Kali River Rapids reopens.... and guess what??

[Skyway]

At this point, I'm not sure TWDC can even be shamed into cleaning up its act. Remember that embarrassing article in that Florida newspaper about the broken yeti? It was pretty unsparing. How did WDW react? With a shrug and excuses. Pitiful.

Interesting you bring up the Yeti article.

Nine years ago the Orlando Sentinel did an article about the shabby state of the parks:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...0566_1_walt-disney-magic-kingdom-disney-world

Disney management hit the roof with anger about it. Mind you, they didn't really do anything to address the problems. But they at least went on defense publicly.

Nine years later, the problems are even worse.

 

[WDW1974]

Don't get carried away with rhetoric. It would truly be sad to see such a unending line of unhappy people. Most people are actually having a great time even if the park comes up short.

No rhetoric, simply advice to people who wish to force positive change on a company that is more interested in datamining and selling timeshares than providing the highest quality immersive family entertainment in the world.

What is more effective: giving money and attendance but making a complaint, or just skipping the park? DAK is the only WDW park I consciously elect to skip each trip down. The broken yeti is a big deal to me but there is also Chester and Hester's tacky off the shelf land and reduced park hours. Plus the park is hot as hades most of the time.

I love the park, but not the state it is in. Do I want to skip it so they can replace me with a rube who won't know any better? Does that help me, Disney or the shareholders in it for the long term. I'd rather skip the MK myself!

I will welcome Avatarland but will be. Sure to get there during the magic window between opening it up to guests and before all the effects break or get turned off. After 15 years, we have figured out the way this park operates

Don't count on it!

 

[WDW1974]

Interesting you bring up the Yeti article.

Nine years ago the Orlando Sentinel did an article about the shabby state of the parks:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...0566_1_walt-disney-magic-kingdom-disney-world

Disney management hit the roof with anger about it. Mind you, they didn't really do anything to address the problems. But they at least went on defense publicly.

Nine years later, the problems are even worse.

Ah, history.

I know the Spirit who helped 'plant' that story ... I know him intimately. And I know that same Spirit was shocked when fan forum posts of his were quoted in that very story (that was NOT intended). And I know that it ed Disney off so much that they gave Al Weiss a huge amount of space the net day to refute (i.e. LIE) many facts of the story.

But without going back and reading, I believe 'This Old Park' was almost entirely about MK ... I don't think it delved into the fact the resort was (still is) falling apart in many areas.

 

[smp2k6]

Never was a fan of this ride. I remember the first time I road it... I was like "What? That's it?" It's such a short ride. And the anti-logging message is way over the top. I come from a family of loggers and I can tell you they aren't crazy people who want to destroy nature. Just businesses providing resources (in this case wood which is used to construct the majority of our homes). OK, I'll get off my soapbox now

My wife and I much prefer the raft ride at Universal's Island of Adventure (Bluto's). That's a nice long ride and you definitely get wet!

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Yes, they do. But there are ways of keeping them and guests separated ... not a hard illusion to pull off. Just not a cheap one.

Disney went Six Flags with the ride and let Rohde make the queue all exotic ... sorry, but the queue isn't the ride.

Are you sure? Disney's spending the last three years or so suggests otherwise.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Never was a fan of this ride. I remember the first time I road it... I was like "What? That's it?" It's such a short ride. And the anti-logging message is way over the top. I come from a family of loggers and I can tell you they aren't crazy people who want to destroy nature. Just businesses providing resources (in this case wood which is used to construct the majority of our homes). OK, I'll get off my soapbox now

Well to be fair, the loggers in the ride are doing it illegally and in areas they should not be cutting down.

 

[copcarguyp71]

My main gripe is you do get wet. I rarely get off that ride dry. Since AK is typically our last day park driving for 2 hours while soaking wet is not very appealing.

Why not take a change of clothes?

If you know or think you are going to get wet, and you know you will be miserable and you know you are driving home then why not just take a change of clothes? It is a water ride in which the idea is to possibly (and that is part of the suspenseful fun) get wet.

Not trying to be critical but I just never understand people who go on Kali or Splash Mountain and then are unhappy because they get wet.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Why not take a change of clothes?

If you know or think you are going to get wet, and you know you will be miserable and you know you are driving home then why not just take a change of clothes? It is a water ride in which the idea is to possibly (and that is part of the suspenseful fun) get wet.

Not trying to be critical but I just never understand people who go on Kali or Splash Mountain and then are unhappy because they get wet.

I don't know about @Master Yoda but lugging around a change of dry (and later wet) clothes for a single attraction is a royal pain. I don't mind getting splashed but, seriously, if I want to get soaked, I'll go to a swimming pool or water park. Or I'll jump into one of the growing list of splash zones.

My children have gotten absolutely drenched on both Kali and Bluto and it stinks walking around with wet clothes, or worse, wet shoes for the rest of the day.

I was glad they turned down the water cannon on Splash Mountain.

 

[Master Yoda]

Why not take a change of clothes?

If you know or think you are going to get wet, and you know you will be miserable and you know you are driving home then why not just take a change of clothes? It is a water ride in which the idea is to possibly (and that is part of the suspenseful fun) get wet.

Not trying to be critical but I just never understand people who go on Kali or Splash Mountain and then are unhappy because they get wet.

I am not happy or unhappy that I get wet on a ride like Kali. I simply do not go on it because I do not want to deal with the hassle carrying around a change of clothes all day for a 3 minute attraction.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I don't know about @Master Yoda but lugging around a change of dry (and later wet) clothes for a single attraction is a royal pain. I don't mind getting a splashed but, seriously, if I want to get soaked, I'll go to a swimming pool or water park. Or I'll jump into one of the growing list of splash zones.

My children have gotten absolutely drenched on both Kali and Bluto and it stinks walking around with wet clothes, or worse, wet shoes for the rest of the day.

I was glad they turned down the water cannon on Splash Mountain.

I guess my thinking here is there are lockers you can stow your dry clothes in or at least in the car if you drove. It is just a way to enjoy the rides for what they are but not be unhappy the rest of the day.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I am not happy or unhappy that I get wet on a ride like Kali. I simply do not go on it because I do not want to deal with the hassle carrying around a change of clothes all day for a 3 minute attraction.

You sir...have common sense! It always amazes me when others complain incessantly about getting wet on a water ride and I always think to myself..."did you see the water and the wet people getting off???".

I myself do not do Kali for this reason too....not a big fan of soggy pruned up feet. Although I have to say I have never gotten as wet as people complain about on Splash Mountain.

We did Kali twice and the second time was just because we thought maybe we missed something...nope, just not all that much fun wet or dry.

 

[Master Yoda]

You sir...have common sense! It always amazes me when others complain incessantly about getting wet on a water ride and I always think to myself..."did you see the water and the wet people getting off???".

I myself do not do Kali for this reason too....not a big fan of soggy pruned up feet. Although I have to say I have never gotten as wet as people complain about on Splash Mountain.

We did Kali twice and the second time was just because we thought maybe we missed something...nope, just not all that much fun wet or dry.

I always seem to be the person at the bottom of the drop that gets soaked, hence my apprehension to get on the ride when getting drenched will be an issue. I personally enjoy the ride type, just not the aftermath.

 

[devoy1701]

Yes, but the discretionary power of a park vice-president is stronger the other way round: a veep can decide to not close attractions for any significant amount of time, for which he does not need approval. Except for the rare instance where he is instructed to do so, that call they pretty much can make on their own.

Lilly - AK survived without Everest for almost 5 years. It can do so again for 5 to 6 months.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Lilly - AK survived without Everest for almost 5 years. It can do so again for 5 to 6 months.

Oh, you are quite right! It can easily do so indeed! And ought to do so.

I am descriptive, not normative. I do not wish to defend TDO, but want to understand their reasoning, understand the business culture and organisation that results in the subject of this thread.


Michael Colglazier was vice-president of DAK for three years. He could've ordered an eight month refurb for Everest in 2010, six months for Kali in 2011, and seven months for Dinosaur in 2012, plus a year long emergency re-assembly of the Tree of Life. Then at his departure, in 2013, he would've taken a poorly upkept park and left DAK as the best managed park of WDW. But also as the park that for his three year tenure would have had lower customer attendance and satisfaction than before and after him. On those numbers, Colglazier would've only ever been left in charge of a popcorn cart anymore.

Instead, he ran DAK into the ground. But by refusing downtimes he inflated attendance numbers to third spot in Orlando. A complete surpise which nobody expected. Numbers for which instead he has now been promoted to president of the entire Disneyland resort.

Where's Al Lutz? Surely he doesn't disdain WDW that much that he is unaware of exactly who has been made prez and based on what?

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

I have been on Kali River Rapids a few times and was never impressed. It's too short. Compared to Bluto's over at IOA, Bluto's blows Kali out of the water. We LOVE Bluto's, even if it means walking around soaked for a couple hours. It's just a fun attraction. If Kali was a FUN attraction with lots of (working) details, we might ride it. But it's not and sadly, I don't think it ever will be.

Refurbs don't mean anything anymore. They should stop calling them refurbs and start calling them "we're not really going to fix anything, just slap on a fresh coat of paint, add one or two things in the queue and hope you don't notice the ride still looks like crap!!!"

 

[PhotoDave219]

While you received a lot of flak for this, I'll rush to your defense!

WDW doesn't operate as a whole. No, DAK is operated as a seperate entity. With a vice-president solely responsible for DAK. If Michael Colglazier (DAK vice-president until last month) had closed Everest for six months in the three years he had been DAK vice-president, then indeed guests would've simply gone to the other WDW parks instead. BUT...DAK's attendance would've taken a major beating, and DAK would not have been the park that in a complete surprise move overtook DHS to become third park in Orlando - which it did under Michael Colglazier's watch. And he woudn't have been made president of the entire DL resort on account of this spectacular result.

This is why nonsense such as is the sorry state of Kali happens. The man responsible got rewarded for it. The other vice-presidents at WDW all have taken notice: TWDC promotes those who increase the numbers of their own unit, and do so in the short term. Unless you want to be the village idiot, a WDW manager knows: the good of the whole or of the long term be damned.

Of course, if DAK had an entire separate section that was open and had an e-ticket of its own.... thats a different story. Closing Everest for 6 months turns DAK back into a 1/2 day park and you just cant do that.

 

[Prototype82]

I don't get why everyone thinks Kali is lame. I always enjoyed it. I don't need to spend an hour on a river rapids ride for it to be worth while...

 

[BryceM]

I don't get why everyone thinks Kali is lame. I always enjoyed it. I don't need to spend an hour on a river rapids ride for it to be worth while...

Because if you've been on Popeye at IOA, or Grizzly River Run at DCA, you're bound to be disappointed.

However, I don't think Kali is as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Of course, if DAK had an entire separate section that was open and had an e-ticket of its own.... thats a different story. Closing Everest for 6 months turns DAK back into a 1/2 day park and you just cant do that.

If 2016-2018 is the time frame for expansion, I really think they best way for them to absorb Everest downtime before then is to modify the Maharajah Jungle Trek (or build a new walk through) now to include a Panda (and possibly Asian Elephant, Red Panda, Snow Leopard, and Orangutan) exhibit.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I liked Kali, despite the shortness of the ride... That is, until I rode Bluto's last year... Bluto's blows Kali away... And getting wet doesn't bother me at all... Wearing a bathing suit/trunks, helps tremendously... and in the Florida sun, I never stay wet for long anyway...