Disney's River Country

River Country was a water park located at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It opened on June 20, 1976 and last operated in November 2001. On January 20, 2005, The Walt Disney Company announced that River Country would remain closed permanently.

Positioned on the shore of Bay Lake near Discovery Island, River Country was part of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground and matched this area in its rustic wilderness theming, replete with rocks and manmade boulders (created by the same man who created Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom). It was described as an "old-fashioned watering hole".

It was much smaller than Disney's other two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (the latter was roughly four times the size of River Country). Its entrance fee was correspondingly lower. (Before closing, the price was $15.95 (plus tax) for adults and $12.50 for children from aged 3 to 9, free for children up to age 3. Fort Wilderness Resort guests were given a discount.) It was also far less busy than the other two water parks.

Attractions at the park included:

• Whoop 'n' Holler Hollow, two water slides (260ft and 160ft long) that emptied into Bay Cove, a half-acre sand-bottom lake which itself featured a tire swing, a boom swing, a rope climb, and a T-bar drop.
• Slippery Slide Falls, two water slides that emptied into Upstream Plunge, a 330,000-gallon clear-water pool.
• White Water Rapids, a 330-foot-long inner tube river.
• Cypress Point Nature Trail, a trail among trees beside Bay Lake.

Several possible reasons for the park's closing have been suggested by fans. One is that there wasn't a need for this park due to the other two larger water parks on Disney property (which had more slides) and increased competition from other water parks in the area. Another is that bacteria from Bay Lake was reportedly contaminating River Country's water. Yet another is that this water park's lake was unheated, and was very cold outside the summer months.