Changes
Asia
,==History==
===Conception===
Although not read for opening day, an Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom had been on the drawing board since the genesis of the project <ref name= "book"> Malmberg, Melody. The Making of Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. New York: Hyperion, 1998. Print. </ref>. To research the region, Imagineers visited: India, Singapore, Bhutan, Bali, Java and Nepal <ref name= "book"/>. By the summer of 1997, Imagineers were already hard at work constructing Asia’s safari ride<ref name= "book"/>.. 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 <ref> http://www.parkeology.com/2010/04/run-tiger-run.html <ref/ref>.
===History Since Opening Day===
The Asia section of the park finally opened to guests in 1999 <ref name= "map"> http://www.florida-project.com/images/guidemaps/dak/disneys-animal-kingdom-guidemap-1999-march-05.jpg </ref>. On the land’s opening day it featured three attractions: the bird show [[Flight of Wonder]], the [[Maharajah Jungle Trek]] walking trail, and the [[Kali River Rapids]]<ref name= "map"/>. Also present was the short-lived [[Discovery River Boats]] dock <ref> http://waltdatedworld.com/id55.htm </ref>. Following the closure of the boats on 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>.
