Disney’s River Country was Walt Disney World Florida’s first water park ever, styled as an old-time watering hall with fake rocks and even a fake mountain. Sadly, for the past several decades it has been empty and decrepit. With attractions full of decaying vegetation and pools full of dirty water. The park opened in 1976 and was wildly successful at first but over the years the place began to deteriorate, and Disney opened other bigger and more modern water parks.
River Country was shut down for routine maintenance in 2001 but it was announced later that the park was shut down for good. It is unclear why Disney left the park to rot instead of demolishing it, but it turns out that this is not the only time the company did so…
Basking Ridge Oak Tree
In 2016, one of North America’s oldest oak trees died in a cemetery in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Experts say the tree was over 600 years old and was already around when Columbus came to America. The tree was declared officially dead after an astounding six centuries. The cause was old age and possibly harsh weather.
Unfortunately, the tree will have to be cut down to ensure the safety of the cemetery and church below, but at least the wood will be used to create crosses and mementos for churchgoers. The stump will remain in place.
Legzira Beach
Morocco’s most unique shore, Legzira Beach, was famous for its immense sandstone twin arches which could be seen during low tide. Sadly, the arches collapsed in 2016 due to the weight of the massive cliff above them.
Before the collapse, tourists flocked to this place which was known for having some of the most beautiful sunsets on Earth.
The Dead Sea
Even though the Dead Sea in Jordan, Israel, and Palestine (which is actually a lake) is still around, it looks nothing like it used to and will most likely never return to its former glory. The extremely salty body of water is growing smaller at a frightening pace. Water levels are dropping at the rate of over three feet per year in the past several years. The banks of the lake lie at the lowest land elevation on Earth causing the shifting shorelines to hit all-time lows.
Also, the surrounding area’s need of water leaves less and less freshwater outlets that the lake needs to maintain its water level. The Dead Sea may disappear completely in the not so distant future.
Pig Beach
There is an unhabituated island in the Bahamas which has earned the nickname Pig Beach, due to the feral pigs who live on it. No one knows how the pigs got to the island, but there is a legend that says that they were brought there as food for sailors who never returned. The beach used to be relatively unknown, but these days with Twitter and Instagram, it has become a hot spot for tourists.
Unfortunately, the growing number of visitors means more food for the pigs and the change in diet has led to some deaths. Less than half of the original pigs remain, and they will soon be gone if this continues.