Let's now see our big attractions, including the towering Kunlun.
(My apologies if I said that Yellow River was a E-Ticket when it says D-Ticket.)
46 - Yellow River Rapids
D-Ticket
Must be 38 in
BACKSTORY:
While searching China for Yen Su’s treasure, Jeff Cotton came across a village in China that claimed to be the village of the ancient Chinese warrior Fa Mulan. There, he learned about the interesting story of the warrior, telling of her strength and courage in times of hardship.
However, there was another legend that surrounded the area that the village was famous for. They believed that the Yellow River had a mysterious source, some say it came from heaven. Others believed that it came from the stars themselves. They said how at one end of the river, the dragon of old was asleep, willing to take anyone who came across it to the stars. The people did warn that going to the stars could be dangerous, and their return to Earth would not be easy.
Despite these warnings, Cotton decided to have rafting expeditions to find the source of the dragon of old and have them go to the stars. On a gentle river through China, what could possibly go wrong?
QUEUE:
Located at the back of the village, before guests cross over into the mountain village of the Chinese section, is an old temple. Guests walk back to that temple, which contains Daoist and Confucist podiums as well as cultural things like dragons. Guests walk around the temple and learn the story of the Yellow River through several mosaics on the walls, which have signs to explain them. Eventually, they will go outside of the temple and cross a bridge, where rafts can be seen below. They board the loading and unloading area on the left. Here, they get on their rafts and buckle up.
RIDE EXPERIENCE:
Going under the bridge, the rafts go through a small forest full of monkeys and pandas. This is done with audio-animatronics in a Jungle Cruise fashion. Even though not all guests can see them, the sounds of the creatures and the possibility that other guests can see them is proof that they are there. The rafts are supposed to go forward into the river, but a fallen tree stands in the way, directing them into another path.
Here, the waves get rougher as they go down the rapids. Guests are splashed by waves, waterfalls, and geysers as they head down the river. (Nobody will come off of this ride dry). They soon settle down though and ascend a lift up to some old Chinese ruins. Here, they keep going down with the waves as they pass through old mines and abandoned caves. Soon, all is darkness.
Suddenly, a voice comes from overhead, telling them not to be afraid. The rafts go past a red Chinese dragon, which sits on a ledge to the right. It explains that it is the dragon of old, and that it will take them to the stars. Guests pass through a water scene with magical visual effects (think of the waterfall scene from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where they go into Ta Lo.) Soon, they ascend another lift, going through a cosmic field and seeing galaxies and stars. The raft turns around and views the earth, as well as clouds all around it.
Soon, the rafts go into mist and the waves become rough once more. Without warning, they go down some other steep rapids through clouds and then exit into a forest. Here, they pass by some Chinese villagers who are farming on the sides, welcoming them as they pass, and then they head into the forest. Guests can see Kunlun from where they are, but the view doesn’t last long, because pretty soon, the rafts drop down a small hill.
At the end, they go past some old ruins as well as some stone dragons that squirt at riders as they pass by. From there, they go under a second bridge and into the loading area once more.
POST-RIDE:
When guests exit the vehicle, they walk over to the second bridge and go into River Traders, a gift shop. This is where they can buy merchandise themed to the attraction as well as water supplies. There is also a balcony where guests can use the dragons to squirt people.
47 - Kunlun Quest: Legend of the Great Beast
E-Ticket
Must be 48 in
BACKSTORY:
A long time ago in Medieval China, there lived a great and mighty conqueror. He went by many names. The King of Plunder, the Red Warrior, the Barbarian Prince, but his most common name was Yen Su. Throughout his life, he built himself an empire in eastern China, one that even the Emperor of China couldn’t ignore. He brought the world under fear, being known as a ruthless being until the Mongol Empire rose three centuries later.
Under his command was a group of plunderers and conquerors that would travel the world, ransacking cities of their treasure and bringing it back to their master. It was said that by the time he was seventy, Yen Su had taken treasure from all over the Old World, all from Europe, Africa, and Asia, and built himself the greatest fortune known to man.
However, this man was mortal, and he still was subject unto death. As his life drained out of him, Yen Su commanded that his treasure was hidden in the mountains of Kunlun, a mountain range rich with mythology located on the border of Tibet and mainland China (which back then were two separate countries). It was said that Kunlun was the dwelling place of many mythical creatures, but the highest point was where his treasure was buried alongside a great guardian that had passed over from the Himalayas, a fearsome yeti, as its protector.
During his time of exploration, Phileas Fogg, founder of the Grand Adventure Society, had a secret ambition to find the treasure. He made several trips to China and went deep into the Kunlun mountains, but he never did find the treasure. Alfred Nobleman and Alberta Johnson did not have interests in finding the treasure, but Jeff Cotton, the current leader of the Grand Adventure Society, does. He had it to such an extent that he searched for the treasure and believed to find the top of Kunlun peak, one that can only be reached through magical forces.
Now, this is one of two major story attractions. The guests are sent to the Kunlun mountains to finally find the treasure, but they shall soon discover the dangers and mysteries of the mountain as they race to survive.
QUEUE:
Within the mountain village (which features two shops, two restaurants, and a theater) is a big building on the west end, which has some signs advertising the expedition. Here, guests go into the building, an old Chinese fort that has been repurposed as a hotel.
Guests go through several rooms on their way. This includes the lobby, a banquet hall, some outdoor gardens, a shrine, and a small museum about the Kunlun mountain range. This shows statues based off of several myths and legends surrounding it.
Eventually, guests go forward into another building, this one smaller than the hotel that they were just in. Marked by dragons, they go into the first of two rooms for the pre-show.
PRE-SHOW:
In the first room, guests are surrounded by ancient Chinese artifacts. To their left is a rocking chair next to a fireplace, where an old man is asleep. This old man is no other than Jeff Cotton, the leader of the Grand Adventure Society. Sitting next to him is a projector, which is pointed at a white sheet covering a wall.
Soon, a cast member will come in and wake him up. With this, Cotton looks around and notices the guests.
Cotton: “Well, hello there, bold explorers. You must be the new members of the Grand Adventure Society. It is an honor to finally meet you. I’m sure you are wondering what you are doing here in China. Well, let me explain.”
Cotton turns on the projector and it starts a slideshow on the wall. First up is an old Chinese drawing of a strong-looking man on a horse.
Cotton: “A long time ago, there was a great and mighty conqueror here in China. He went by many names, such as the King of Plunder, the Red Warrior, the Barbarian Prince, but he was best known as Yen Su. Throughout his life, he built a mighty empire here in western China.
The picture then changes to a drawing of gold and other trinkets among it.
Cotton: “It was said that during his lifetime, he had a bunch of his men travel the world and plunder every port they came across. By the time of his death, Yen Su had gathered a great collection of treasure, one of the greatest treasures known to man.”
The picture changes to the Kunlun mountains, which are tall and mighty.
Cotton: “Legend has it that after Yen Su died, his treasure was taken to the mountains of Kunlun, a place rich with mythology in China. Although nobody knows exactly where it is hidden, it is said that he placed it on the top of the highest peak, a peak unreachable by any who do not possess magic.”
The picture changes to a black-and-white photo of Phileas Fogg, next to two other photos of a man (whom some might recognize from the Tower of Terror as one of the five unlucky souls who went into the Twilight Zone), and a woman.
Cotton: “For many years, our founder, Phileas Fogg, looked for it. However, he never found it during his life, even though it was his greatest ambition. Sadly, his successors, Alfred Nobleman and Alberta Johnson, didn’t have much interest in finding the treasure.”
The picture changes to Jeff Cotton with some more modern-looking explorers.
Cotton: “Lucky for you, I do have interest in finding the treasure. If it was our master’s greatest motive, then this organization should’ve done it. I want to be the one who achieves our founder’s goal, and for that reason, I am sending you into Kunlun to find the treasure.”
The picture then changes to a shadowy figure in the snow, and then a clawed foot on the snow, and lastly, an ancient picture of a yeti, a snow-dwelling being in Tibetan folklore that dwells in the mountains.
Cotton: “But beware. Legend has it that a great beast protects the treasure. It is said that the yeti, a ferocious white monster of old, immigrated there from the Himalayas and currently serves as the guardian of the treasure. Sure, the existence of the yeti has been the subject of debate for a long time, but who knows, some legends might be true. So many other legends have proven to be true by this Society.”
The picture then changes to pictures of many other mythical Chinese creatures.
Cotton: “But the yeti isn’t the only thing that dwells in this mountain. It is believed that other creatures of Chinese legend exist up there too. Most of them are harmless, but there are some that you may not want to encounter, but don’t let that worry you. Everything will be okay.”
The slideshow turns off as Cotton continues speaking.
Cotton: “In the next room is Li Shan, an ancient martial artist and self-proclaimed sorcerer who will present to you your vehicles to go up into Kunlun. He is waiting for you in the next room, so go on. I wish you luck on your expedition and hope that you find the treasure.”
A cast member then opens the door and guests go out to another room. Here, they are immersed in a calm temple where drawings of trees, mountains, and waves are all around. In the center of the temple is a man, who sits down while eating some rice, which is in a bowl on his lap. This is Li Shan, the person that Jeff Cotton had mentioned earlier.
Li Shan: “I’ve been expecting you, travelers.”
Li Shan stops eating and looks around. He then looks around the room.
Li Shan: “I know why you are here. You need vehicles to get up to the Kunlun mountains. Do not fear, for I will provide them for you.”
Li Shan then moves his hands around, and as they do, the pictures come to life. On the ceiling appears the five elements of Chinese folklore: Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire. The Chinese characters for them appear on the roof as the pictures come to life. The mountains shake, the forest grows, the waves splash, the iron doors of the temple open and close, revealing otherworldly realms beyond them, and the temple lights up. Once all of the elements are on the ceiling, Li Shan speaks.
Li Shan: “Your vehicles are ready. Now go forth and find the treasure, and don’t be afraid. You will be protected.”
After the visually stunning experience, guests walk down a passage and into the temple, where they place their belongings before getting on the ride. They then exit into a secret passage, where some moving carriages done in Chinese format are seen. They are all tied together with four people fitting in one cart, five carts in a row. Guests get on a conveyor belt to board the carts and then pull down their lap bars to get ready.
RIDE EXPERIENCE:
The ride begins by having the vehicles move through a Chinese forest, going up and down some hills. Eventually, it will come to an abandoned tower with a built-in elevator. The carts enter the tower and ascend the elevator, going up four stories. This takes them to the base camp of the mountain, where the adventure begins. (This mountain is the same height as Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which is fourteen stories high. It is not taller than that to avoid getting in the direction of airplanes.)
The carts make their way through the rocky base of the mountain, which has a waterfall coming down on the right. The carts go into a cave, which has ancient Chinese writings on the walls. Skeletons of Chinese warriors and others who failed to get the treasure are found around the cave on both sides, looking like they were caught by cave-ins. A big pile of rubble lies in front of the tracks as the carts stop. However, the rubble magically parts as the carts begin to move. The voice of Li Shan comes from overhead as they stay there.
Li Shan: “Prepare to enter Kunlun, my friends.”
The carts keep going forward, the path of rubble closing behind them. From there, they will go deeper into the cave, going past several mythical creatures from Chinese mythology, including Xainglu, the nine-headed snake, the mythical Monkey King (whose design is similar to that of the variant in Hong Kong Disneyland’s Mystic Manor), and several other beings. However, when the area reaches a dead end, there is nowhere else to go but down. This ends the peaceful moment and sends the carts through a coaster. It goes straight down and then goes up. After ascending that hill, it goes right and outside of the cave, going around the snowy basin of the mountain. It passes by a Chinese temple, going into a cave marked with the number 4 (which in Chinese culture, means bad luck.)
When inside the cave, guests see booby-trapped areas. Skeletons are seen crushed by a fallen boulder. Puffs of air come out of holes in the walls. The coaster drops and turns left through a place full of spears before turning into what looks like a pool of magma. This is actually water with a red color in it to make it look like magma, but it is still supposed to be convincing. Here, the carts meet a dead end, so there is nowhere left to go but backwards. It goes past the spears again but takes an alternate route, where it goes past terracotta warriors before exiting the cave and going out into a snowy area.
Here, the carts turn around and go towards the mountain. Taking a lift, the carts go to the top of the mountain, winds howling and a small puff being released on guests as they come up (this puff would not be present on colder days.) Here, they pass through a Chinese gate, which is guarded by two stone dragons. On a stone next to the entrance to another cave, this one marked with 8 (which means good luck in Chinese culture), they see traditional Chinese characters written. This writing tells of the treasures within but the warning that they may not get out with much treasure.
Looking around, guests see a bunch of gold and other things. There are trinkets and scrolls and statues from all over the world, not just China but also from India, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. At the end of the tunnel is a statue of Yen Su himself, standing at the other end of the bridge.
However, before guests can get to the other side of the bridge, something appears on the top of the statue. The shadow of a big, furry creature comes, looking menacingly at the guests. It grabs a lever and pulls it, and with it, the bridge falls.
Five stories down, the guests see themselves in a cavern full of skeletons, similar carts found on the walls and shattered. The carts head up a little, and with footsteps above and the roar of the yeti, the carts take off in a launch.
The carts go around tight turns and through the cave before having a small drop. It turns around and passes by the yeti itself, which reaches out to guests from the side. This is similar to the yeti in Expedition Everest, but unlike that, it would be reaching out and not just look like it through strobe light. Following this yeti encounter is a drop outside of the mountain and then a shaky trip through a small ravine. The carts pass by a falling boulder on their left, but turn away from it. The cart drops one more time and then ends up going through the forest again. After grinding to a halt, the carts pass by a temple, where Li Shan is standing with a bunch of the treasure.
Li Shan: “I enchanted your carts to suck up treasure like a magnet. It happened while you were on the bridge. Do not worry, because I got most of it. It doesn’t matter that we don’t have it all, but it matters that you are alive. Thank you for helping us and do be careful.”
From there, the carts return to the unloading station. When lap bars are raised, guests get off of the conveyor belt and take a walk to the other side of the locker room, where they collect their belongings.
Guests go through a passage and to the hotel’s treasury, which sells merchandise themed to the attraction. There, they can buy plush toys based on Chinese mythological creatures, Yetis, and other Chinese things as well as other things. They can also collect their photos, which were taken during the first drop of the ride.
Join us tomorrow as we head to Kumandra to see what attractions they have.
