These Little-Known Facts About Kali River Rapids Will Make You Smile
When Imagineers started planning Disney’s Animal Kingdom, they intended many rides to have strong environmental messages.
After all, this park embraces humanity’s connection to nature. So, the attractions and amenities at the parks should reflect it.
Sadly, one of the most significant attractions wasn’t ready when the park opened, but it came soon after. Better yet, its message still resonates 20+ years later.
Here are a few things you probably didn’t know about Kali River Rapids, a raft ride that harbors a secret.
Photo: D23.com
The New Jungle Cruise
When Disney entered the Blue Sky phase for the development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, they focused on the past.
Imagineers studied some of the earliest plans for Disneyland. They hoped to honor Walt Disney’s plans for that park by bringing some to life now.
Credit: Disney Editions
After all, 40 years passed between the opening of the Happiest Place on Earth and the start of Animal Kingdom.
Planners hoped that some of the stuff that Walt Disney couldn’t do then had since become possible.
One of Uncle Walt’s greatest frustrations stemmed from Jungle Cruise. He delighted in his nature films, the True-Life Adventures.
While imagining Jungle Cruise, Walt wanted live animals. His horrified team talked him out of it. However, Animal Kingdom would lean hard into the premise.
Animal habitats comprise vast swaths of the land. So, the modern Imagineers of the 1990s hoped that they could complete Disney’s dream.
They hoped to build a water ride that would take guests past several animal habitats. But, alas, history repeated itself.
Photo: Disney
Eventually, Imagineers had to accept that those plans proved impractical. Animals would grow restless due to the constant hubbub.
Meanwhile, the roaring rapids would prevent guests from getting more than a quick view of the animals.
Speaking of which…
Beware the…Tigers?
During the preparation of this attraction, it possessed a much different name, at least from the perspective of messaging.
Disney called it Tiger Rapids Run. Planners wanted to stress the excitement of the ride, and what’s more thrilling than tigers?
Fortunately, somebody else recognized the problem with this name. Guests would fear that tigers might launch at them during the ride.
Photo: David Lee Thompson
Conversely, others would expect to watch tiger habitats from the ride. Of course, neither of those things would happen. So, Disney switched to a muddled name.
Few people know what Kali means in Kali River Rapids, but at least nobody is scared of random tiger attacks.
Photo: David Lee Thompson
So, What Does Kali Mean?
That’s the funny part here. The word doesn’t reference anything specific to the ride. Instead, it’s an integral part of the theming.
You’re riding down the rapids of the Chakranadi River. That’s a very real place in Southern India.
Photo: DigitalGlobe via Google Maps
Imagineers toured many parts of Asia while planning the two “authentic” animal attractions.
Project head Joe Rohde and his staff returned with countless artifacts and knickknacks from these locations.
Photo: MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images
Once Disney dropped the animal part from Kali River Rapids, it strengthened the theming to compensate.
The story is that you’re on an expedition, and the name of the group leading it is Kali Rapids Expeditions.
Photo: WIkipedia
I will throw in this scary tidbit, though. Imagineers can have an odd sense of humor. In Sanskrit, kali means “she who is death.”
Think about the next time you get on board your raft!
The Environmental Message Surrounds You
I must admit that I had ridden Kali River Rapids many times before I noticed its message.
This attraction highlights the dangers of deforestation and illegal logging. If you ever pay attention to the videos at the start, you’ll know this fact.
However, Disney has sprinkled its message throughout the ride in some ways you might not have noticed.
At various points, you can hear loggers cutting down trees in the background!
Also, the attraction emphasizes how shamelessly criminal these deforesters are. Another message plays as well. It’s an audio reminder that logging is illegal.
Yes, the premise is that they know what they’re doing is wrong, yet they do it anyway. Jerks!
Photo by Judd Helms via WDW Magazine
Wettest Ride at Walt Disney World
Have you ever compared this ride experience to something like Frozen Ever After or even Splash Mountain?
Even though “splash” is literally half the title of Splash Mountain, it’s not as much of a wet ride as Kali River Rapids. Why is that?
The answer stems from the design. You’re on a log flume, albeit a weirdly shaped one. So, the seating protects you from much of the splash damage.
Contrast that to Kali River Rapids, whose circular rafts don’t include covering.
The ride exposes you to the elements. Also, it spins like Mad Tea Party, only you’re on the river rapids. So, you’re twirling and twirling.
By now, everyone knows that Kali River Rapids comes with a randomness factor. The boats seat 12 in two-by-two formations.
One of those duos will catch all the breaks and avoid most of the worst parts. Conversely, some other tandem gets drenched. It happens every time.
I’ve been on both sides of this equation, sometimes getting soaked and sometimes evading the worst. This has caused me to wonder why.
Well, the watery paths of Kali River Rapids host roughly 150,000 gallons of water, with seven pumps doing their best to douse you.
Also, some meanies on the bridge can and do hit the button that shoots additional water at you.
Basically, you’re juggling chainsaws on this ride, and you know that you’re gonna drop one eventually. It’s like that, only with water.
A few tips: Bring a poncho. Wear a hat. And sandals make for smart footwear here. You’re gonna get bombed. So you might as well lean into it.
The Ride Is Permanently Broken — Yeti
Did you know that Kali River Rapids doesn’t work the way that Imagineers intended it?
Yes, this ride suffers from a fatal flaw, just as is the case with Expedition Everest and its broken yeti.
For its first several years, Kali River Rapids included a fire effect. It existed in two forms.
Imagineers employed Smellitzers to pump in the scents of smoke and fire to enhance the danger of illegal logging. Your forest is on fire!
Photo: NOAH BERGER/AP
When the ride worked right, fire effects would occur at specific points on the ride.
People weren’t crazy about them because it was actual fire, adding a few degrees to the temperature at Animal Kingdom. You can imagine how that felt during the summer.
Photo: Disney
Over the years, the fire effects became problematic to maintain. Eventually, Disney stopped using them altogether.
However, an exception sometimes exists. Each year, Imagineers close Kali River Rapids for winter renovations.
Sometimes, the attraction reopens with the fire effects working. Alas, it never lasts. For whatever reason, they’re just not sustainable long term.
Photo: http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/
Finally, apropos of nothing, I’ve got one other fun fact for you. Imagineers want you to know that they worked on the project.
Some of them signed their names on the canoe paddles that you’ll notice while standing in line.
When you read the paddles, you’re learning who built Kali River Rapids!
