Kali River Rapids at Walt Disney World may rank really high in Disney ride reviews, but how scary might it be – and what exactly might you be afraid of?
Kali River Rapids is a very popular ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and a great way to cool down from the Florida heat. This ride is themed after a rafting expedition down the rivers of Asia, but with one important detail. It promotes Disney's message of conservation and environmental protection.
In an effort to clearly define just how scary a ride is, we developed an ultra-scientific backed-by-research rating system. We call it the Mickey Visit Ride Rating System – MVRRS for short (pretty clever, huh?) The MVRRS goes as follows:
Kali River Rapids regularly sees moderate to long wait times, and for good reason.
Yes, it's one of the few water rides at Walt Disney World. And just like any other ride at Disney World, it's full of incredible theming and storytelling. To promote the idea of conservation and environmental protection, Kali River Rapids brings to your attention the issue of illegal logging and habitat destruction.
As you ride through the Chakranadi River, you'll start by flowing past a dense rainforest. However, you'll eventually emerge into a cleared area where greedy loggers have ravaged the forest before drifting back under the tropical canopy as the river cycles back to Anandapur.
Its storyline is what makes Kali River Rapids very unique compared to any other water raft rides.
Here’s some important information to review before riding Kali River Rapids:
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As you make your way onto the rotating boarding area, you'll see each raft make its way around for guests to enter.
Each raft fits up to 12 people divided into 6 groups of 2. You'll take a seat in high-backed seats with arm rests on either side of each group of seat. Each seat also has individual fabric lap belts. There is also a circular bar at the center of each raft for guests to rest their feet on and another circular bar at chest level for guests to hold onto while riding.
To board, you must take a small step from the rotating platform to the raft, then take another small step down into the raft before moving into your seat. If you use a wheelchair or ECV, you must be able to transfer from your assistive device into the raft to be able to ride.
After leaving the boarding area, your raft will immediately ride up a slow-moving lift hill.
Many guests think that there is a big drop at the top of this lift hill, but there isn't. Instead, there's a small dip that sets you on your way down the river. Your raft then free-floats along with the water's current, bumping and bobbing down the river.
Along the way, you'll pass through a logging site. This area is full of gushing geysers, a waterfall and rock formation and a dense tropical jungle filled with the sounds of animal and bird calls.
The water then becomes more choppy as you hear the sounds of chainsaws and the smell smoke. Around the bend, you find a lush forest in ruins: charred tree stumps and a fully loaded logging truck trying to drive itself out of the river.
After passing a huge pile of charred tree trunks, you'll then pass through a flaming bridge of felled wood. At this point, you plummet down a 30-foot slide – and yes, you'll likely get soaked. From here on out, you ride through the rapids, spinning and bumping along the whitewater.
Your raft finally passes through a cave before floating beneath a wooden bridge and past water-shooting elephants – which by the way, are controlled by Disney park guests standing on the bridge. This marks the end of your ride as you return to the loading area.
Let's review the aspects of the ride that that make Kali River Rapids thrilling and add to its MVRRS rating:
Here's why you need to ride Kali River Rapids.
Other than Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, Kali River Rapids is 1 of 2 rides at Disney World in which you're bound to get wet (the other being Tiana's Bayou Adventure). This means that on a hot summer day in Florida, this ride is bound to have long wait times.
However, what makes Kali River Rapids so unique isn't its drop. It isn't the turns or the whitewater section. It's not even the cool designs on each raft.
What makes Kali River Rapids so unique is all the details along the ride that give us its beautifully crafted storyline.
Staying true to the meaning behind Disney's Animal Kingdom, Kali River Rapids shows you the dangers of deforestation. If the tree stumps, the sounds of chainsaws, and the sights and smells of smoke weren't enough, I'm not sure what would be!
The best part: if you're not paying special attention to the story elements of the ride, Kali River Rapids is just a fun, thrilling, and wet ride. However, if you are paying attention, Kali River Rapids is so much more than that.
It's a learning experience with fun and thrill intertwined in it.
So, how does our ride review of Kali River Rapids stack up against our MVRRS?
Kali River Rapids is a must-do for many guests visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom. But what exactly might make it a scary ride? We've ridden Kali River Rapids plenty of times and understand the ins and outs of it like the back of our hands.
This is why we at MickeyVisit put together this comprehensive ride review of Kali River Rapids so you have a clear idea of what to expect when riding it.
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Kali River Rapids Review
In an effort to clearly define just how scary a ride is, we developed an ultra-scientific backed-by-research rating system. We call it the Mickey Visit Ride Rating System – MVRRS for short (pretty clever, huh?) The MVRRS goes as follows:
- Wimp Proof: Not scary at all
- Wimp Proof-ish: Seems scary at first, but after, you feel it's nothing to worry about
- Scary but Survivable: Moderately scary
- Scary: Definitely scary, but you'll be able to sleep at night
- Bravest Riders Only: The scariest ride you'll find in a theme park
Kali River Rapids Ride Overview
Kali River Rapids regularly sees moderate to long wait times, and for good reason.
Yes, it's one of the few water rides at Walt Disney World. And just like any other ride at Disney World, it's full of incredible theming and storytelling. To promote the idea of conservation and environmental protection, Kali River Rapids brings to your attention the issue of illegal logging and habitat destruction.
As you ride through the Chakranadi River, you'll start by flowing past a dense rainforest. However, you'll eventually emerge into a cleared area where greedy loggers have ravaged the forest before drifting back under the tropical canopy as the river cycles back to Anandapur.
Its storyline is what makes Kali River Rapids very unique compared to any other water raft rides.
Here’s some important information to review before riding Kali River Rapids:
- Access: Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Rider Switch
- Height Requirements: Guests must be at least 38″ (97cm)
- Highest Speed: Unknown
- Length: 3 minutes 30 seconds
- Highest Ride Drop: 30 feet
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Kali River Rapids Ride Queue: What You Need to Know
Both the standby queue and Lightning Lane queue for Kali River Rapids start right at the ride’s signage.
The first section of the queue is outdoors and in the Florida heat. It winds through a jungle, full of temples, shops, ancient statues, shrines, overgrown ruins, and lush landscapes. You'll then walk indoors into the rafting offices for the fictional Kali Rapids Expeditions.
Much like the queue for Expedition Everest, these offices give you plenty of detail, immersing you in the world that Disney created for you to live out. If you listen closely, you'll even hear the chainsaws of workers illegally logging in the forest nearby. On the television screen, you'll watch the proprietor of Kali Rapids Expeditions explain the company's mission: to show visitors the natural beauty of the area and demonstrate that there are non-destructive ways to bring revenue to the village.
After walking through the offices, you move outside toward the loading platform.
It's important to note that there are 2 chicken available should you choose to skip the ride. The first is at the boarding area, where you can ask a Cast Member to walk straight to the exit. The last isn't the most convenient: if you decide to sit this ride out while in the queue, you can simply turn around and walk back out the way you entered.
Kali River Rapids Ride Vehicle Information
As you make your way onto the rotating boarding area, you'll see each raft make its way around for guests to enter.
Each raft fits up to 12 people divided into 6 groups of 2. You'll take a seat in high-backed seats with arm rests on either side of each group of seat. Each seat also has individual fabric lap belts. There is also a circular bar at the center of each raft for guests to rest their feet on and another circular bar at chest level for guests to hold onto while riding.
To board, you must take a small step from the rotating platform to the raft, then take another small step down into the raft before moving into your seat. If you use a wheelchair or ECV, you must be able to transfer from your assistive device into the raft to be able to ride.
Kali River Rapids: Ride Experience
After leaving the boarding area, your raft will immediately ride up a slow-moving lift hill.
Many guests think that there is a big drop at the top of this lift hill, but there isn't. Instead, there's a small dip that sets you on your way down the river. Your raft then free-floats along with the water's current, bumping and bobbing down the river.
Along the way, you'll pass through a logging site. This area is full of gushing geysers, a waterfall and rock formation and a dense tropical jungle filled with the sounds of animal and bird calls.
The water then becomes more choppy as you hear the sounds of chainsaws and the smell smoke. Around the bend, you find a lush forest in ruins: charred tree stumps and a fully loaded logging truck trying to drive itself out of the river.
After passing a huge pile of charred tree trunks, you'll then pass through a flaming bridge of felled wood. At this point, you plummet down a 30-foot slide – and yes, you'll likely get soaked. From here on out, you ride through the rapids, spinning and bumping along the whitewater.
Your raft finally passes through a cave before floating beneath a wooden bridge and past water-shooting elephants – which by the way, are controlled by Disney park guests standing on the bridge. This marks the end of your ride as you return to the loading area.
Let's review the aspects of the ride that that make Kali River Rapids thrilling and add to its MVRRS rating:
- River-Rapids Ride: Your ride vehicle follows the flow of the river, meaning that as the waters get more choppy, your ride gets more thrilling, with dips and bumps. Your ride vehicle might also spin around, depending on the water's flow. This may not be suitable for those who have a sensitivity to motion sickness
- “Wet” Factor: A sign near the queue entrance reads ” You WILL get wet. You may even get soaked.” After riding Kali River Rapids many times, we can confirm: you will get wet
- Speed: Kali River Rapids runs at a relatively low speed as it follows the current of the river. There are some slight accelerations in the whitewater sections, but the majority of this ride is a slow drift through the jungle
- Drop: There is one main drop that is about 30 feet. Compared to any other thrill ride at Disney World, this is relatively short. However, it's important to know that because your ride vehicle is a round raft, the direction you drop will be different each time you ride – you might drop forward, backward, sideways, or even diagonally
- Deforestation Scene: While not intentionally scary, the depiction of deforestation within the ride – complete with smoke and the smell of fires – can be jarring. However, the open-air setting of this ride may quell the jarring effects of this ride
- Length: At 3.5 minutes, Kali River Rapids is a little shorter than Expedition Everest, significantly longer than peter Pan's Flight, and about the same length as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Favorite Moment of Kali River Rapids
Here's why you need to ride Kali River Rapids.
Other than Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, Kali River Rapids is 1 of 2 rides at Disney World in which you're bound to get wet (the other being Tiana's Bayou Adventure). This means that on a hot summer day in Florida, this ride is bound to have long wait times.
However, what makes Kali River Rapids so unique isn't its drop. It isn't the turns or the whitewater section. It's not even the cool designs on each raft.
What makes Kali River Rapids so unique is all the details along the ride that give us its beautifully crafted storyline.
Staying true to the meaning behind Disney's Animal Kingdom, Kali River Rapids shows you the dangers of deforestation. If the tree stumps, the sounds of chainsaws, and the sights and smells of smoke weren't enough, I'm not sure what would be!
The best part: if you're not paying special attention to the story elements of the ride, Kali River Rapids is just a fun, thrilling, and wet ride. However, if you are paying attention, Kali River Rapids is so much more than that.
It's a learning experience with fun and thrill intertwined in it.
Kali River Rapids: Scary Verdict
So, how does our ride review of Kali River Rapids stack up against our MVRRS?
MVRRS VERDICT: Wimp Proof-ish: Seems scary at first, but after, you feel it's nothing to worry about
Kali River Rapids does a great job depicting the dangers of deforestation. It also does a great job giving you a ton of detail to look at, making for great rerideability. And when it comes to scariness, Kali River Rapids isn't as scary as you think. By default, this river-rapids ride moves you with the current of the water, which sometimes means quick turns and jolts. Yes, there's a drop – but it's only 30 feet. And the ride itself moves fairly slow, with a few accelerations along the way. So even with the accelerations, quick turns, and jolts, the ride's relatively slow speed makes it much more doable than you would think.In the end, if you or your kiddos are fans of thrill rides and water rides, Kali River Rapids is the perfect ride for you.
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Is a Kali River Rapids worth it?
Kali River Rapids is very much worth it. It features a river-rapids ride, which is perfect for guests seeking reprieve on a hot Florida summer day. It also has some dips, bumps, and a 30-foot drop, making it great for the thrill-seekers. And finally, it has a great storyline, depicting the dangers of deforestation.
Do your feet get wet on Kali River Rapids?
Your feet are likely to get wet on Kali River Rapids. In fact, a sign near the queue entrance reads ” You WILL get wet. You may even get soaked.” From riding Kali River Rapids plenty of times, we can confirm that this is accurate.
What are the warnings for Kali River Rapids?
Like many other thrill rides at Disney World, there are several warnings for Kali River Rapids. This includes ensuring that you're in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Additionally, expectant mothers should not ride.
What happened to Kali River Rapids?
If you're wondering what happened to Kali River Rapids, it is open and operating as of September 2024. Refurbishment to this ride started on January 2024 and the ride re-opened on March 2024.
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