Kali River Rapids opened for Cast Member previews on Feb 10-14. Initial reports are mixed; some have expected more 'thrills'. Everyone agrees that you will get wet - the elephants at the end of the ride ensure it. There are 'Dry Storage' bins in the center of the raft for your change of clothing.
Here's one ride review, from 'KidGenie':
How many of you have been on Congo River Rapids at Busch Gardens or many other simular attractions? When, Kali River Rapids is just about the same thing. It has some neat effects, and is fun, just as Congo and other simular attractions.
Will you get wet? Yes. Will you get as wet as you do on the other attractions..... You might, but chances are you won't, but rest assured, you will get wet. Overall I give the attraction a C+ or B-. It did not exceed my expectations, but it didn't disappoint me either.
Basically your board a round, twelve passenger raft, everyone faces each other, with the backs of the twelves seats facing outward. You go up a lift, and as you do you find yourself in a thick fog. Toward the top of the lift, you notice right smack dab in the middle of the rafts course is a water geyers erupting with great intensity. Just as your about to hit it, it dies down, but then you feel it kick back up as the raft passes over it. A kewl feeling and as the completes it journey over it, it is free to shoot back up and the guest on that half the raft become the first to get wet.
You then quickly make your way through the lush tropical jungle and to the burnt out remains of a logging companies work site. Just as your about to be engulfed in flames, your raft shoots down a moderately size flume. This is the best part of the ride. As the raft spashes down, the people on the front end of the forward motion (a true crap shoot all depending on how the rafts twists) will become the recipients of a major soaking. During one of my three trips, the raft got a good bounce just before it hit the flume and was rotating as it dropped down the flume.
At this point, your about half way through your journey, but the rest of the journey is a fairly smooth voyage back with no real splash oppurtunities, aside from the guest controlled water shooting elephants just before you re-enter the station.
I felt the execution of the attraction was excellent up until the flume drop. After the drop...... blah. They really need to do something to spice up the second half of the journey. Until then I can only give the attraction a C+, perhaps a B-. But on a summer day, this attraction is going to be a major hit:)

If you're at DAK over Christmas/New Year, check out the Kilimanjaro Night Safari! Apparently they're doing a trial of night safaris between 6 and 8 pm starting on December 20. Check it out, and please send us a report on your experiences.

Much of Asia is open for a "sneak peek" preview to the public on Friday December 18, 1998. Initial reports are that the Maharajah Jungle Trek is open a couple of hours a day (initially 10am to noon) to climatize the animals. The tigers are quite visible, as are the giant bats. The white water rapids ride, now Kali River Ride is not running yet; possibly early 1999.
If you'd like to see photos from the opening days of Maharajah Jungle Trek, check out Martin's Maharajah photos.

Andrew was at DAK over the US Thanksgiving weekend, and reported that the Asia area seems to be getting ready for an early 1999 opening. The currently open public areas have been reduced as additional kiosks are being built on the access path. Photos are on the Asia Page.
He noted that the Discovery River Taxis were closed (again), and that there have been more changes to the ending of Countdown to Extinction: "the lasers are gone from the time travel return scene; instead there are disorienting strobes and a different impression of the ending.
Queues for attractions weren't too bad - about 20 minutes for Kilimanjaro Safari after lunch, although the Lion King show is still attracting huge crowds."