Kali River Rapids Question

[Fatboy]

The first day we arrive at WDW is on a Monday and EE is at AK. We are planning to go to our resort (CBR), get our passes and head for AK in time for EE.

Questions:

1. What is best way to go from CBR to AK to get there to take advantage of EE - our car or WDW bus?

2. How wet do you ACTUALLY GET on KRR? Will we be too soaked to enjoy other attractions?

3. I was thinking we should hit Kilimanjaro Safaris first thing and then do KRR. Is that a good plan or do you suggest something else?

4. We only have 4 days at WDW and don't want to spend a full day at AK. What are "must sees"?

Thanks for all your help. DH and DD have left all the planning to me. We will be there in 29 days and I am beginning to panic! I have redone my list so many times! HELP!!!

 

[Ted and Holly]

If you catch one of the first busses from CBR to AK, you will be fine for EE. That is how we have done it in the past.

Then again, since we had a car during our last trip, and were staying off-site, we found driving to be VERY convenient.

You have the potential of getting COMPLETELY soaked on KRR. I mean, you get wetter than if you just jumped in. Holly and I avoid this unless it is our last ride before heading out. I certainly wouldn't do it first, unless it was a hot, dry day... Which is rare.

I rode it once at 9:30am and I was still soaked to the undies at 2:00pm when I changed.

We always hit the safari first. The theory is that it is one of the more popular attractions and the animals are usually more active n the morning. Don't miss the Pengani Trail or the Maharaja Trek.

My must-sees include the safari, Pengani trail, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Maharaja Jungle Trek, and if you have never been It's Tough to be a Bug. The Lion King show is good as well. Flights of Wonder is a good way to get out of the sun, but we don't see it every trip. I have never seen Tarzan Rocks, so I can't comment on that.

Ted

 

[Fatboy]

Ted,
Thanks for the advise on KRR. That is what I was afraid of.

 

[pintrader]

Definately hit the safari earlier rather than later. There are more animals out in the a.m.

You get totally drenched on KRR. It is the rare individual with the proper weight and positioning of the raft that manages to just get damp. Even on a hot dry day I woud save KRR until later in the day. Wet clothes and heat make you feel so much more muggy.

Tarzan DOES rock and it is a not-to-be-missed show. AK is hotter and has a higher humidity than the other parks so I would choose a.m. to do that park rather than p.m.

Just out os curiousity why would you take transporation rather than your own car?

 

[Fatboy]

Kathryn,
Don't know. I have never been there and really don't know what to do. Any suggestions would be helpful. We will also be there for MGM,MK,and E EE days.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

There are restrooms right by KRR. We wore swim suits under nylon shorts then changed to dry clothes afterwards. We were not the only ones changing in there.

 

[Brikate]

Try to remember to bring a couple of disposable rain ponchos. You can pick them up in the sporting section of any Walmart for under a dollar. While they are just lite-weight plastic, they will keep you dryer than if you had on nothing at all. You will see many people on this ride wearing some sort of rain gear.

Also, another tip that I try to remind my kids about ... try not to wear white, or denim on this ride. The denim will hold the "wetness" MUCH longer than cotton or nylon shorts and white ... well, that can be transparent Go and enjoy

 

[Poly Pal]

Yeah, I got absolutely soaked on KRR. Make sure you bring a second pair of sneakers on your vacation. It took 2 days for mine to dry out. I also had to get some big plastic shopping bags from a gift shop to put on the seats of the rental car.

Oh, and how considerate of Disney to have a kiosk/cart selling DRY SOCKS right as you exit KRR. I don't think I've seen socks sold from a cart anywhere else in the World.

Have a great time!

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by pintrader

Just out os curiousity why would you take transporation rather than your own car?

I can answer this since on our last 2 trips we have had a car, made 2 round trips to parks per day, and never used the car other than when we changed resorts.
I would much prefer to take the bus so we dont have to worry about directions and navigating our way around a strange place. We also dont have to look for parking spots, and walk, or take a tram or monorail to the entrance. We much prefer to be "chauferred" to the front entrance. And the biggest plus of all is walking onto an air conditioned bus, instead of getting into a hot steamy car and waiting 5-10 minutes for the AC to really kick in. JMO.

As for the wet shoes, dont forget about the dryers in the laundry room at your resort. We got caught in a rainstorm on our first day in WDW on our honeymoon. My sneakers were soaked. For the next 2 days I wore flat sandals and killed my feet. Then Dh mentioned why dont I put my sneakers in a dryer. I am so not used to doing laundry on vacation, I never would have thought of that.

 

[lucysdad]

About that" must do in the morning" idea regarding the safari ride........we have tried the ride in the morning and in the afternoon. When we first went to AKL we jammed over to the safari ride with such intent that we were among the very first to get on. We didn't have to wait at all and felt so fortunate. We loved the ride but wished it went slower so we could have enjoyed the animals a bit more. Frankly, the ride went so fast we didn't have a moment to blink or all we'd see was a tail. The next year we went to AKL we went in the afternoon inspite of all the dire warnings regarding the heat and reduced animal sightings. We wandered over to the safari and surprise.....there was no wait at all. The next surprise was the slower pace of the ride. It was definately noticable and the animals were out in full force!! A giraffe actually walked right in front of the car and the driver slowed down several times for us to gawk at one creature or another. We were amazed at the totally different experience.

 

[Ithastobe]

I talked my DH (who came with me from a business meeting) into going on KRR. We both got SOAKED as-if-standing-in-a-shower-with-clothes-on wet! He was uncomfortable the entire time after and never fully dried out (leather shoes, undies).

This year, I think we'll save this ride to the end, or bring change of clothes.

You will get wet!, possibly SOAKED. But it is sooooo fun!

 

[tjkraz]

I don't think anyone else mentioned it, but the center portion of the KRR ride vehicle is a covered storage bin. I ALWAYS take off at least my shoes and socks, and place them in that bin until I exit. That will at least keep you from sloshing around in your tennies all day.

 

[snowmouse]

I agree with everything said above regarding Safari and KRR. I avoid the rapids, but my DH and kids LOVE this. We also would not miss The Lion King, Tarzan Rocks, and Bugs Life. You can see pretty much everything and be out by about 2:00 if your pretty efficient. Use fast pass over in DinoLand, save Krr for last. We love Animal Kingdom. Make sure to do a litttle shopping!

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

I wouldn't disagree with any previous posts. Here's my two cents:

* We really enjoyed the safari on our last trip. Went FIRST THING, but maybe afternoon safari is one of those things that should be moved to the great "best kept secret" thread!

*We went to Tarzan Rocks, The Lion King and It's Tough To Be A Bug. If I had to rank those shows, it would be; 1) Lion King 2) Tough To Be A Bug 3) Tarzan Rocks. All were great. Tarzan was LOUD!

* KRR, we rode the first time and finished bone dry! The second time... see accounts above! SOAKED! Still a great ride. I think if you wear a poncho, remove shoes, or wear TEVA-style comfortable sandals you'll be fine. I must say that damp undergarments were the biggest negative!

* One thing we have not done and I swear we will not miss on the next trip is the gorillas. Does anyone have an opinion either way on the gorillas?

 

[Ted and Holly]

Yes, in my opinion, a trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom is wasted without a walk through the Pengani Forest Exploration Trail.

Ted

 

[markºoº]

I would go to the safari first thing. Grab a FastPass for the safari and then get on the ride. When you get off, you can walk and explore some of the trails. By the time you are done with the trails, you should be able to use your FP to back on the safari. I find no 2 safaris are alike and it is worth it to go twice.

If you like thrill rides, you have to do Dinosaur (use FP). The Legend of the Lion King is one of the best shows at WDW and should not be missed. It's Tough to be a Bug is a funny (and somewhat scarry) 3D movie that we always see.

We have seen Tarzan Rocks once and that was enough. It is an OK show - lots of loud music and action but not much else.

Unless you are willing to get soaked, don't do Kali River Rapids. Although we have never gotten soaked, a few people on the raft are guaranteed to be soaked to the undies when they get off.

If you have younger children, they will like the Boneyard. It is basically a really big playground. It's a great place to let the kids burn off some steam while Mom and Dad get a little rest.

Primeval Whirl looks like a fun little coaster that really spins you around. It is unique in that it is laid out like a typically small carnival coaster except the car you are in spins around (non upside down). We ran out of time during our last visit so we did not try it but we sure will our next visit.