Grizzly River Run & the Legend of Grizzly Peak

Grizzly River Run & the Legend of Grizzly Peak

Grizzly River Run is a water ride at Disney California Adventure. When you ride it you will get wet, question is will you get SOAKED!

I love all the little touches around Grizzly River Run. From the High Sierras feel of the plants and building to the antique Donkey Engine and Water Wheel the little touches just keep coming. I also LOVE the free lockers to the left of the entrance to leave your personal items that you don’t want to get wet.

One thing I had noticed but never really took time to really look at is the Legend of Grizzly Peak. Here is a picture of the rock near the ride entrance with the legend on it.

Here is the legend:

The Legend of Grizzly Peak

Long ago Ah-Ha-Ie The Coyote. Met Oo-Soo-Ma-Te The Grizzly Bear on the top of the mountain. Seeing that Grizzly was a powerful being Coyote asked him to always watch over and protect the land. Then one day people came and tried to chase Oo-Soo-Ma-Te from the mountain, but Grizzly was strong and held his ground. When Coyote saw the brave bear standing alone against so many men he turned Oo-Soo-Ma-Te into stone so he could never be driven away. To this day people claim they can hear the great bear spirit in the wind that roars through the caverns and trees of Grizzly Peak.

Here is more information about Grizzly River Run

Grizzly River Run

Challenge the rampaging rapids of Grizzly River Run. Embark on a white-water rafting adventure along the foaming torrents of the Grizzly River and up the craggy granite mountain ominously known as Grizzly Peak. The 6-minute journey through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains culminates in a thrilling, spinning plunge down a runaway river.

The Rapids

The Grizzly River Rafting Company has converted a former mining operation into a natural wonderland for thrill-seeking rafters. Your voyage begins placidly enough, as your 8-person raft gently drifts past long-forgotten remnants of the California gold rush.

Soon, however, you're whisked up an approximately 275-foot-long conveyor belt and deposited into the foaming waters atop Grizzly Peak. Amid the stunning natural vistas and lush pine groves, a growing sense of unease builds as the river speeds up and you dart in and out of ancient caverns, shoot down unexpected gorges, and wind your way around sharp turns.

Worse, all the while, you know the inevitable... what goes up must come down.

Grizzly Peak

Your adventure takes you up the iconic grizzly bear shaped mountain named Grizzly Peak. How did such a natural wonder come to be? According to ancient legend, the peak was once a giant bear named Oo-soo'-ma-te, whom A-ha-le the Coyote transformed into stone to watch over and protect the land.

Amidst the raging water of the Grizzly River and the howling wind shooting through the rocky caves, the great bear's spirit can reportedly still be heard roaring at those who dare to intrude upon the sacred mountain.

Are you brave enough to discover if the legend is true?

Will I Get Wet?

Expect to get wet, and sometimes quite so, on your unpredictable journey along the Grizzly River. Grizzly River Run is a great way to cool down during a warm day at Disney California Adventure Park.

If you'd prefer to stay as dry as possible, souvenir rain ponchos are available for sale at the adjacent Rushin' River Outfitters shop.

Lockers

Lockers are located next to the 20-foot tall grizzly bear statue, complete with kayak paddle and life jacket, that marks the entrance to Grizzly River Run. Be sure to store any electronics or items that might be damaged by water. The lockers are free for the first 2 hours and $1 for each additional half-hour.

Guest Policies

·        Supervise children at all times. Children under age 7 years must be accompanied by a person age 14 years or older.

·        Guests must transfer from their wheelchair or Electric Convenience Vehicle to the ride vehicle by themselves or with assistance by members of their party to experience this attraction. A transfer device is available for this attraction.

·        Service animals may not accompany Guests on this attraction.

·        WARNING! For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

·        Guests with young children may take turns experiencing attractions. See a Cast Member for additional information.

·        Wheelchair Access: Enter through the standard queue and proceed through the designated gate near the loading zone. If you have a Disney FASTPASS® return ticket, enter the FASTPASS® return line. Proceed to the loading area and contact a Cast Member for boarding instructions. Guests must navigate steps when boarding and disembarking the raft. Also, for guests with mobility issues a raft is pulled off to the side for you and your party to load into. There is no rush to load and as long as you can get in and out of the raft with just the assistance of your party you can enjoy the ride.

·        If you have a Guest Assistance Pass (GAP Card) with a double arrow you go in the FASTPASS return line.

Grizzly River Run is a river rafting ride at Disney 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.

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.

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