Stunning images of Disney's decaying River Country water park released

Photographs have been posted to an internet forum showing the decaying state of Walt Disney World's River Country water park, which closed in 2001.

The images were posted by "Tri-circle-D", a user on the popular DISBoard.com forums, and can be found here. They show the park largely intact, having seemingly never been dismantled, but gradually being reclaimed by the Florida swamps.

Disney appears to have left the the water park almost untouched, with slides, theming and buildings all still standing. However, once-clear swimming pools have now become homes for wildlife - resulting in the bizarre images of slides which now end in green, murky water. All three of River Country's major attractions - Whoop 'n' Holler Hollow, Slippery Slide Falls and White Water Rapids can be seen the photographs.

River Country was Disney's first water park, having opened in June, 1976. It was located close to Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, and used filtered water from Bay Lake. Located nearby was Discovery Island, a wildlife attraction which closed a year after the opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom in 1998.

Although it remained open for 25 years, River Country's days were numbered after Disney opened Typhoon Lagoon in 1989 and Blizzard Beach in 1995. This left River Country as by far the smallest and least popular of Disney's three water parks, and after its closure Disney confirmed in 2005 that it would never reopen. The latest images would appear to confirm that River Country is now gone for good.