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From: Rex Mumea on 30 Mar 2007 17:30
So, let's make a list of favorite closed, remodeled or renamed
attractions...

The Empress Lilly was great, live jazz. One of my big memories of my
Grandfather is me drinking juice and him with a draft beer while listening
to the band at lunch time.

Discovery Island (the original in the middle of the lake). For as hot as it
would be at the beginning of August, the shade and cool breeze of the lake,
it was a great afternoon diversion in the late 70's, early 80's. Now it is
so grown over, the white sand beaches are gone.

The Ole Swimming Hole (River Country). As a kid, spending the day was a
huge deal. My most vivid memory is also a sad one. While we were there, a
girl drowned after riding the big water slide, something to do with her
heart. There were life guards running around all over, but we had no idea
it was that serious till we got home days later, and read about it in the
paper.

The big boom and the rope swing were a blast, no way any water park could
get insurance for something like that today. Actually, does anyone know if
they closed river country because of the bigger newer water parks coming
online, or was it an issue with water quality? Or and insurance issue of
people swimming in an open body of water and the cost of life guards?


From: kidagain on 30 Mar 2007 17:56
On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:30:23 -0400, "Rex Mumea" <rmumea(a)cinci.rr.com>
wrote:


> Actually, does anyone know if they closed river country because of the bigger newer water parks coming
>online, or was it an issue with water quality? Or and insurance issue of
>people swimming in an open body of water and the cost of life guards?
>

I asked the same question of a CM while on a tour. For what it's worth
he said that it had just gotten old and with the new places was not
needed. Of course I don't know how candid he would have been if there
were other reasons.
Bill
From: Glenn Holliday on 30 Mar 2007 17:59
Rex Mumea wrote:
> Actually, does anyone know if
> they closed river country because of the bigger newer water parks coming
> online, or was it an issue with water quality? Or and insurance issue of
> people swimming in an open body of water and the cost of life guards?

Folks on this newsgroup have offered all those explanations,
plus its age, the expense of the water system because it was
partly connected to open water, its popularity, and desire
to shift budget to other priorities.

I miss it, too.

--
Glenn Holliday holliday(a)acm.org
From: ljc on 30 Mar 2007 19:10
> Folks on this newsgroup have offered all those explanations,
> plus its age, the expense of the water system because it was
> partly connected to open water, its popularity, and desire
> to shift budget to other priorities.

.... and there are parasites in Florida lakes that can get into your
body if your head goes underwater.... that could be a reason for
closure.
For a LONG time, the parasite problem was known, but Disney still
allowed people to swim on the "beaches" at the resorts.... then they
put up tiny signs that said, "no swimming". I am not sure if they
ever put WHY there was to be no swimming... around that same time,
River Country closed.

I had heard (several years ago now) from a CM that there were plans to
open it again for the "main pool" the campground... not sure what they
planned to do about the parasite problem... but of course, that has
not yet (ever?) come to be.

From: LouAnneA on 31 Mar 2007 10:18
Horizons <sigh>--I think about it every time I cut open an orange.


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