Time For River Country To Be Developed?

[TheRustyScupper]

they are going to build DVC in that area

1) Yes.
2) And, the added occupancy load could spoil the atmosphere and conviviality of The Fort !!!
3) Greed might be good, but not if it destroys The Fort experience !

 

[mickeyfan0805]

1) Yes.
2) And, the added occupancy load could spoil the atmosphere and conviviality of The Fort !!!
3) Greed might be good, but not if it destroys The Fort experience !

This is my big concern. We love DVC for many of the conveniences it offers, but we love the Fort for its sense of calm and isolation away from the craziness of it all. Two very different experiences. We enjoy them both, but would hate to see the Fort get 'sucked in' to the busyness of the rest of WDW.

 

[John VN]

IMO, access road would easily be an improved W. Wilderness Rd. No way would driving through FW be possible with the reduced speed limit and bicycles/golf carts/buses interfering with traffic flow.

 

[Winchester24]

If this is real the timing scares me. I am going back to FW for the first time since I was a kid (20 yrs ago!) for my honeymoon in October. I really don't want to look at construction, and I know it's unrealistic but I don't want it to change. Except the pool...they can improve on those, they were a little sad back in the day. I have mixed feelings about DVC.

 

[Teamubr]

I'm guessing this is less than 50/50 that it will happen anytime soon. The good news is, given the size of the Fort, the construction will likely have limited impact on the campground loops. Maybe some distant noise unless you are in 400 or 700 loops. I'm not sure how much you would see from HDDR or TE even.

Good news too. The pools have been redone in the last 20 years!

j

 

[Winchester24]

I'm guessing this is less than 50/50 that it will happen anytime soon. The good news is, given the size of the Fort, the construction will likely have limited impact on the campground loops. Maybe some distant noise unless you are in 400 or 700 loops. I'm not sure how much you would see from HDDR or TE even.

Good news too. The pools have been redone in the last 20 years!

j

Good to know! lol. I did some reading about RC, I can't believe I didn't go before it closed! We were there for 2 weeks in the 80's and late 90's and never checked it out. My mom had every second of our time planned out so I guess it shouldn't surprise me. After watching some videos I have to admit, I'm surprised it didn't close earlier, it didn't look like the safest water park. lol. Still, it looked really cool, and I haven't even heard of a fresh water water park before. Wish I could have gone before it closed.

 

[chartle]

Good to know! lol. I did some reading about RC, I can't believe I didn't go before it closed! We were there for 2 weeks in the 80's and late 90's and never checked it out. My mom had every second of our time planned out so I guess it shouldn't surprise me. After watching some videos I have to admit, I'm surprised it didn't close earlier, it didn't look like the safest water park. lol. Still, it looked really cool, and I haven't even heard of a fresh water water park before. Wish I could have gone before it closed.

Yes I went as a 15 year old teenager and then as a Father of a 7 and 8 year old. As a teenager it was soo neat as a father of 2 boys that knew how to swim it was a nightmare. For example the body slides dumped you into 6 foot of very murky "fresh" water. For all the slides and the lagoon it used lake water that was I guess sort of filtered. There was a bladder that kept the lagoon and the lake seperate.

As for the pool it had rocks around it where you could dive into the water. Yes at one time they let you dive into a pool.

 

[2goofycampers]

We went once, my new white swimsuit was no longer white.

 

[FtW Mike]

Yes I went as a 15 year old teenager and then as a Father of a 7 and 8 year old. As a teenager it was soo neat as a father of 2 boys that knew how to swim it was a nightmare. For example the body slides dumped you into 6 foot of very murky "fresh" water. For all the slides and the lagoon it used lake water that was I guess sort of filtered. There was a bladder that kept the lagoon and the lake seperate.

As for the pool it had rocks around it where you could dive into the water. Yes at one time they let you dive into a pool.

I remember those days as well. Thirty years ago before they closed it we made it a point to go at least once every trip. Typhoon Lagoon when it opened was nice but a bit of a letdown.

We went once, my new white swimsuit was no longer white.

I am very surprised that you chose white when you know what fish do in the lake that fed RC Hope it washed out.

 

[tiggerdad]

As someone who grew up in a family that made their living raising bait fish (swimming in ponds and mud all day) I probably would of been right at home.

 

[Teamubr]

Just saw this in News and Rumors.

News

Permits were filed for a temporary staging area in conjunction with Project 89. Project 89 is the River Country site exploratory permits filed a while back.

Here's a link to the latest conversation. Lots of speculation to the theme for the DVC that is coming.

New News Permits were filed for a temporary staging area in conjunction with Project 89. Project 89 is the River Country site exploratory permits filed a while back.

j

 

[bianca]

As both a DVC owner and a regular visitor at FW, I find this to be exciting news. We would definitely buy points at FW if it's a DVC.

 

[Teamubr]

I have several friends that own DVC. If I had bought in 10 years ago when they did, I think I would appreciate the value. I keep doing the math on today's points cost and I just can't make it work out. I have almost always brought the RV down and stayed at the Fort. My most recent trip was a stay in a Value at AP discount rates. I'm inherently cheap and prefer staying in my RV vs paying for a Mod or Deluxe room. I've looked at renting points. Staying at the Fort is at least 1/2 the cost of getting a 1BR DVC.

I've stayed at SSR (friends DVC 3BR), CBR (overnight when going to the Rolex 24) and OKW (post hurricane waiting for the Fort to reopen). The rooms and accommodations are nice, but not $500-700/night nice. Calculating the costs of maintenance on the points is much more than a week at the Fort and that doesn't include the up-front purchase costs.

My hope is they put in some additional restaurants that Fort campers can enjoy. TE is great, but it's nice to have close options.

j

 

[SteveH]

...I have almost always brought the RV down and stayed at the Fort.

I wish I lived close enough I'd take our Motorhome every time. I much prefer staying in it over any hotel out there. But at 6000 miles round trip that's not going to happen any time soon.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

I have several friends that own DVC. If I had bought in 10 years ago when they did, I think I would appreciate the value. I keep doing the math on today's points cost and I just can't make it work out.

We bought resale in 2008, so the value remains pretty good for us. That said, we bought, primarily, because we have 3 kids and, at that time, rooms for 5 people were limited and pricey. At today's DVC prices, and cash options for a family of 5, I don't know that I would pull the trigger on a purchase either. For now, the balance of points and Fort stays seems to be striking it right for us!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

If I had bought in 10 years ago when they did, I think I would appreciate the value

For the total price and point-per-price ten years ago, you probably would not have enough points to stay at new DVC's

 

[Teamubr]

And the saga continues.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories...tractors-for-former-river-country-area-hotel/

If this is correct, contractors have been selected. It even mentions possible room counts and the fraction to be DVC. The designer mentioned, WATG, designed the Grand Floridian.

This may be in build phase by the 2020 DIS Meet at the Fort.

j

 

[bama_ed]

The same story is on www.viraldisney.net.

Dammit.

Bama Ed

 

[yesdnil]

This may be in build phase by the 2020 DIS Meet at the Fort.

What is that?

 

[amcc]

The same story is on www.viraldisney.net.

Dammit.

Bama Ed

Size-wise, it sounds very much like the plans that were floating around a few months ago. The parking lot encroachment into the Fort is what gets to me - there is plenty of land to the other side plus it would make sense to share roads and parking areas with Wilderness Lodge. I wish Disney would build parking garages. I know they have plenty of land but surface parking is so wasteful and not green.