Pros: Fun thrills with great themeing
Cons: Can have long lines (but worth a visit anyway)
The Bottom Line:
Roller coaster thrills
Themeing takes you to Asia
Gets your heart pumping
Nothing Abominable About This Yeti Good Ride
Animal Kingdom, the newest theme park at Disney World in Florida , is in many ways
a glorified zoo. The main focus of the
park seems to be on the animal side of things.
But, being Disney, they have to include some fun rides as well. There are several thrill type rides, one of
which was closed when I was there in September of 2008. Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Expedition Everest is located in the Asia
section of the theme park. Since it is
another mountain ride, you really can't miss it. Just look for the white, snow capped peaks
and listen for the screams of delight from the riders. This is most definitely a roller coaster
ride, and you must be at least 44 inches tall to ride.
The line sets up the story for you as you wander from a
village through a tour office filled with artifacts about the Yeti. Finally, it is your turn to board in groups
of two.
Your car ascends to the top of the mountain and starts to
speed through the mountain until you hit a dead end. And that's when the fun really starts. Suddenly, you are moving backward through the
dark at up to 40 miles an hour. You do
actually go faster going forward (50 miles an hour), but being in the dark
makes it seem faster. In fact, the
friends I rode it with were convinced you actually went upside down while going
backward. I've got to admit, it feels
like you do even though you don't. Which
isn't a surprise since the restraint system is only an individual lap bar.
Anyway, when your car stops going backward, you see an
animated shadow of the Yeti rip up the track you were just on. But as that is sinking in, you start racing
forward again, around and around the mountain trying to get away. And just when you think you have, a giant arm
reaches out for your car. Can you
escape?
I do love a good roller coaster, something Disney is not
known for. And maybe that is partially
why I loved this ride so much. And, of
course, there's the themeing that Disney is famous for. I went back and rode the ride several times
in a row one morning, which allowed me to take in the incredible detail on the
mountain and in the caves. You truly do
feel like you are in the Himalayas and no longer in Florida .
The ride is advertised as a family coaster, provided, of
course, that your family meets the 44 inch height requirement. While there really is nothing popping out at
you, one drop and the backwards segment are fairly intense. If your kid has just met the height
requirement, you'll have to judge for yourself if you think they'd enjoy
it. The friends I went on it with the
first day, all of them adults, didn't enjoy it.
And this includes a friend who loves other Disney coasters.
This ride is nothing like the Matterhorn coaster at Disneyland . The
only similarity is the Abominable Snowman/Yeti theme. I saw that only to bring up the thing I found
the funniest about the attraction. The
trading pins they sell are almost all identical to the pins they sell in California for the Matterhorn . It was actually rather hard to find a pin I
liked that I couldn't get here, but I did manage to do it.
When I was there in September, the waits were never too
bad. I can see how this ride would be
extremely popular in peak times, however.
There is a Fast
Pass
Expedition Everest will never make the list of top roller
coasters. But it is a fun ride with
thrills that is well worth a wait.
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