Disney's River Country, Water park in Bay Lake, Florida
Disney's River Country was a water park along the shore of Bay Lake in Florida. The site featured water slides, swimming pools, and a sandy beach area designed to resemble a rural bathing spot.
It opened in 1976 as Walt Disney World's first water park. Larger competitors like Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach drew guests away during the 1980s and 1990s, leading to its closure in 2001.
The name draws from American swimming holes of the 19th century. Guests could relax in spaces with sandy ground and large boulders, designed to feel like a natural riverside retreat.
The site was mostly demolished in 2019 and is no longer accessible to visitors. Disney plans to build a new hotel there, the Disney Lakeshore Lodge, expected to open in 2027.
After it closed, the site stood abandoned for over a decade and was secretly visited by curious explorers. Lights would sometimes turn on automatically at night, even with nobody working there.
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