If there’s one thing that Disney World aficionados are excited about this year, it’s the opening of Disney’s newest attraction at Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest.
When I visited Animal Kingdom in December, the construction was complete for the ride, but the ride was still not open as of yet. The structure is magnificent in and of itself and can be seen from around the park. The newest mountain at the Disney World Resort, which joins a family of other mountains – Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain, is a near perfect (and obviously smaller) replica of the famous and infamous peak that has plagued men’s nightmares for ages and been the source of many legends.
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain brings all those nightmares to life with what some fans are calling Disney’s best thrill ride, yet. Some fans say it brings the best of two Disney classics, The Matterhorn and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, together and makes it ten times better. Cast members, DVC members and annual passholder previews have been taking place throughout the month of January and the word on the ride thus far is overwhelmingly positive.
The ride begins in a remote village in the Himalayas. The queue builds up the legend of the Yeti, a terrible “abominable snowman” that lives in the heart of Mount Everest, according to local legend. The queue resembles a museum of artifacts paying homage to the Yeti legend before you board a train that will take you into a wild adventure into the heart of the Forbidden Mountain.
Reaching speeds of up to 50 mph, your train careens through the mountain, encountered uprooted train tracks, heart stopping drops, and as a finale, a face-to-face encounter with the Yeti himself. Word from fans is that the Yeti is not only larger than life, but fearsome as well with red glowing eyes and enormous fangs.
The official opening date for the attraction is April 7, but many rides at Disney go through what is referred to as a “soft opening” where the ride isn’t advertised as being in operation to the general public, but periodically allows guests who are in the park to embark on the adventure. While there’s been no official word as to whether or not Disney will do a soft opening on Everest, rumors have been circulating that cast members are preparing for operating hours in March. Keep in mind: these rumors are simply that; rumors and have not been confirmed as of this writing.
This ride is obviously much too intense for young riders with its intense speeds, ventures into dark caverns, and the Yeti finale, so you’ll want to make sure any children who are tall enough to ride the ride are prepared for any possible scares.
Disney has opened a new site for the attraction, DisneyEverest.com, where you can download an exclusive game, YetiVision, that allows you to see online movie previews of the ride before it’s open to the general public.
Have you ridden Expedition Everest? Click on my name above to send your thoughts and reviews of the ride for an upcoming article.
See ya real soon!