It all boiled down to dollars and cents (if not sense). River Country was closed when the travel industry took a big hit from the effects of 9/11 -- it was closed for all of 2002 and 2003. I just got back last week from a stay at Fort Wilderness cabins, and it doesn't look like anything has been done to it in quite a while. (River Country is between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness). Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach were both more popular, and more up to date, so the decision was made that River Country would be the one to close.awallaceunc wrote:River Country seems to have ceased to exist. With as much as I do know about WDW, you'd think that I would know what happened to it, but I'm embarassed to say that I don't. Would anyone else like to fill us in? I've been meaning to ask about it all week.
-Aaron
It is the last remaining Disney property to still remain closed after 9/11 -- if you remember Disney actually closed entire hotels like Port Orleans French Quarter because of the loss of revenue and booking. (You could make an argument that the TreeHouse Villas should be included, but with the demise of the Disney Institute, I didn't count them).
Part of it is also the design of the park. River Country lacks the "excitement" factor of the other two water parks -- no huge slides or wave pools. Disney evidently feels that its water park guests want more thrills.
Aaron -- I notice you mention the Disney Institute -- they have torn down the institute and built Saratoga Springs resort in its place.