After passing
through the entrance, explorers pass through an old tea warehouse that
houses an elaborate museum run by Professor Pumba Dorjay, a conservation
biologist who believes the yeti's existence is grounded in fact. The
richly designed yeti museum showcases artifacts reflecting Nepalese
culture, plus a history of the Himalayas and tales of the yeti. Photos
show Sherpas and others who have conquered the summit.
Now equipped
to conquer the mountain, trekkers board the Anandapur Rail Service.
This aging 34-passenger industrial railway, which was once used to transport
tea, is now destined for the foot of Mount Everest.
As the
steam train rolls through thick bamboo forests and fern groves up the
first hill through a fortress, ritualized music signals riders to dangers
ahead. En route, a cluster of sacred yeti totems and a massive yeti
mural crafted on the rockwork gives further warning to turn back.
The train
continues across a teetering bridge into the mountain, dives into shimmering
glacier valleys and then climbs up through the snow-capped peaks.
Skulking
silhouettes and shadows of the lurking yeti, coupled with startling
special effects and climate variations, enhance the attraction as the
steam train darts in and out of the picturesque mountain range.
But suddenly
the train screeches to a halt near a gnarled mass of twisted metal.
In a fit of rage, the yeti has torn apart the track. The thrills intensify
as the runaway train moves both forward and backward through darkened
mountain caverns and icy canyons and guests head for an inevitable face-to-muzzle
showdown with the towering yeti -- known to some as the abominable snowman.
The train
accelerates into a fog of spiral curves taking mountaineers down an
80-foot plummet to escape the wrath of the powerful yeti."
Safety
Information: This is a high speed roller coaster with sharp
and sudden turns, drops and forward and backwards movement. You should
be in good health, free from high blood pressure, head, back or neck
problems, motion sickness or other conditions that could be aggravated
by this ride. Expectant mothers should not ride. Persons traveling in
a wheelchair must transfer out to the ride vehicle.
Expedition
Everest is a FASTPASS attraction.
The new attraction will have very long lines. FASTPASS is highly recommended!
Each train
has 17 rows seating 2 persons each. Each seat has its own lap bar, which
lowers like the one on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
AT LARGE
-- Sarah 5/2006 -- My brother (320lbs) and I (298lbs) had read all
the reports about Everest, we weren't even going to try to get on. Well,
while we were at Animal Kingdom today (May 18,2006)we saw the testing
vehicle and decided to give it a go. The cast members have this vehicle
roped off so not just anyone can go in and test it out. They were so
friendly and told us we would have no problem riding.It was so nice
and decreet we didn't feel uncomfortable at all. After testing the vehicle
and getting encouragement from the castmember we rode Everest. Sure
enough it was great! We had room to spare. All you have to do is get
the lap bar to click down on to your lap, it doesnt really matter how
far down it goes. The seats were really nice and wide too. Just thought
I'd write in to calm any worries.
For
more "At Large" Reports visit http://allearsnet.com/tp/ridsiAK.htm#ee
Editor's
Note: To find the sample car, exit the gift shop and turn right.
For the ride seating photo gallery visit: http://allearsnet.com/tp/ak/ak_ee5.htm
A perilous
journey aboard a runaway train through the Himalayan mountains. Adventurous
riders push deep into the lair of the feared yeti, guardian of the forbidden
mountain. En route, they encounter torn tracks, spiral backwards through
the fog into an ice cavern and dart into and out of the mountain in
a high-speed adventure.
Mountain
peak: At just under 200 feet, one of 18 mountains created by Disney
Imagineers at Disney parks worldwide.
Chilling
thrills: A careening adventure including an 80-foot drop, plus frightening
encounters with the mystical yeti.
Length:
Nearly a mile of track as riders encounter harrowing twists, tight turns
and drops.
Ride vehicle:
Modeled after an aging, steam-engine tea train; 34 passengers per train.
Yeti,
Guardian of the Mountain: The mammoth-sized Audio-Animatronics yeti
has a potential thrust, in all of its hydraulic cylinders combined,
of slightly over 259,000 pounds force -- potentially more instantaneous
power than a 747-400 airliner.
Forced
perspective: To create the sense of an enormous mountain range, Imagineers
painted a "mural" of shadows across the face of the mountains.
The range, glaciers and valleys is a canvas of rockwork, carvings and
painting creating a forced perspective where closer-in objects have
a massive look while appliqués trick the eye into perceiving
far off objects.
Bringing
the Himalayan environment to Florida: More than 900 bamboo plants, 10
species of trees and 110 species of shrubs are being nurtured and planted
to re-create the lowlands surrounding Mount Everest.
Steelwork:
1,800 tons of steel were used in the mountain structure. That is about
six times the amount of steel used in a traditional office building
of this size.
Mountain
make-up: The mountain is crafted with more than 3,000 pre-fabricated
"chips" created from 25,000 individually computer-molded pieces
of steel.
Color
palette: 2,000 gallons of stain and paint were used on the rockwork
and throughout the village. The color scheme has ritual meaning to the
Himalayan culture.
In the
Himalayan regions, villagers commonly preserve yak dung and dry it out
on village walls. They later use the hardened material as fuel in their
homes. Disney Imagineers recreated the look of these walls in the Serka
Zong village area.
Artisans
at work: Artists from Imagineering used hammers, chainsaws and blowtorches
to "age" wood and buildings in the village, giving them the
appearance of being longstanding parts of the landscape.
Hillary
step: The 1953 famous final ascent of Sir Edmund Hillary is represented
in Disney's man-made mountain. The coloring of Mount Everest differs
from the rest of the mountain range because at more than 29,000 feet
elevation, hurricane-force winds often blow the snow off its peak, revealing
a raw sheet of rock.
Authentic
detail: Some 2,000 handcrafted items from Asia are evident in the props,
cabinetry and architectural ornamentation.
Preview
Reports and Photos
AllEarsNet.com
was on hand for the Annual Passholder/Disney Vacation Club previews
of Expedition Everest January 26-29.
Editor-in-Chief Deb Wills was at the new Animal Kingdom attraction bright
and early on Thursday morning. Also, members of the AllEarsNet.com Team
were at Tusker House 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, January 28 to meet up
with any other fans in the World to experience the new thrill ride.
Reader Reviews HERE!
Annual Passholder and Disney Vacation Club Members Previews Live Reports
Thursday, 1/26/06 Photos and Reports
Friday, 1/27/06 Photos and Reports
Saturday, 1/28/06 Photos and Reports
Detailed
Reader Preview Reports
Cast
Member Preview Reports
Preopening
Photos
Official
Announcement
Expedition
EVEREST -- Lake
Buena Vista, Fla. (April 22, 2003) Yes! It's official. There will be
a new mountain in Disney’s Animal Kingdom's Asia rising from the
mists nearly 200 feet -- the highest peak in Disney’s Florida mountain
range.
Expedition
EVEREST, billed as a family thrill ride and less intense than Rock ‘N’
Roller Coaster, substitutes backwards drops for multiple inversions.
"We go fast, we go high, we fall far, we get cold, and we do finally
see the Yeti itself," says Joe Rohde, executive designer at Walt
Disney Imagineering and lead designer of the park. "He’s a
huge, HUGE, gigantic shaggy creature as real as we can bring him to
life."
The ride
is officially scheduled to open in 2006, however, from the podium Rohde
suggested his team is striving to bring the project to fruition by fall
2005. Location? Between Kali River Rapids and Tarzan Rocks, closing
the gap around Discovery River and providing a new path between Asia
and DinoLand U.S.A. (by Dave Marx (PassPorter.com) and Debra Martin
Koma (AllEarsNet.com) on location at Walt Disney World for Disney's
Animal Kingdom's 5th Anniversary)
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