Grizzly River Run
Encyclopedia
Grizzly River Run is a river rafting ride at Disney's California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort
in Anaheim, California
. It is similar to Kali River Rapids
in Disney's Animal Kingdom
and the Shipwreck Rapids ride in SeaWorld
. The attraction's name comes from Grizzly Peak
, the bear shaped mountain that the rapids flow around. It was built by Intamin AG.
The raft trip around Grizzly Peak begins with the rafts being lifted up a wooden conveyor that runs under leaking pipes that spray water on the riders. Upon reaching the top of the conveyor, the rafts are dropped into the water to descend the peak, passing through a cave and bumping against a log jam. The climax of the ride drops the rafts down into a geyser field. The final drop has a unique element in that the rafts are spun as they begin their descent.
As with all flume-type rides, there must be a location to store or drain the water in the upper sections of the flumes when the pumps are shut down. The original plan was to create a large, underground basin beneath Grizzly Peak to hold water. This would have required costly excavation and construction. Upon looking at the final layout of California Adventure, it was noticed that the Pacific Wharf area of the park had a water element meant to simulate a tidal basin. The tidal basin is located across a walkway from Grizzly River Run and became the catch basin for water from the raft ride. The rise and fall of water in the tidal basin serves the dual purpose of providing a location to store water and being a scenic element that simulates a rising and falling tide.
The ride is one of three in American Disney Parks taking the names of former Opryland USA
attractions. A similar ride at the now-defunct park in Nashville, Tennessee
was called the Grizzly River Rampage.
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
. It is similar to Kali River Rapids
Kali River Rapids
Kali River Rapids is an attraction at the Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park, in the "Asia" area. It is themed as a rafting expedition along the Chakranadi River, courtesy of "Kali Rapids Expeditions"...
in Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom is an animal theme park located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than . It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely...
and the Shipwreck Rapids ride in SeaWorld
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
. The attraction's name comes from Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak (Disneyland Resort)
Grizzly Peak is the centerpiece of Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Grizzly Peak is a man-made, mountain in the shape of a grizzly bear, which represents California's state animal...
, the bear shaped mountain that the rapids flow around. It was built by Intamin AG.
The raft trip around Grizzly Peak begins with the rafts being lifted up a wooden conveyor that runs under leaking pipes that spray water on the riders. Upon reaching the top of the conveyor, the rafts are dropped into the water to descend the peak, passing through a cave and bumping against a log jam. The climax of the ride drops the rafts down into a geyser field. The final drop has a unique element in that the rafts are spun as they begin their descent.
As with all flume-type rides, there must be a location to store or drain the water in the upper sections of the flumes when the pumps are shut down. The original plan was to create a large, underground basin beneath Grizzly Peak to hold water. This would have required costly excavation and construction. Upon looking at the final layout of California Adventure, it was noticed that the Pacific Wharf area of the park had a water element meant to simulate a tidal basin. The tidal basin is located across a walkway from Grizzly River Run and became the catch basin for water from the raft ride. The rise and fall of water in the tidal basin serves the dual purpose of providing a location to store water and being a scenic element that simulates a rising and falling tide.
The ride is one of three in American Disney Parks taking the names of former Opryland USA
Opryland USA
Opryland USA was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 until 1997...
attractions. A similar ride at the now-defunct park in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
was called the Grizzly River Rampage.