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

[WDW1974]

Point being, you have to compromise somewhere and the Yeti is where I draw my line.

If i get better park maintenance, better park cleaning and a complete management culture change, I'll be more than happy to never see the yeti move again.

It all goes together, Dave. They all come from the top down and if you get them, then you'll get a functioning yeti because leadership will understand that seeing him lunging at you, for however, briefly, is the whole climax of the ride.

I don't know about you, bud, but I do not like all the buildup and no climax. I feel very used and unhappy!

 

[Californian Elitist]

Why Not?? You want to try and explain to the 3 million people WHY they cant ride the only rollercoaster at that park? They planned their trip 180 days out and you want to close it just to fix an animatronic that people only see in a blur as they finish the ride?

Show is one of the four keys. It's supposed to be very important, but people in Florida don't seem to give a crap about that, hence the broken yeti.

The "people will get angry" excuse is really pathetic. They'll get over it. God forbid they'll receive some complaints. Seriously? Complaints vs. good show. Hhhmm...

This is why you guys in Florida get the short end of the stick.

 

[articos]

IT IS GODAWFUL SHOW!!!

That's all. I just wanted to reiterate.

 

[Beholder]

Any one remember Iron Eyes Cody (the Italian actor) in the PSA "Keep America Beautiful" tv ads? I picture Walt, standing on the walls of Cinderella castle, looking sadly over the expanse of WDW, with that single tear slowly slipping down his cheek.

I know, a bit dramatic, but I do feel that way myself at times.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I truly hate the attraction. Even told Joe Rohde that, which led to a 30-minute 'discussion' of what the original attraction was supposed to be (think real tigers, think twice the length etc).

No thank you, sir. Tigers like water.

But let's wait for Splash Mountain to open with filthy logs, missing and non-functioning AAs etc before we really get upset because that attraction used to be worth a visit to the MK by itself. And we all saw how great Disney took care of BTMRR!

No more jumping water in the Laughing Place... it could fall on guests' heads!

 

[ParentsOf4]

Seeing this news I am glad we decided to go to Universal Orlando and Sea World this coming summer for our next trip to Orlando. Of course we will hit the Magic Kingdom for one day. The little mermaid ride, Test Track 2.0, Capt Jack Sparrow show, and rehabbed Kali. None of these gives us any reason to venture into WDW. Kinda sad that these are the new offerings at WDW for this summer.

Maybe we'll see you at Universal this summer!

My family truly enjoys WDW, we really do. We have WDW tickets burning holes in our pockets but as long as WDW continues to mail it in, it's hard to get excited for the WDW theme parks anymore. We'll still be there this Thanksgiving because we love the Christmas decorations and it's a great way to start the season. Until then, we have 2 more trips planned to Universal.

The Kali River Rapids "refurb" is just another example of WDW management simply not caring anymore. Lately it seems as if they get more wrong than right. It's so sad, really, considering WDW truly used to be the most magical place in the world to visit.

P.S. We still really like WDW's resorts (but not the room prices ) and water parks!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

-
Ah yes...i know this fountain well.
It was possibly shut off due to some safety concerns involving particularly overactive and unsupervised children on hot days.
I used to see kids climbing directly INTO this fountain many times, standing up it it, hanging off the sides...with parents oblivious.
I was not at all surprised when on my last few visits it was turned off.

It seems fountains in Guest areas at WDW are becoming a thing of the far past.
So many have been removed ( The Land ) or turned into planters (Caribbean Plaza )due to today*s Guests thinking they are to be used for mini kiddie pools...

Can't blame the guests for thinking fountains are kiddie playgrounds with WDW building splash and soak playgrounds everywhere.

Just why people think their kids should strip their clothes off and run around half naked splashing about in every puddle they come across is beyond me (unless they live in the Alabama Backwoods), but then, I suppose this is the audience that a dumbned down WDW would come to attract. You can not re-imagine yourself from a quality middle class resort into a white trash / obnoxious South American / Eurotrash resort without consequence.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Animal Kingdom has become such an unfortunate situation. It was built right around the point in which things started going sour for the Disney company (or I should rather say its customers, the company was fine and just killed the trend of good quality for extra money). It's a gorgeous park with a ton of untapped potential. I just feel it was a wonderful idea that arrived a little too late and was caught in the downward spiral still present at WDW. I'd love to have seen what the park could have been like had it been built earlier in the 90's or even 80's. Still would have been destroyed by the maintenance nightmares plaguing the place, but i'd love to have seen it at the best potential possible even if only for a short time.

Now there's an interesting thought. What if DAK had been built in 1982, or even 1989? Oh man...the possibilities! And not just Beastly (forever overrated) Kingdom or the proper Tiger River Run, but an animal park fully developed with the sensibilities and sophistication of classic Disney.

 

[Horizons78]

Can't blame the guests for thinking fountains are kiddie playgrounds with WDW building splash and soak playgrounds everywhere.

You know, a little low voltage could rectify the problem. Just enough to get peoples attention. LOL. Just sayin...

 

[The Empress Lilly]

No thank you, sir. Tigers like water.

Oh come on! Where's your sense of adventure?

UNI has got nothing on WDW offering guests the chance to sit themselves and their snack-sized children on a tiny raft and gently float by all those surpisingly semi-aquatic Indian animals of tigers, crocodiles, buffalo and Asian elephants. Now there's some big thrills for you!

 

[devoy1701]

Waitaminute here. "The Foundation is Cracked" is not an excuse. You really cant shut down Everest for six months to fix the Yeti. Just not feasable.

That really doesnt fit into the "big picture gripes" that most of us have moved onto. The reason the foundation cracked is more along those lines. The ride is 8 years old, the foundation shouldnt be cracking that fast.

So easliy bitched about but not easily fixed.

Sure you can. And sure it's an excuse! The parks have enough draw, and AK isn't fighting for any top spots. There's no reason they can't take it down the first week of January and go without until July. The crowds will shuffle to other parks, AK might see a slight drop for a bit, but nobody will be cancelling vacations over it.

 

[devoy1701]

Why Not?? You want to try and explain to the 3 million people WHY they cant ride the only rollercoaster at that park? They planned their trip 180 days out and you want to close it just to fix an animatronic that people only see in a blur as they finish the ride?

And frankly, I dont give a flying (Kelly Ripa!) what Jay Rasulo says. I say I'm going to WDW tomorrow and that trumps whatever you want to quote.

It's a blur today because it's broken Dave. The Yeti was very much visible when it was working and lit in all of it's glory.

 

[MKCP 1985]

Point being, you have to compromise somewhere and the Yeti is where I draw my line.

If i get better park maintenance, better park cleaning and a complete management culture change, I'll be more than happy to never see the yeti move again.

If it is true that you have to compromise somewhere, the Line for me does not include sacrificing WDI's largest ever animatronic. That's not too much to ask of a park that charges $100 per day for admission.

 

[Atomicmickey]

Maybe the owner would seriously consider changing the site's name,
even briefly, to WDWMUNDANE.

You know, to get some attention. I'll do the logo if asked . . .

 

[COProgressFan]

Point being, you have to compromise somewhere and the Yeti is where I draw my line.

If i get better park maintenance, better park cleaning and a complete management culture change, I'll be more than happy to never see the yeti move again.

Guess what...you'll probably get none of the above anyway.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Why Not?? You want to try and explain to the 3 million people WHY they cant ride the only rollercoaster at that park? They planned their trip 180 days out and you want to close it just to fix an animatronic that people only see in a blur as they finish the ride?

Well, what else are they paying the college kids at Guest Relations to do? Or the PR team who could give them some talking points or advice to work with?

What about the several more millions of 180-day-out planners who would benefit from a proper refurb?

It would be closed "for their future enjoyment" as the sign says. Not because they hate some random tourist they're never gonna see again personally.

 

[MickeyPeace]

Does anyone know exactly when the fire effect was turned off? I just noticed that it wasn't working in a video that I made in 2011. It's a shame that the few effects that this ride has are being shut off or minimized. Half of the time the mist on the lift hill is turned off. The geyser fountain after the lift sometimes is turned off and never soaks guests anymore. Now the deforestation scene has been turned off. Whats left? Just the smoke smell. Very sad because I actually really like this ride, what little there is of it. Disney get your sh*t together!

 

[Atomicmickey]

One caveat on the mist and such.

I've been on the ride when it's cold, and when it's warm, and noticed a big difference
in the water effects. I've been told that, as with Splash Mountain, they can dial them
up or down depending on the weather.

I have been on the ride where no one was soaked, when it was cool out. I didn't think
that was possible on the one drop, but it happened.

This does not explain the lack of fire, but might explain the lack of mist, right now.

 

[PhotoDave219]

It's a blur today because it's broken Dave. The Yeti was very much visible when it was working and lit in all of it's glory.

I remember. I rode it during cast previews. And then got very, very sick.

 

[Lee]

Sure you can. And sure it's an excuse! The parks have enough draw, and AK isn't fighting for any top spots. There's no reason they can't take it down the first week of January and go without until July. The crowds will shuffle to other parks, AK might see a slight drop for a bit, but nobody will be cancelling vacations over it.

This, all day long.

And it wouldn't even take the whole six months to fix the yeti. The balance of the time could be spent...oh, I don't know...making sure the train steam always works, fixing the blowing snow effect on the mountain peak, returning the icy mist effect in the caves...that'll do for a start.
Hell, even make the crazy bird-on-a-pole work.

Get all that done and the ride will be show ready.
Until then...it's bad show every single time they dispatch a train.