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

[PREMiERdrum]

My understanding of the way those raft rides work is that you couldn't expand it without tearing it out and starting over.

Well, you could interrupt the course with a new section that starts with a lift, but that's about the only way. Of course, a second lift would help beef up ride length, capacity, and chance for meaningful show, but I don't give it a snowball's chance in Hell, MI.

 

[flynnibus]

My understanding of the way those raft rides work is that you couldn't expand it without tearing it out and starting over.

Just put in a new lift.. and I'm sure they could work it out with the existing water flows.. using lifts/etc as ways to create separate zones.

 

[Alektronic]

Just put in a new lift.. and I'm sure they could work it out with the existing water flows.. using lifts/etc as ways to create separate zones.

Yeah. Just put in a new lift, no problem, and have water run uphill or just put in 7 more pumps, then you would have get water from somewhere and while you're at it, just put in another reservoir and take out the Jungle Trek.

 

[flynnibus]

Yeah. Just put in a new lift, no problem, and have water run uphill or just put in 7 more pumps, then you would have get water from somewhere and while you're at it, just put in another reservoir and take out the Jungle Trek.

well obviously its a major deal - but impossible to expand raft rides? no.. which is what the reply was to...

 

[Tom Morrow]

You would need more than just another lift hill and a new set of pumps. You would need to build an entire additional water reservoir and flume circuit.

 

[articos]

You would need more than just another lift hill and a new set of pumps. You would need to build an entire additional water reservoir and flume circuit.

Like @Alektronic and Tom said, it's not as easy as adding a lift hill. There's a whole bunch of fluid dynamics that have to be factored in. As far as the "ride" portion goes, it's equivalent to building new.

 

[Calvin Coolidge]

Yeah. Just put in a new lift, no problem, and have water run uphill or just put in 7 more pumps, then you would have get water from somewhere and while you're at it, just put in another reservoir and take out the Jungle Trek.

just put in another reservoir and take out the Jungle Trek.

take out the Jungle Trek.

I'm going to have nightmares about this.

 

[daisyduckie]

It was all due to money, nothing else. They weren't even close to setting anything on fire.

And you know this for sure how??????????

Face it, all any of us can do is guess. None of us are privy to the workings of Disney Corp and the reasons behind why they do what they do. Kali has been lame from the beginning, and if someone was holding out hopes that a refurb was somehow going to make it great, they were kidding themselves.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

And you know this for sure how??????????

Face it, all any of us can do is guess. None of us are privy to the workings of Disney Corp and the reasons behind why they do what they do. Kali has been lame from the beginning, and if someone was holding out hopes that a refurb was somehow going to make it great, they were kidding themselves.

No one expected a refurb to make it come out as the brand new flagship attraction, but I'm betting that even less thought it would come out lesser from a rehab.

 

[Jrn14]

Point taken... I supposed extending KRR would possibly be more trouble than what it's worth? It's really a shame, because they really really really missed the mark here... so much potential.. in a park that desperately could use another big ticket attraction... it's like they built half of it and then just gave up... I feel like it's almost useless in it's current form... but I agree there are a lot of bigger fish to fry around the resort... so who knows if anything will ever be done with Kali.

 

[BryceM]

I agree. Fix the effects then leave the attraction alone. It is what it is, and it's a ride! At Animal Kingdom! Woah!

Honestly though, it's not that bad. The theming is pretty darn good, if you ask me. It's just not Popeye or Grizzly good.

 

[JenniferS]

That was pretty much the original, plan look up Tiger River Rapids, and there is plenty of land behind the present ride. It was just cut back by a lot. Here's a link: http://www.theneverlandfiles.com/tnf/disneyworld/tigerriverrapids.php

Oh crap, that would have been amazing!
Unfortunately KRR is just meh. I won't ride it anymore, as invariably, I am the one person in the raft who gets soaked to the bone. If I'm going to be wet and uncomfortable for a few hours, you better blow my socks off first.

 

[articos]

And you know this for sure how??????????

Face it, all any of us can do is guess. None of us are privy to the workings of Disney Corp and the reasons behind why they do what they do. Kali has been lame from the beginning, and if someone was holding out hopes that a refurb was somehow going to make it great, they were kidding themselves.

@Alektronic works for the company and knows these effects very well. Of anyone around here or elsewhere, he/she is in a very good position to know. Others in a position to know have also correlated his knowledge of this cutback. I can also say there was no corresponding reasoning of the fire fx within the attraction to any danger of fire outside the attraction. We build these with very specific guidelines, and if there was a remote chance of that fire spreading under everyday circumstances, it wouldn't get built in the first place.

 

[Absimilliard]

Someone was asking how Kali River Rapids compare length wise to the average Six Flags rapids ride. Using videos, not counting the lift at the start, you're looking at 2:35 for Kali. One interesting thing is that the river rapids ride was invented by Six Flags. The general manager of one of their park came up with the idea and then partnered with Intamin (making of Kali River Rapids) to develop it. That was back in 1980.

Looking at other examples, not counting their lifts. All those rides are Intamin rapids rides using the same 12 seaters boats that Kali have.

Six Flags Magic Mountain "Roaring Rapids": 2:40. What is crazy here is that we're talking a bare bone ride! It was the third one to ever open and it doesn't even have any waterfalls or water jets, etc. Just amazing rapids and waves and some rock work at the end and forest as scenery the rest of the time.

Six Flags Over Texas "Roaring Rapids": 2:40 again. There is a whirlpool section and several massive waves. Rockwork and forest as scenery.

Six Flags Over Georgia "Thunder River": 3:35 . Very impressive ride with amazing waves, two tunnels and a great waterfall. The endinvolve a fast tunnel, crazy wave 1 (think bottom of drop at Kali), crazy wave 2 and then the boat end up under a waterfall!

Six Flags St Louis "Thunder River": 3:25. Not as exciting as Georgia's rapids, but long and varied.

Six Flags Great Adventure "Congo Rapids": 3:05. Second rapids ride to open and now the oldest since the original was demolished along with the rest of Six Flags in Houston. Great waves, but sadly, the waterfalls at the end have been broken for a while.


So, Kali River Rapids is among the shortest rapids ride out there. Plus, what doesn't help it is that the ride itself is just no good beside the drop. There is maybe one good wave after the drop and the waterfall at the start barely get you wet. The water effects at the end help a bit, but it is not much. They could improve it by adding a rapid section to those dead zones and a waterfall that actually get you wet later.

How are rapids created on those rides? Pipes of various sizes are bolted to the bottom of the channel. As the water pass over them, they create white water that will get you wet.

 

[articos]

These days, most rapids rides have diverters and swales and other features formed into the bed of the channel, as opposed to pipes bolted to the bed of the channel. The less that can get uprooted and into the water flow, the better.

 

[George]

I think the easiest way to improve Kali would be to have more cool stuff to look at. It wasn't quite there visually before effects started to be turned off.

 

[bdearl41]

I think putting in the big drop was the biggest mistake. The great versions of rapid rides (see the Popeye one at IOA) have mulitple features, tunnels, whirlpools, etc. This rides essentially has one drop, that is it. Disney gave up having a complete ride to have the biggest rapid drop in the business. Really ruined the ride. That said I will say the queue for this ride is one of the best out there.

 

[George]

I think putting in the big drop was the biggest mistake. The great versions of rapid rides (see the Popeye one at IOA) have mulitple features, tunnels, whirlpools, etc. This rides essentially has one drop, that is it. Disney gave up having a complete ride to have the biggest rapid drop in the business. Really ruined the ride. That said I will say the queue for this ride is one of the best out there.

I completely agree. It seems like they went for thrill and thrill stats (biggest drop), got next to no thrill and went el cheapo on the themeing. They really outthunk themselves with this one.

 

[dcibrando]

I know how to improve it... replace it with another ride attraction

 

[Bairstow]

Someone was asking how Kali River Rapids compare length wise to the average Six Flags rapids ride. Using videos, not counting the lift at the start, you're looking at 2:35 for Kali. One interesting thing is that the river rapids ride was invented by Six Flags. The general manager of one of their park came up with the idea and then partnered with Intamin (making of Kali River Rapids) to develop it. That was back in 1980.

That was me asking. Great post. Thank you.