They really should have gone for a rustic resort that matches the existing buildings around it. Maybe add a nod to River Country or something. I just hope something happens with that plot of land.

@0rangebicycles864

2 жыл бұрын

I want a LOST hotel lol... It would be perfect for a Dharma camp

@mrwodabe

2 жыл бұрын

get a Visa and go to South America somewhere. research. Stop complaining, spoiled, privileged.... Smh.

@Rampala

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I never understood why they didn't just expand the Fort Wilderness theming into more resort/campgrounds. They could've even reused parts of the original River Country for decor--long time Disney fans would've come just to enjoy that.

@crazyguy_1233

2 жыл бұрын

@@Rampala A huge log lodge and cabins would have fit so well. The wilderness idea is so cool I hope they go that route. They probably won't but it would look so nice.

@everythingsalright1121

2 жыл бұрын

I've no faith in disney to do anything good with this lol

I've never been to Disney, but I always thought the whole appeal of Disney was the heavily themed hotels/areas/rides and how it made you feel like you were in another world. If I wanna stay in a heavily modernized hotel I could literally go ANYWHERE else. But themed cabin resort?! That sounds like everything! It's like they're trying to adultify everything without realizing that adults LIKE the childlike, free and fun atmosphere. I actually feel bad for long time Disney goers.

@spinlok3943

2 жыл бұрын

Its really amazing, Disney could literally build anything, ANTHING. They have the money and creative talent to do it. But they go with a cheap lightly themed Florida condo?! What the hell is wrong with them?

@Voltaic_Fire

2 жыл бұрын

I couldn't have said it better myself, well written indeed. :)

@HieronymousLex

2 жыл бұрын

And now everything in the park is ran by reservations. So there’s no spontaneity or discovery anymore. People literally have to plan out their visit ahead of time. Between that and the ridiculous costs, it’s just not the same. It’s a more stressful and less magical experience than it used to be. Don’t get me wrong, I still think Disney is a really cool place, especially Epcot. But it’s changed for the worse

@kathycoutinho5665

2 жыл бұрын

@@spinlok3943 I can say what's wrong with Disney in 2 words - Bob Chapek

@kbelle3523

Жыл бұрын

@@kathycoutinho5665 Bob Chapek is just another Michael Eisner - terrible for the loyal fans, but we have to suffer through his tenure bc he makes them money

Abandoned on top of abandoned in disney?! This truly is the Bright Sun Films Special. Great update jake!

@wokewokerman5280

2 жыл бұрын

Disney go woke, Disney go broke...so be it

@UrSammich

2 жыл бұрын

abandoned inception? Also why does the comment say this was 10 days ago, but the video has been up for about a day?

@kiwikiwi2483

2 жыл бұрын

@@wokewokerman5280 you're really obsessed with the word "woke" I see

@mimireich

2 жыл бұрын

@@UrSammich Patreon supporters got an earlier release, even weeks before the video we're public.

@corntrollio854

2 жыл бұрын

Jack rocks!

As frequent campers at Fort Wilderness, we'd love to see the fences down, Clementine's Beach restored, trees planted and campsites added in the now vacant land.

@blackleague212

Жыл бұрын

@@lifequest7453 good. Let river country ROT. Disney is getting its KARMA back for the racist things it has done to black people. AMEN

@loganstroganoff1284

Жыл бұрын

@@lifequest7453 yup I'll never forget when Adam the woo visited years ago. When he got near and you could hear the banjo music still playing it was so surreal and eerie. Like really, no one bothered to turn the music off?!? I just wonder what media it was playing on. Being an old park I'd have guessed they had it on physical media like tapes or records that would have to be restarted. Even if they had it on some repeat play set up i would've thought the tapes or records would've worn out after constant play for so many years.

@Leon-mq8lj

Жыл бұрын

​@@loganstroganoff1284 Disney intentionally left the lights and music on to make it seem lively. Disney wants to give the idea that it is just a cozy area for Fort Wilderness guests to walk through instead of an old part of River Country. The part that was still accessible (before the big green fence) was the former entrance and ticket control of River Country. Guests think this is just part of Fort Wilderness. Disney likes to deny the existence of River Country lol

@emilyofjane

Жыл бұрын

@@Leon-mq8lj I remember I got lost one time as a kid while bike riding in Fort Wilderness and I inadvertently got too close to the green fence. When I tell you that a nearby cast member literally PANICKED and RAN AT ME before guiding me back to my campsite lol

Would have loved to experience River Country in its glory and witness it in its abandoned state

@isthatatesla

2 жыл бұрын

That's what KZread is for, at least the latter part of what you wrote.

@NinthShinigami

2 жыл бұрын

@@isthatatesla fr fr KZread’s the closest thing we have to a time machine

@katelyndemello9271

2 жыл бұрын

I was lucky enough to have visited river country 2 separate times back in the 90s. It was and still is my favorite water park.

@lavapix

2 жыл бұрын

It was pretty entertaining back in 78. The campgrounds were nice.

@MsSaraKirkpatrick

2 жыл бұрын

Same

I feel like sometimes it's just best to keep it simple...that park/picnic area was beautiful

@accountforwastingtime

Жыл бұрын

As soon as they opened something new, it was doomed. Honestly that's probably the biggest reason we won't see a 5th park for some time- once a new one is opened, at least one will very likely struggle to keep up

@Perich29

Жыл бұрын

good idea, build playgrounds for kids, at basketball court, tennis court, picnic benches and grass field.

So Jake, is it safe to say that the old river country land is just cursed at this point? Because my word has this been a heck of a trip.

@Hal-Robinson

2 жыл бұрын

Yes since Disney is no longer able to self-govern they will have to go through the county for everything in the future

@andrewberthiaume7323

2 жыл бұрын

@@Hal-Robinson not fully true. they have around a year and because its tech part of the florida constitution, the county has to vote and orange runs the high risk of taking in all of the taxes that disney normally pays as its own thing in as a massive debt to pay off. Pretty much the governor is going to shoot his foot off. Edit: Per newsweek: The law doesn’t take effect until June 2023, giving the state and local governments more than a year to figure out how to manage and pay for the huge property’s public services, such as road maintenance and sewage treatment. Disney has issued $1 billion in bonds and Florida law currently says that if a special tax district is dissolved, the responsibility to pay those bonds is taken on by local governments

@jalapeno1119

2 жыл бұрын

@@watershed44 Only pitfall is DeSatan trying to gerrymander.

@karlthorkildson4650

2 жыл бұрын

@@Hal-Robinson Could be similar red tape that cancelled or at least delayed a new hotel at Disneyland, where a movie theater was. But that and nearby buildings are gone now, so there could be a similar plan underway.

@Revkor

2 жыл бұрын

@@jalapeno1119 no Disney should have stayed out of the poltics and they didn't and paid the price. and the fact Disney never upheld it's part of the bargin to begin with. Epcot was supposed to be a city in the end. but after Walt died they plan was abandoned and they successors went park yet kept the perks.

Your interest and or obsession with the former site of River Country at the WDW Resort knows no bounds…and for that we are grateful!

@corntrollio854

2 жыл бұрын

Jack makes great content.

This reminds me of the value resorts Pop Century and legendary years, and the others that were left abandoned and some just unfinished for many years. They eventually completed them, but they sat there, exposed and with a bridge to nowhere for way too long!

@gxs3604

2 жыл бұрын

That was so creepy

@nerdyworld938

Жыл бұрын

They eventually tore it down though and replaced it with the art of animation resort

I can only wonder what Walt Disney would think of just how poorly things are managed today.

@DFW_Spotter

10 ай бұрын

Especially the alcohol part of it as he said no to alcohol even tho it would have made him a lot more money, and he originally founded it as a family friendly non alcoholic experience

@BleachDemon707

6 ай бұрын

I'm sure it keeps you up at night 🙄

it was actually a good thing what they did was the grass seed. To prevent erosion from going any further or at least Slow it down alot. Until a time when either work can resume or Figure out what/where to go from this point on with the space.

The River Country Saga continues it seems. Great vid, Jake, and great opening skit, too

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Kathryn!

@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307

2 жыл бұрын

@@BrightSunFilms You do realise? you are breaching copyright by copying the buildings who design is owned by Disney and they tend to be a little funny about that and get quite protective which they have every right to be under the law!

IMO, WDW does not need any more hotels. The parks are already overcrowded and the prices are insane. If they want to invest in something, build another park! They have the room.

@0dylan

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly. And they could still charge the same insane amounts as they do now but be able to pack an extra 15 million or so guests in a year. And it will hopefully spread the crowds out a little more. I don't think Disney is interested in ever building a new park in Orlando but I really wish they would. They care too much about getting their money from the rich now.

@mudpup545

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. Galaxy’s Edge should have been much larger.

@MissKitten330

2 жыл бұрын

Fort Bend county in Texas has offered that very thing. Might not be a bad idea except it takes YEARS of development and building to get it done. See Disneyland Paris for an example doing it wrong. Also, at the Florida property, which folks either don't realize or forget, a great deal of the land was set aside for conversation purposes so it not that easy to build there either. Either way the company needs to figure it out as the current CEO is a business person unlike many of the others that came up through the entertainment branches. He honestly needs to go.

@danielspencer1923

2 жыл бұрын

New hotels won't affect the number of guests at the parks. And a new park would increase the number of guests visiting WDW. What they need to do instead is increase the existing ride capacity. Once that's done and crowds are under better control, then expand

@davidkennedy3050

2 жыл бұрын

Alternatively they could just demolish the entire park.

I always stay at the campground when at WDW and it won't be the same without playing "spot the decaying water park structures" during the boat ride to MK. My dad was also an Epcot cast member in the 80s who loved to visit River Country when he wasn't working, and there was at least one time when my family was hanging out around a bonfire at our campsite and he told an improvised horror story about the park being haunted due to being abandoned for years, drawing from his own memories about its layout and theming to make the story realistic. Honestly, he may have been onto something considering that location seems like a curse that Disney can't rid itself of

@chromxrobinandcorrinxcamil9031

2 жыл бұрын

Do you remember how the story went? I'd love to hear it.

An indoor waterpark similar to Great Wolf Lodge (with a few rooms) would fit in a lot better there.

@chromxrobinandcorrinxcamil9031

2 жыл бұрын

GWL = gigachad place.

@jalapeno1119

2 жыл бұрын

Holy shit this brought back memories.

Would be really really cool for them to reuse the space and build another water park with appropriate theming and call it River Country :P

@ItsTrinton

2 жыл бұрын

This would legit probably be the best use of the property but I don't think they will because of the investments in blizzard and typhoon and not wanting to draw away from that.

@30framespersecond

2 жыл бұрын

@@ItsTrinton Yeah, because of Typhoon and River Country, they don't need a 3rd water park. For much of the year they only have one of the two operating and it ends up being more than enough.

@tammymartinez7488

2 жыл бұрын

They should restore it just for fort wilderness guests. They could also let wilderness lodge guest go too.

@Astralapparitions

Жыл бұрын

Not a good idea because the name has so much stigma around it because of the deaths

@CrusifoxMedia

Жыл бұрын

@@Astralapparitions more people have died on the monorail than at River Country

They had the opportunity to build a river country resort that was in line with the pioneer look of fort wilderness and that perhaps featured some amazing pools and slides to pay homage to RC. I hated the reflections look when they revealed it so maybe its good this happened.

Having lived in Florida for years, it's incredible how fast nature overtakes developed areas there when left unmaintained. The rainy season makes things grow like crazy. It's already showing, but 5 years from now will basically be covered with brush and be completely unrecognizable.

@FloriDUH_JBot

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly. Living in Florida, you quickly understand that you are simply borrowing the land. Nature begins to take it back almost immediately when it is no longer maintained.

It’s sad to see Disney parks lose their way. Everything in the old buildings and rides fit together so well (I.e. the old Epcot). Now everything not only feels disjointed but it feels like budget cuts. I like to look at it like a car. Both a Toyota Corolla and a Lexus LS have roughly the same features. Both made by the same company… but the LS has a level of refinement that the Corolla does not. Old Disney had a level of refinement that still outshines everyone else. I can’t say that about the current parks…

@BrandonLy3993

2 жыл бұрын

@LTNetjak Exactly. Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, and Star Wars Rise of the Resistance are all great rides. I love them. But... they are all trackless rides, almost the same ride vehicles, and likely use similar video/projection systems. Despite me loving the rides, it feels like Disney got a "buy 2 get one free" deal on them. My point is, it doesn't feel unique. Maybe I'm just being picky... I don't own a multi-million dollar theme park. But as a consumer its hard to ignore the budget cuts. The refinement is gone in my opinion. Speaking of the ride queues... Remy's Ratatouille Adventure line looked like someone quickly put together some drywall and paint once you get inside for a large portion lol. Meanwhile the old Space Mountain queue and the long Goodyear peoplemover belt system added to the experience. That belt is gone and replaced by a carpeted hallway now... it doesn't feel like I am exiting a spaceship somewhere distant in the future anymore. I know people are going to read this and think I am just complaining about everything. I love Disney parks. But I can't ignore where it's going.

@christianreinard8285

2 жыл бұрын

@@BrandonLy3993 They removed the conveyer belt at the end of Space mountain? Damn that’s such a small thing but brought so much to the table. Stuff like that really cements your point

@BrandonLy3993

2 жыл бұрын

@@christianreinard8285 Yeah, it is a carpeted walkway now. It doesn't have the little fake advertisements like before (remember those fake ads for travels to mars or whatever planet). It is literally just a carpeted hallway with painted drywall. No attempts to put anything "Space Mountain" themed there.

@toolegittoquit_001

2 жыл бұрын

Disney in total has lost their way. Supporting grooming is just the latest evidence of their demise. Good riddance

@maxpowr90

2 жыл бұрын

Chapek is a monster of a CEO and has already done a lot of damage to the company. He really needs to be fired before he does even more damage.

I started this on my lunch and I plan on re-watching tonight. These updates are amazing and helpful. It’s what brought me to the channel

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I hope you enjoy!

Honestly, I think that demolishing River Country so quickly was a pretty big mistake. New Orleans apparently gets a fair amount of money from movie studios who film in the long-abandoned Six Flags New Orleans/Jazzland site. Disney could've capitalized on that trend and made River Country a filming site to raise more money for the Reflections project before finally pulling the trigger. That way, they could've had some cushion to work with. Then again, I know very little about finances, so who knows if any potential revenue from that would've even made a dent in the massive amount of money it'd take to build the resort? I just think it's such a shame that River Country's gone when it was such an incredible abandoned site. It was GORGEOUS!

@projectnightfall6882

2 жыл бұрын

I think it would have more likely been terrible PR to acknowledge there's an abandoned structure in Disney World. New Orleans doesn't have to pretend their park wasn't completely destroyed. Also the demolition was at the right time. They'd have never abandoned the project if Covid hadn't happened, and you wouldn't stop a project just because a pandemic could happen.

@UmmYeahOk

2 жыл бұрын

They could still film at Discovery Island, but like the previous person said, Disney doesn’t want that kind of PR.

@erinaustin2157

2 жыл бұрын

It is a good idea in theory, but if you watch Jake and Matt Sonswa videos on exploring the area a few years ago, it had deteriorated greatly since it closed. And then add how overgrown it was, it would be too much of a liability to allow anyone to do that :/ Hence the constant security boats and more in the area all of the time, lol. Six Flags New Orleans though has lots of concrete paths, so its easier to film and the background is just there.

@bradwhite5884

2 жыл бұрын

Why not update River Country instead of destroying it and replace it with a time share hotel, a modern update to River Country that incorporate other areas around it including the island, make a proper wilderness area, maybe add a hotel there too and few other areas as well, so yeah

@jincyquones

2 жыл бұрын

New Orleans doesn't make a significant amount of money from filming at Jazzland. They film throughout the city infinitely more than they do there. The abandoned theme park is a cesspool in the outskirts of the city, and it's almost definitely already costed the city more than they'll ever earn from it being used for filming. It's still there only for the same reason New Orleans is known as "the city that care forgot." I'm saying this as a native who can't imagine living anywhere else... if you ever find yourself thinking "They should do what the City of New Orleans does," the odds are you've gone wrong somewhere.

I think the best idea for this is definitely a big wilderness camp which includes nighttime tours for family's and a full working 'Ranch' type town as well as a Gold mine in which you can travel via a gold cart.

@syd5380

Жыл бұрын

I love this idea so much. The theme park I went to as a kid, Storyland in New Hampshire, had a mine themed walk through attraction. I haven’t been there in YEARS and there aren’t any full videos of it online so I can’t even remember most of the details about it but the “Los Bravos Mine” was one of my favorite things at that park.

When ever Disney cancels a project...an angel gets its wings.

@professorx9123

Жыл бұрын

Congratulations you just made the funniest comment I’ve ever seen

This is turning into another Legendary Years/Art of Animation right before our very eyes.

it's crazy to think that a company as massive and rich as Disney just keeps falling through on developing such a big space.

@NathanDavisVideos

Жыл бұрын

No wonder WHY most of the shit on Disney Channel (today) is total garbage!

Disney is really going to be hating you for pointing out their mishaps with this land and the projects linked to it lol

Disney has truly lost its charm with Chapek at the helm…

@henriklarssen1331

2 жыл бұрын

Its pretty insane how bad Disneys reputation is nowdays.

@momokoblue8032

2 жыл бұрын

This was all in the plans long before Chapek took over. And the little issue of a global pandemic did not help. Also a vengeful small minded governor is not helping.

@bradwhite5884

2 жыл бұрын

Disney has lost their charms years ago thanks to the Corporate influence and all that

@RamsPatsJags14

2 жыл бұрын

While I dont like Chapek as much as the next person, he's really just taking the blame for a lot of decisions made over the last 10 years or so

@shepherd3085

2 жыл бұрын

@@momokoblue8032 lol small minded. He's gonna be taking in cash from Disney. That and their stock is losing value pretty quickly.

Disney has lost their “theme” for resorts touch. The addition to the Polynesian is sad. If they end up making a scaled down Reflections it doesn’t blend with wilderness lodge or fort wilderness. I have a feeling this will be the case for any expansions to existing resorts going forward. So sad. I’ve been going to Disney world since the early 80’s and always got excited for a new resort being opened. Now?? Not so much

@dannywening6233

2 жыл бұрын

As a 20 year DVC member I can't agree more.. thinking about what Disney has been doing saddens me

@homerfeltheim12345

2 жыл бұрын

@@dannywening6233 we were in the first 500 to buy in to the DVC. I remember when old key west had 2 buildings and a welcome center to show the future plans. That welcome center eventually turned in to the grocery store/gift shop 😂. We just sold off our remaining points because Disney is just too expensive now. It’s not the famoly fin it used to be.

@dannywening6233

2 жыл бұрын

@@homerfeltheim12345 we had Beach Club and Saratoga Springs. We sold our Saratoga and bought HHI.. we now spend 2 weeks in HHI

@spinlok3943

2 жыл бұрын

AMEN. Disney is the king of high quality theming and I cannot believe the level of dreary uninspired theming that has been shown in their latest creations.

@francoisedunne223

2 жыл бұрын

What about the crocodiles there’s an awful lot of water in that area where a hotel should be and crocodiles go anywhere they want to no way I have no desire to ever go stay in any resort in Florida.!

it wouldn't surprise me if the boat at Discovery Island was placed there to deter trespassers, and make them think someone is there.

I agree with your assessment that those cages are rebar. they prebend and tie as much as possible so they can crane it in and tie it all together in sections. they have done a lot of groundwork already. that big crane with the weird thing was a compactor, potentially driving pilings into the ground. there might actually be a LOT more work than we can see, because that all gets buried and the foundations poured on top.

@steadholderharrington9035

2 жыл бұрын

I agree with the assessment that the crane was a compactor, but this one is set-up for Vibro Replacement vibrofloating. Vibro Replacement is a reinforcement ground improvement technique that strengthens the soil by means of the construction of a stone column. Vibro Stone Columns are constructed using a vibrating mandrel which is used to penetrate the ground to a designed depth. This creates a void which is filled with inert granular material in stages whilst compaction continues. The result is an interaction between the stone column and the surrounding soils.

@seldoon_nemar

2 жыл бұрын

@@steadholderharrington9035 I'm going to have to look that up because it sounds really interesting. so they basically ram that down, and as they bring it up fill it with rock to make an in-situ pier essentially? edit: that's really neat! I never would have considered something like that, but yeah, I guess that would be a good alternative to a solid pier. probably works like a dream in that Florida soil too

@steadholderharrington9035

2 жыл бұрын

@@seldoon_nemar Yeah, the material they "fill in" the hole with is basically like a mostly dry-mix of either Quicklime, or Shotcrete/Gunite, which has superior load-compressive strength as compared to regular concrete ready-mix pours, and is often preferred in pile-construction in sandy or soft clay and marsh-like soil conditions, where tying into bedrock is highly problematic.

@seldoon_nemar

2 жыл бұрын

@@steadholderharrington9035 the videos i was looking up were just using gravel as a medium, which should also be fine because it's being compacted and forced in. it's actually a pretty neat idea because you can measure the load bearing capacity at each "level" of fill as you work it in, because it'll start supporting the weight of the tooling

@steadholderharrington9035

2 жыл бұрын

@@seldoon_nemar That is true, and almost any material that can be fit down the pipe can be used as a medium for building the "stone" column. I'm guessing that it all depends upon what soil conditions are in the area that this technique is being used and what the load demands will be for whatever is built on top of the column. But I'm no engineer when it comes to construction, so I'm just making educated guesses at this point.

Maybe disney should just announce things when they are midway through construction so that they don't overhype something that wont come.

My sass aside, your passion for this is seriously impressive, and something I appreciate so much. Even the work you take making the maps and showing where construction is, where the buildings still are, is so cool to see. Thank you so much for preserving Disney history better than Disney does! I really appreciate it, and I'll be back in 20 years!

River Country is the story that never ends.

@NathanDavisVideos

Жыл бұрын

Call it the Disney "River Country/Reflections"-saga!

ya see, it was actually a 4D chess move Disney is doing by canceling reflections. They were trying to make sure you can never run out of videos covering the river country area that gives them so much more attention for it even existing whatsoever

As a Florida native I truly enjoyed all of the Abandoned Disney playlist. Thanks for all the work put into the history and timelines of these finished and abandoned ideas. very entertaining and informative.

I explored river country twice before it was torn down. So scary and fun. When my buddy and I climbed to the top of the family tube ride thing, Disney was testing fireworks over MK around midnight. One of my fav Disney memories.

I broke it off with Disney a few years ago. They used to give decent perks to Florida natives but not anymore. They can keep it

@RCGshakenbake

2 жыл бұрын

The whole time they reaped the benefits off your back too. Terrible company.

@gabriellerodriguez3039

2 жыл бұрын

My job sponsors and is the official healthcare provider for the parks, and even then the perks aren't good, I am a Florida local and it would have to take some wild miracle to get me to visit

@strayiggytv

2 жыл бұрын

Heh now they're fighting with Florida's garbage leadership. It's a bit like watching two villians duke it out.

@mattgonzalez4457

2 жыл бұрын

@@strayiggytv agree on both ... I'm not a conservative in disguise

@Big-4

2 жыл бұрын

@@strayiggytv garbage leadership? Tell me more

the Grand Floridian was a very upscaled updated hotel. Nice place to stay, although might be too expansive and not cost effective for most people. I stayed there over ten years ago and was an unforgettable stay.

Way things are going you may be doing a lot more abandoned disney vids lol. Keep up the great content.

@toyaliens

2 жыл бұрын

sure jan

EmpLemon, Matt McMuscles, nerdSlayer and now Bright Sun Films. What a killer Saturday 💥

I'm not going to shed a tear that another Hyatt-like monster of a building won't see the light of day at the once-themed WDW

@itr0863

2 жыл бұрын

Well said

Loving the commitment to the bit with actually flying to Disney for this video

With how busy the other two water parks are now getting I say re-open and update river country. Another resort isn’t needed around the magic kingdom. It’d be so tight packed between the wilderness lodge and fort wilderness.

I think it was your first video on River Country that got me so interested in abandoned places. It blew my mind something like that was just left to rot. Now for some reason I am intensely interested in abandoned places and have been for years, I even tried to buy an abandoned school and am still looking for some kind of old unused industrial building. It's hard to believe you're still doing updates on River Country and it's been abandoned like 73 times now!

As someone that has been working construction for 6+ years now, I can tell you that those pre-assembled rebar cages/rebar in general was for sure gonna be used in likely pouring more footers/possible slabs for buildings. If the construction crews left them out like that and they put down grass seeds for the site, it is very likely they aren't just in limbo on the project anymore, it is dead in the water and they will either resell the land off sometime in the future or they will make something else out of it, just not at the scale of a resort/small park as they had once planned. A number of things may have happened on said site, either the contractors weren't being paid enough for the scope of the project/were trying to rip off Disney for the work they were doing for them and Disney got rid of them to find another company to work with so they gonna pull more permits which can take a few months in Florida just to get ONE permit for work on the site. Whatever the case, they clearly knew it was gonna take a very long time to do anything on that site so just put down grass seeds down to let the area regrow back in for now for other possible ideas to do on the site, like a new park area/beach/etc. They can still use those big footers they already poured for new buildings, but they would likely scale everything way back.

@markh7004

2 жыл бұрын

You may work in construction but you have no idea what you are talking about. Those vertical reinforcement bars ganged together like that are for a future concrete column.

@EyeofG

2 жыл бұрын

@@markh7004 it's all speculation since we don't know what their plans are. Project could be on hold or totally abandoned at this point. Also how am I wrong if that is basically what I said in my post? Do you work in construction or have any specialized training in the field yourself? Do enlighten us

If abandoned and ultimately cancelled, using that site for another project is going to be costly as digging up the 16 foundation pilings already poured are going to add millions of dollars to the site prep.

With the size of that earthen mound on the land that didn’t exist before, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was wetland that wouldn’t be able to support the size of the building. It reminds me of the earthen mound they had in the parking lot of Magic Kingdom to fill in the wetland area to build more parking. I think that was up a couple of years and they are know removing the dirt to complete work on the parking lot. It would make sense to put hundreds of thousands of pounds of dirt on top to compact the soil that you need to be strong and then come back and remove the top layers later when that process completes.

Wow, that's roughly the most unimaginative architecture that I've seen in a long time. Maybe the Riviera is a close second. It doesn't remind me of "country" or Disney or "riverside." You go when it's built. Send me a post card. I'm staying home. Signed - Disgruntled Shareholder.

Bro they’re running Disney like I run my life, which is essentially high intellect coupled with untreated ADHD. Tons of amazing ideas, big starts, no follow through, and then repeat 🔁

@isthatatesla

2 жыл бұрын

Do your best!

@30framespersecond

2 жыл бұрын

To be fair, a majority of the announced and then cancelled/abandoned/largely scaled back projects over the last 20 years have been due to 3 specific major events: the tourism slump after 9/11, the 2008 recession, and now, covid. Disney tends to keep multiple projects in the pipeline at once, so, some get cut, some don't.

@lsrose

2 жыл бұрын

You seem to be into something here. Disney is on the edge of going under. If they don’t figure out how to complete a few of the ideas, patrons won’t visit.

@Revkor

2 жыл бұрын

@@lsrose we are, compeltely missmanagement thanks to Iger

@kristinasymons

Жыл бұрын

Felt this

I know that River Country was demolished a couple years ago, but man, it really feels like an end of an era, both for Disney and the internet. The eerie abandoned waterpark that once grabbed the online public's fascination and imagination is gone along with its former mystique. We still have Discovery Island though. That rock won't stop being creepy until it's paved over too.

@NathanDavisVideos

Жыл бұрын

Anybody up for a dare to spend the night on Discovery Island, like a 24-hour overnight challenge?

I own a construction company, those are definitely rebar cages for concrete beams that have rusted out

Wow. This is seriously an incredible video, Jake. Really enjoyed this coverage. Justice for Reflections

I went by the site in December 19 with fond memories of a trip to River Country as a kid. I suppose like many things this shows the decline in Disney's management, they don't have a plan here and they aren't going to invest that kind of money in something that won't immediately generate more serious revenue then another hotel. I think the River Country site will be like the Ford hole in the ground. Where vision and ambition is beaten down and what you end up with is a glimpse of what could have been.

@lutherheggs451

2 жыл бұрын

They literally lost money every single day through all of 2020 and part of 2021....It literally costs them 15 billion dollars a year to run the parks....After losing all that money, they're not going to race to construct things they don't have to at the moment....Alot of people also don't seem to know the difference between a company's budget and how much cash they have, because they are 2 different things.

@DanielRichards644

2 жыл бұрын

Disney management cares more about Grooming kids then making money, well when they aren't thanking the people running concentration camps next to where they filmed the live action Mulan for letting them film there.

@litguru4748

2 жыл бұрын

@@lutherheggs451 It's hysteria and clouded judgement through nostalgia goggles all the way. Disney is not a global multi hundred billion dollar company with a well organized corporate structure and future plans, oh no! They were oh so silly for investing big in streaming almost as soon as the pandemic started, establishing themselves a suprisingly large market share and making Netflix suffer for it now, oh yes! DiSnEy DuMb. Seriously, people need to take at least one class in marketing, business or finance before commenting this kind of bullshit. I recently saw (not watched) a one hour video of a guy rambling about how Disney is, and I quote, destroying their brand by not re-investing in their parks these last few years. How can people be this naive? As if they won't restart their investments in parks as soon as their streaming business is making big profit, or anytime in the future for that matter. Like come on, get some perspective and look at a balance sheet for once.

I have missed your Disney Vlogs Jake!. River country and a few others though will always bring me back to vlogs with you and Matt Sonswa. They are some of the best Abandoned Disney Vlogs around, and probably always will be!. I hope you had a great time at Disney and welcome back to The States!

That intro had me rolling. Thank you for the update and amazing video, as always Bright Sun!

Thanks for bringing us a topic so recent. Great job, Jake!

I really hope they announce something at D23 this year, it's awful how this has been left when you can clearly see the time and effort that went in to creating this beautiful area in the 70's ie wilderness campground ect, I feel bad for the guests who pay thousands to stay here for an immersive experience, to then be faces with this, it's so depressing to me.

last time I was at Disney I actually ate at pioneer hall and watched fireworks over that fence! I had no idea that I was standing right next to Disney's most recent abandoned site!

6:59 STORY TIME I stayed at Fort Wilderness campground in 2012 (I think I was 14 at the time?), and I got lost while trying to find the biking trail. I ended up in this exact area, and following my map, I thought I had to to shoot past the ticket booths to reach the trail (I thought they were just another part of Fort Wilderness at the time because I didn’t know River Country even existed). I got right up to the ticket booths before a nearby cast member literally PANICKED - I mean, ran at me like they were gonna call the cops kind of panic - and turned me around. I think they assumed, since I was a teenager, that I was purposely trying to trespass into River Country, so it was pretty embarrassing for me to admit to them that I was just *that* bad at reading maps lol

Love the Disney videos as a orlando local it’s so fun and interesting to see how everything slowly progresses. I’d love to see a “canceled: Disney’s 50th anniversary” where you discuss what was supposed to be planned and what was slashed with budget cuts and what the 50th anniversary actually brought

This is insanity that the space is abandoned again 🤦🏻‍♀️

The time in which the parks were either closed or at limited capacity should have been ideal times to work on construction and renovation projects if only Disney hadn't been spending so recklessly before the pandemic hit.

Thanks Jake! I was wanting for this video.

Massive thanks Jake for all your effort in creating these videos. Despite never stepped foot in the US and with little knowledge of Disney parks and resorts, I found your videos are incredibly informative and interesting!

The recent events will prevent this site from ever being developed. So sad. They should have just allowed the original "River Country" to be open. Instead it gets abandoned twice.

@nukedukem6

2 жыл бұрын

What recent- Oh those recent developments

@justjasonbeardenjokes

2 жыл бұрын

What events?

@nukedukem6

2 жыл бұрын

@@justjasonbeardenjokes disney didn't like the "don't say gay" bill, so florida removed disney's self-governing county, now they have to go with the technical skullfuck that is the rules and regulations of 2 (or more) different counties

@RED-cy7ig

2 жыл бұрын

@@justjasonbeardenjokes The Florida state government just passed legislation that Disney has to pay taxes on all their property. They have lost their self governing status.

@Revkor

2 жыл бұрын

@@RED-cy7ig and all because they couldnt keep their nose out of politics

I literally just rewatched the River Country saga yesterday. How convenient!

GREAT work again!!! Thanks for the update! Leave it to Disney to take the supplies ordered for Reflections & use it at the Poly tower that doesn't fit in!

Your Disney videos are easily my favorite. Super informative, plus I love Disney. Great video!

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

Loveeee the recent Disney content!

@mosesdevadass6056

2 жыл бұрын

I’m surprised Disney has so many abandoned properties. Wouldn’t have even known without this channel

I love the update videos. I can't wait to see the update for American dream

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

It’s coming!

@dunbrine47

2 жыл бұрын

Let's see. Ferris Wheel, Leaky Atriums, Shootings in the Parking lot and Fires in the Ski Ramp.

Amazing Video As Always

This story never ends!! Amazing video as always

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

the never-ending Disney saga love the intro skit

I’ll always remember fondly my families experience at River Country. The beach was lovely, the littler two seater speed boats 🚤, the great restaurant buffet, the water park and the horses and canoe’s. I remember my Uncle forgot to put sunscreen on his feet 🦶 and he really had a bad sunburn 🥵. I was 16. Demolishing it was a bad idea. What they are planning on replacing it with is boring. Disney is definitely lost their way. It’s sad.

Another brilliant update my friend. Love the new video. Just once I wish people would start a project and follow through with it. This one looked pretty cool.

Love the Disney videos Jake. I binge watch them a lot. Keep up the good work.

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

So, technically, yes, the project was "funded." When it comes to huge projects like these, companies don't have the full amount of money for the project, rather Disney had planned their financials for the company years and determined that based on the current market flow, they would have enough money to cover the construction costs up and through the grand opening. Of course, the Covid shutdowns happened, which completely upheaved all of Disney's financial planning, which meant there was no guarantee they would have the money to finish the construction. This is also why all projects at the parks were shutdown, even though, at first, I figured the covid shutdown would be the best opportunity to complete their projects without worry of interrupting park opperations. TLDR; Disney didn't have all the money but planned to afford it, Covid had other plans.

@donaldpaluga

2 жыл бұрын

So was The Legendary Years part of POP Century. And we ALL know how that turned out

@Ncyphen

2 жыл бұрын

@@donaldpaluga Yup, theming was changed, but they still built it. Something similar is likely to happen as they've already put so much prep into the building. We'll likely see it return in 10-15 years with a new name and maybe a different theme, same plans.

@Revkor

2 жыл бұрын

then add in this is during Iger's regn and that guy spent a ton and Chapek isn't nicknamed Cheapek for nothing

@bigstyx

2 жыл бұрын

Disney is to involved with legislation and political correctness than anything else. It’s now a media company that tries to influence children and into different lifestyles and has no resemblance of its past . Disney is a joke and there’s millions of people that are not spend a dime there.

@Ncyphen

2 жыл бұрын

@@bigstyx And how does this have anything to do with abandoned projects at the Disney Theme Parks? While I do not support the protests Disney has made, this video and comments are about a previously announced hotel construction project that went on indefinite hiatus. Your provides no substance to the topic at hand and thereby does not belong here. There are plenty of other videos going over the subject of Disney politics etc (I know, because I've commented on a few).

I think, after their failure with Star Wars, Disney is gun-shy when it comes to new developments. When I went to Magic Kingdom last and saw their anniversary decor, it was clear their budget had been slashed hard... 100 Years of Disney decorations, in my opinion, should have rivaled or surpassed their Christmas decor in grandeur!

Hit it out of the park Jake. Another fascinating and revealing video!

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I love the video. The imagery was amazing the talking was amazing and the topic is really cool to learn about. Cant wait to see more Disney videos from you.

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

“Most comprehensive video on it on KZread” not a lie but why do I feel like Defunctland is gonna see that as a challenge

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

I literally don’t know how anyone could be more thorough lol

@halo2d

2 жыл бұрын

@@BrightSunFilms he’d need Chapek to personally escort him lol. If I didn’t say it before video was fantastic :)

@HaddaClu

2 жыл бұрын

@@BrightSunFilms Ah but you didnt scale the fence, or gain access to the lot by swimming in by cover of darkness OR you could have tried breaking into the Disney park offices in the middle of the night and stealing the papework like watergate plumbers.

Ohh River Country was the first video of yours that I found 😍

@NinthShinigami

2 жыл бұрын

Same

Loved it Jake!!

I can't get enough of you talking about the River Country saga

One day, something could take over where River Country once stood. But I wouldn’t hold my breath

At this point can we just build a new version of river country with excursions to a repurposed discovery island

I seriously can't get enough of this channel

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Fantastic update!

I wonder, how will the repeal of the Reedy Creek Improvement District impact Reflections?

@lvthud

2 жыл бұрын

It takes close to $1b of debt off of Disney's books and moves them to Orange and Osceola counties. Disney already pays property taxes to those counties so there would be no new expenses in that regard. So it does open up some interesting avenues, on one side Disney has a large drop in expenses covering those bonds, but, will the board give the green light to a major expense ($400m +) for a new resort with what they may consider a hostile government in office..... Frankly I don't know, I think part of the outcome will lay with how Disney decides to react to the repeal. I can see them putting a lot of $$$$ into whoever decides to stand against DeSantis, but both counties are already pretty Democratic leaning, so it would be done at a state level.....Interesting times for sure.

@Revkor

2 жыл бұрын

@@lvthud likely more expenses. without that act they nolonger can just build a Nuclear reactor. (Not they they planned one but they could have literally done that if they wanted to because Epcot was supposed to be a new type a city before Walt died. I am really curious how many structures are to code.

Hi Jake, I've been watching your videos including Bankrupt and Abandoned for a long time. Keep uploading these awesome videos. Also how about for your channel, a show that explores the famous hotels around the world. I would call it The Famous Hotels of the World. What do you think?

This is great, dude!!

I actually shed a tear at the end with the River Country theme

I'd like to see a more enhanced version of River Country, but I think like you said it's going to end up as a DVC resort in the end.

Could you do one about the affects of DisneyWorld losing their self-governing status? Given all the foolishness being said now, I think we could all use the straight scoop on this item.

@mckenziejeanne4508

2 жыл бұрын

I also would like to hear more about what the affects will be, how this will affect Disney employees and customers and as a company!

@mckenziejeanne4508

2 жыл бұрын

@Ceep I’m a huge Disney fan too, I’m in favor of Disney’s choice! I just want to know how this will affect things like their emergency services (fire and ambulance) as well as the WDW resort region as a whole

@HughzieTube

2 жыл бұрын

Would be interesting to know if the local taxpayer is now going to have to foot the bill to maintain Disneyland infrastructure. That wont be a cheap undertaking.

@grandinosour

2 жыл бұрын

@@HughzieTube I...as just a taxpayer...can tell you that the silly mouse will now have to pay property taxes to cover the infrastructure expenses...bout time a large corporation paid it's fair share of taxes

@Shag471

2 жыл бұрын

As of right now, Disney has yet to make a response. So who knows what they might be planning.

Your videos are always amazing and love how you can explain the details about the how thing that once was or suppose to be a dream for to be how it ends and how things happens during it, as this is just very sad when places like this always look good on paper but to only never be fully coming to life. They really should of been planning it more and making sure if things can be work out that they should keep to it then just giving up, as I may not be a business guy or knowing much of the place or even ever went to Disney place, but do happened to have a thought to say and that they should of been ready for this to making sure to keep going forwards and never ended like this or to have a plan in case if something isn't working out. As like other places that are doing things, they should of been thinking ahead then thinking about now for if things can't keep going forwards or if the thing may fall into a pot hole that may end the project before getting it up.

A western/rustic theme would be awesome and fitting for the area.

I love your content, Jack. You do such a good job, Jack. Thumbs up, Jack!

Now that the Florida government has striped Disney of their magical powers….wonder how future projects will be effected!

@Revkor

2 жыл бұрын

hugely. befoere this Disney could literally build a Nuclear reactor without Flordia saying much on it. so everythign is goign to take longer and likjely cost more since they have an outside person looking into stuff for approval.

@eddie_alabama7997

2 жыл бұрын

@@Revkor 50+ years…I doubt it….You watch too muck Fake Fox News lol….Personally I think Disney should build Windmills in Florida and put one smack dab in the middle of Mar-A-Largo for Don The Con Trump to enjoy! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@Robbie06261995

2 жыл бұрын

@@eddie_alabama7997 Stupid take.

@mindyschocolate

2 жыл бұрын

Disney doesn’t need any more hotels. It needs another land. Villain’s land would be nice.

@mindyschocolate

2 жыл бұрын

@@Revkor good god, put down the kool-aid. Disney’s not interested in nuclear power plants 🙄🫤.

I just want to say how much I enjoy your content. Yours is one of my top favorite channels. Please keep it up.

@BrightSunFilms

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much!

Great video can't wait to see more.