River Country

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Mar Thu 26, 2009 1:38 am

SimonTemplar wrote:and the old rotted Discovery Island docks fall into the same category. I can't imagine Walt ever allowing a closed attraction to simply fall into disrepair and rot away.

I was always a little surprised they didn't just tear out those docks (at least, the major ones) when they closed the island. From what I've read - and it's based on hearsay - DI is home to many, many alligators now. I can't imagine there are CMs going over there on a regular basis for anything.

Walt was the one who nixed the original plans for the Haunted Mansion to look decrepit. "Nothing is going to look run down in my park" (paraphrased), even when it would make sense. Doesn't really hold up nowadays. I don't think he would have been excited by the design of Africa in AK, either. At least that only looks run down, as opposed to actually being run down like DI & RC.

Mr.ToadWildRider · Post by **Mr.ToadWildRider** » Mar Fri 27, 2009 7:49 am

I agree that it's one thing to conclude something is going to be too difficult to maintain to keep it open but another to let something just rot. If you close something, demo it and clear it out. I guess WoL I can get as it's not something that will rot (just clean the dang thing until it [someday?] has new permanent tenants) but wooden docks sitting in lake water? You KNOW that's not going to last....

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Fri 03, 2009 2:31 am

I can forgive them for leaving all the fake rocks and stuff in River Country because of the labor involved to remove them (well, I mean, I can't 'cause it shouldn't just be there rotting, but in this specific context I can). But taking out the visible parts of the rotting docks doesn't seem like it'd be all that time/labor intensive. Every time I've been on a boat in Bay Lake someone's asked the captain what "that island" is. It's not like people magically don't look at it.

The WoL building they're actually making use of for significant portions of the year during Flower and Garden & Food and Wine, so I assume they're doing routine maintenance on the building already.

napastoy · Post by **napastoy** » Apr Tue 14, 2009 1:27 am

It boggles the mind. I have never understood the "Let's close it and let it sit" mentality, but it is rampant through Disney Parks. How long did the submarine area and passenger boat areas at Disneyland remain untouched? The longer they wait to demo something and clean it out the more money it cost because of all the neglect and rising costs through the years. So you really have to wonder what they actually "save" in the long run.

momeja · Post by **momeja** » Apr Tue 14, 2009 12:04 pm

Cheshire Cat wrote:I think they should have at least left the pool segment open as a WL and FW swimming pool. I loved the drop-off slides.

I have great memories of visiting RC when I was a kid. It seems like it would be so easy (relatively speaking) and such a great idea to fix it up and reopen it as the primary pool for the FW area - sort of a FW/WL version of the SAB. Of course, FW is not deluxe, so that's a disincentive to them.

So is the economy.

Of course, while we're at it, wish they'd clean up and reopen Discovery Island, too. How 70s of me.

DaRkNeSs · Post by **DaRkNeSs** » Apr Wed 15, 2009 3:47 pm

momeja wrote:I have great memories of visiting RC when I was a kid. It seems like it would be so easy (relatively speaking) and such a great idea to fix it up and reopen it as the primary pool.

I also was only at RC like 2 times I think, but man both times I loved it. The drop slides, all the obstacles to run threw, the rope swings, man alot of memories coming back to me. I would like to see discovery island come back or at least do something with the area. Dont just let it sit there and rot, thats just sad. Hopefully Disney will do something besides just leaving it to decay, also went there when I was a child and enjoyed DI as well!

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Thu 16, 2009 4:27 am

napastoy wrote:It boggles the mind. I have never understood the "Let's close it and let it sit" mentality, but it is rampant through Disney Parks. How long did the submarine area and passenger boat areas at Disneyland remain untouched? The longer they wait to demo something and clean it out the more money it cost because of all the neglect and rising costs through the years. So you really have to wonder what they actually "save" in the long run.

The 20k Leagues ride at WDW sat around for a long time too, before they filled it. I remember sneaking through the queue line to take some pictures of it several years after it closed. (It still looked okay, from what I recall. I mean, bleak and empty and depressing, but clean enough.)

I suppose bulldozing it and filling it in didn't require all that much clean up. The state I've seen RC in, though, I'm thinking they're just banking on the fact that no one really goes to look at it, so they can leave it however. I'm not convinced they really ever intend to develop that area again. There'll probably be remains of slides for future archaeologists to discover.

napastoy · Post by **napastoy** » Apr Thu 16, 2009 5:34 pm

I suppose bulldozing it and filling it in didn't require all that much clean up. The state I've seen RC in, though, I'm thinking they're just banking on the fact that no one really goes to look at it, so they can leave it however. I'm not convinced they really ever intend to develop that area again. There'll probably be remains of slides for future archaeologists to discover.

I agree. I think they actually believe "nobody will look." Maybe we should start an online petition or start posting pics people take of theses areas that Disney just plains neglects. Maybe calling unwanted attention to the areas so that people DO LOOK would cause them to re-think the "leave and neglect" method.

99Soulz · Post by **99Soulz** » Apr Fri 17, 2009 8:40 am

napastoy wrote:The longer they wait to demo something and clean it out the more money it cost because of all the neglect and rising costs through the years. So you really have to wonder what they actually "save" in the long run.

Well said.

Nothing takes more away from the WDW appeal than seeing such an eyesoar. How can they be so meticulous (well, not as good as before but compared to other places) about active properties/resorts, but be so the other way when it comes to this - it's bassackwards. If the money will eventually be spent anyway, and with inflation. Unless they never plan to reinvest in the closed areas so we can look forward to more wastelands in the future, great!

Post by **Len90** » Apr Fri 17, 2009 3:22 pm

I honestly don't see that ever getting developed again. Disney has not filled in the other side of Pop and that people can actually clearly see from their hotel rooms. To Disney, these things are hidden well enough that the average guest will pay no attention at all to these. If anything should be fixed up, the other side of Pop Century should either be finished up or knocked down. It's a huge eye sore and is enough to turn me away from staying there.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Fri 17, 2009 8:09 pm

napastoy wrote:I agree. I think they actually believe "nobody will look." Maybe we should start an online petition or start posting pics people take of theses areas that Disney just plains neglects. Maybe calling unwanted attention to the areas so that people DO LOOK would cause them to re-think the "leave and neglect" method.

I think it'd be cool to make an unofficial guide book pointing out stuff like that. Kind of an Anarchist's Cookbook of visiting the parks (though less likely to get you arrested

).

I bet there's a lot of 'points of interest' that are things Disney would prefer people didn't go looking for but you don't have to trespass to get a look at, River Country and Zombie Suites at Pop Century included.

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Apr Sat 18, 2009 11:24 am

DisBeamer wrote:
napastoy wrote:I agree. I think they actually believe "nobody will look." Maybe we should start an online petition or start posting pics people take of theses areas that Disney just plains neglects. Maybe calling unwanted attention to the areas so that people DO LOOK would cause them to re-think the "leave and neglect" method.
I think it'd be cool to make an unofficial guide book pointing out stuff like that. Kind of an Anarchist's Cookbook of visiting the parks (though less likely to get you arrested ).

I bet there's a lot of 'points of interest' that are things Disney would prefer people didn't go looking for but you don't have to trespass to get a look at, River Country and Zombie Suites at Pop Century included.

That would be great! I bet we could come up with all sorts of pictures of things Disney doesn't want us to think about. Maybe we could embarrass them into action. I know people on other boards, if we could do this throughout the Disney on-line community. You never know where it could end up!

PS I loved the Anarchist's Cookbook reference! ATTICA!! ATTICA!! Sorry it's the old 70's radical coming out!

napastoy · Post by **napastoy** » Apr Sat 18, 2009 6:22 pm

That would be great! I bet we could come up with all sorts of pictures of things Disney doesn't want us to think about. Maybe we could embarrass them into action. I know people on other boards, if we could do this throughout the Disney on-line community. You never know where it could end up!

PS I loved the Anarchist's Cookbook reference! ATTICA!! ATTICA!! Sorry it's the old 70's radical coming out!

I swear, I'm up for it...anybody really wants to get something going...even if it's starts as just a smaller group getting together to share ideas at first, I'm in and willing to work on it.

The Attica reference...priceless to us "time enhanced adults."

kellybus · Post by **kellybus** » Apr Sun 19, 2009 1:27 am

River country was the greatest!!! Enjoyed every minute of it!! Both of my younguns really liked the beach and I enjoyed the tube river rapids

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Apr Mon 20, 2009 12:30 pm

napastoy wrote:
That would be great! I bet we could come up with all sorts of pictures of things Disney doesn't want us to think about. Maybe we could embarrass them into action. I know people on other boards, if we could do this throughout the Disney on-line community. You never know where it could end up!

PS I loved the Anarchist's Cookbook reference! ATTICA!! ATTICA!! Sorry it's the old 70's radical coming out!
I swear, I'm up for it...anybody really wants to get something going...even if it's starts as just a smaller group getting together to share ideas at first, I'm in and willing to work on it.

The Attica reference...priceless to us "time enhanced adults."

That'd be an interesting project. Kind of like the tribute to old rides sites, but focusing on things you can still see vestiges of. The only thing is I'm not sure who'd be interested in it, except us old-timers who already know these things are there moldering. Though we could make a map for ourselves.

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