Kali River Rapids, River rafting ride in Asia, Disney's Animal Kingdom, United States

Kali River Rapids is a river rapids ride in the Asia section of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Its circular rafts, such as Kathmandoozy and Sherpa Surfer, seat twelve on tan shells with black headrests and carry riders up a 90-foot lift hill before a 30-foot drop. The course passes geysers, a tiger-face rock, charred stumps, a logging truck in the water, and water-spraying statues.

The ride was designed and built by Intamin in 1999 and grew from an original concept called Tiger Rapids Run. That earlier plan included live tigers along the course, but the concept evolved into the attraction visitors see today.

The rafts carry names such as Kathmandoozy, Himalayan Hummer, Manaslu Slammer, Bhaktapur Bubbler and Sherpa Surfer, and the loading pagoda is hung with Tibetan prayer flags. The river is called the Chakranadi, which the French source renders as Sanskrit for "the river that flows in a circle". The queue ends at the offices of the fictional Kali Rapids Expeditions.

Riders must be at least 1.30 m tall. The rafts seat 12 and load from a rotating platform inside a wooden pagoda, so boarding happens while the raft is still moving. The ride lasts about 3 min 30 s and soaks riders at the 30-foot slide; expect to get wet. FastPass is available.

The ride incorporates environmental messages through scenes showing burning forests and chainsaw sounds that tell a story about deforestation. This message runs through the narrative in a way that sets it apart from typical theme park attractions.