies that led to River Country's demise. But given the timeline of events, it seems far more likely that other factors were the cause.

The Decay And Demolition Of River Country

Disney officially announced that River Country would remain permanently closed in 2005, but they did not announce any plans to revitalize the old park.

In fact, it sat vacant for years after, steadily becoming a haunting, overgrown relic of days gone by. It remained that way for more than a decade.

In August 2016, Disney officials finally acknowledged the park once again, if only to say that they would be draining the 330,000-gallon Upstream Plunge. They did not reveal any future plans for demolition of the park.

That moment would come two years later, in 2018, when Disney announced that it would be tearing down River Country at last. In its place, the company would begin construction on a new hotel: Reflections — A Disney Lakeside Lodge.

Plans for the hotel, however, were eventually scrapped as construction across all Disney resorts was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the River Country site has finally been leveled, park officials have since reportedly removed equipment from the construction area.

To date, Disney has not officially provided an update on the lodge, which was originally projected to open in 2022. The site continues to sit empty, bringing a rather anti-climactic end to what had once been the company's flagship water park.

If you enjoyed this article on Disney's River Country, why not check out these 35 creepy photos of abandoned malls? Then, explore the mysterious underground tunnels beneath Disney's Magic Kingdom.