• Disney's River Country was the first water park at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. River Country, located along the shores of Bay Lake and near Disney's Fort Wilderness...
  • The park uses confluent water from adjacent Bay Lake, which ultimately gave River Country a more natural looking man-made lagoon.
  • 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.
  • Disney's River Country was the first water park to be built at Walt Disney World Resort. It was located at Bay Lake and behind Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.
  • We’re delving into the history of Disneys River Country, which served as the original water park at Walt Disney World.
  • River Country was demolished in April 2019 to make way for Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, their new new nature-inspired, mixed-use resort.
  • The Magic Kingdom had opened 5 years earlier, in 1971, and Disneys River Country was part of the early phase of growth at the resort.
  • On April 11, 2002, the Orlando Sentinel reported, “Walt Disney World’s first water park, River Country, has closed and may not reopen.”
  • It’s probably appropriate that any history of River Country begins with the journey of water. After all, the story of Walt Disney World’s earliest years really is the...