Once A Jewel In Disney Land’s Crown, This Water Park Is Now Haunted And Left To Rot

By Mark McConville

EERIE images have revealed the abandoned remains of Disney’s cursed Water Park where two children died with a $375K settlement paid by Disney to the family.

The haunting pictures show what’s left of River Country which was the first water park to open at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Described as an ‘old-fashioned swimming hole’ with ‘a twist of Huckleberry Finn’, the murky lake now lies still, plants have grown over some of the attractions and buildings have begun to crumble.

The spooky shots were taken by an urban explorer known as Abandoned Southeast who explained the park’s tragic past.

“On August 22, 1980, an 11-year old boy died after he contracted a rare disease caused by amoeba while swimming on vacation in Disney’s River Country,” he said.

“The deadly amoeba is found in Florida fresh-water lakes and can enter through the nose, attacking the nervous system and brain.

“Two years later, a 14-year old boy drowned after plunging into Bay Cove from the drop at the end of the Whoop ‘n Holler slide. Although a sign was posted – Rapid Water Strong Swimmer’s Only – an attorney for the family argued there were no warnings on how deep the water was.

“During the trial, a Disney lifeguard stated some days up to 75 people would need assistance after plunging into the lagoon from the slide. The family was eventually awarded a $375,000 settlement.”

The park was located near Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. It opened on June 20, 1976 and closed in November 2001. The Walt Disney Company announced River Country would remain permanently closed on January 20, 2005.

River Country’s largest attraction, Bay Cove, featured a sandy bottom and unique water filtration system that used confluent water from adjacent Bay Lake, which was dammed off creating a man-made natural looking lagoon.

“The park’s water was kept at a higher level than the lake, which was an effort to keep out unfiltered lake water,” added Abandoned Southeast.

“Water from Bay Lake was pumped along the lake bottom to a pump system inside a massive artificial mountain.

“From there, the water was forced down the water slides at over 2,000 gallons per minute, back into the lagoon. This was done to constantly replenish the water supply in the park as well as sweep guests down the slides.”

In June 1976, River Country’s grand opening attracted more than 700 reporters and their families. In its first year, River Country averaged 4,700 guests per day.

After announcing 2005 that the park would never reopen, Disney left it abandoned instead of demolishing it.

In March 2018, Disney filed permits for a new development labelled “Project 89”. It is rumoured that “Project 89” will be another themed resort and it is estimate to open in 2021, for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary.

For more information see www.abandonedsoutheast.com