Hi Kellie,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, and thank you for bringing your question to us.
Kali River Rapids is one of my family’s must-do attractions on every visit; we usually try to ride multiple times!
First, the rules: your 4-year-old must be taller than 38 inches to ride. If your child is tall enough, then it’s really just a question of his or her tolerance for getting wet and for drops. If you look at the pictures of the ride vehicle on the Walt Disney World website, you’ll see that you will have the option to sit right beside your child, so you can make sure the safety restraints are tight enough and that your kiddo stays seated. If your child isn’t so sure about getting wet, I do see lots of families put on ponchos or stash a change of clothes in the nearby lockers. That has never bothered us as we are usually dry within 15 minutes in the Florida sun! (I will warn you, though, to think about footwear, because you are not permitted to remove shoes on the ride. We usually bring flip flops in our backpack to change into for the ride. The blister struggle is real with all the walking at Walt Disney World!)
My children both rode Kali River Rapids as soon as they were tall enough (and I think my son may have ridden it at age 3!), and they both loved it. It’s a great combination of beautiful scenery, an important ecological message and storyline, a thrilling drop, and lots of chances to get wet. It is also one of the most exquisitely themed rides in any of the parks, in my opinion. Be sure to really look around and use all your senses as you wait in the queue and as you travel the Chakranadi River. And keep your eyes peeled for the
gibbons!
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Robyn