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Asia
,/* History Since Opening Day */
Although not read for opening day, an Asia land for Disney’s Animal Kingdom had been on the drawing board since the genesis of the project. To research the region, Imagineers visited: India, Singapore, Bhutan, Bali, Java and Nepal. By the summer of 1997, Imagineers were already hard at work constructing Asia’s safari ride. Although initially viewed as a water based alternative to the [[Kilimanjaro Safaris]], the attraction eventually evolved into a white water rafting thrill ride called Tiger River Run. The attraction continued to be tinkered with, eventually opening as Kali River Rapids.
===History Since Opening Day===
The Asia section of the park finally opened to guests in 1999. On the land’s opening day it featured three attractions: the bird show [[Flights Flight of Wonder]], the [[Maharajah Jungle Trek]] walking trail, and the [[Kali River Rapids]]. Also present on opening day was the short-lived [[Discovery River Boats]] dock. Following the closure of the boats August 21, 1999, the dock was briefly turned into the Upcountry Landing Bar, before being permanently used as a character meet and greet location <ref> https://web.archive.org/web/20040603180109/http://www.wdwblues.com/ak/no.boats.html </ref>.
The first major expansion to Asia came on April 7, 2006 when Expedition Everest opened. The new attraction takes guests on a high speed adventure through the Forbidden Mountain, where they come face to face with the mythical Yeti. Besides adding a new attraction to Asia, the Expedition Everest expansion also allowed guests to enter the mountainside village of Serka Zong.
