The towering Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of the most thrilling roller coasters every created by Disney’s Imagineers. It’s also stunningly detailed, and packed with little details.
Dominating the Asia area of the park, Expedition Everest was opened in 2006. Designed to fill a thrill ride-shaped hole in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s line-up, it has proven to be immensely popular.
The ride’s storyline revolves around guests embarking on expedition to climb Mount Everest. However, in order to reach the mountain, they must first head to a base camp on the Forbidden Mountain. Legend says that the mountain is guarded by the mysterious Yeti – and that he doesn’t take too kindly to intruders.
The queue line begins in the village of Serka Zong, with the first building that guests enter being the booking office for Himalayan Escapes, a local adventure travel agency run by Norbu and Bob. Guests then pass through a replica temple, a tea garden and a Yeti Museum owned by Professor Pema Dorjay. Finally, they board one of the ride’s trains to begin their journey up the Forbidden Mountain.
Expedition Everest is packed full of tiny details, with around 8,000 artifacts on display in the museum alone. Next time you ride, look out for these 17 hidden secrets!
17. Authentic materials
All of the buildings in Serka Zong were made using “rammed earth” bricks, which are created by mixing water, dirt and straw together and hammering the mixture until it becomes rigid.
16. A significant color
Throughout the village of Serka Zong, notice that many of the corners of buildings, doorways and other elements are colored red. This is considered by Himalayan locals to keep evil spirits away.
15. Extensive landscaping
To recreate the lowlands surrounding Mount Everest, more than 900 bamboo plants, 10 species of trees and 110 species of shrubs were planted.
14. An unusual height restriction
Even if you know that your kids meet the height requirement, have them measure themselves at the entrance to the ride anyway. The requirement? Guests must be at least one “Yeti foot” tall to ride (44 inches).
13. The totem poles
Take a look at the totem poles in front of Expedition Everest. These were hand-carved by Nepalese craftsmen.
12. Authentic memorabilia
The queue line for Expedition Everest is intricately detailed. Many of the items in the queue are authentic, with climbing gear being taken from the base of Mount Everest and computers and ladders being purchased from Nepalese stores.
11. A familiar beverage
Coca-Cola has spread across the world, and there’s evidence of this in Expedition Everest. Nepalese coke bottles are visible thoughout the queue line.
10. Ye-Tea
Look out for cleverly-named “Ye-Tea”, a special blend produced by the Royal Anandpur Tea Company, on show in a cabinet in Tashi’s Trek and Tongba Shop.
9. The yeti footprint
In the museum, look out for a reproduction of Eric Shipton’s infamous yeti footprint picture, taken in 1951. The yeti print is said to be 13 inches high by 8 inches wide.
8. A worrying precedent
Keep your eyes peeled for a tent on the left-hand-side of the queue line. Its shredded remains and damaged camping equipment do not bode well!
7. Steaming along
Take a close look at Expedition Everest’s trains. They are themed after aging steam-powered tea trains. Vents under the station are used to release steam when the train enters the loading platform to add to the illusion.
6. Just tall enough
At 199 feet tall Expedition Everest is the tallest of Walt Disney World’s faux mountains. It is just below the Federal Aviation Authority’s 200-foot limit, which would require it to have a flashing red light on its peak.
5. Not so tall
Despite its extreme height, Expedition Everest is not – as commonly claimed – the tallest mountain in Florida. Walton Count’s Britton Hill tops it, at 345 feet above sea level, whereas Expedition Everest’s peak sits at 320 feet above sea level.
4. A steel beast
The Forbidden Mountain was created using 5,000 tons of structural steel and 10,000 tons of concrete. A rigid steel structure holds the mountain in place. More than 2,000 gallons of stain and paint were used on the mountain’s rockwork and the buildings in the village.
3. A complex creation
The mountain was crafted using more than 3,000 pre-fabricated steel “chips”.
2. Forwards and backwards
Two key sequences in Expedition Everest see the trains switch from travelling forwards to backwards, and vice-versa. This achieved by using two track switches, which weigh 200,000 pounds each. Computers are used to trigger the switches, which rotate into the required position within six seconds.
1. The Disco Yeti
It’s not a secret to Disney experts, but some guests will be unaware that the Yeti animatronic that is sighted on Expedition Everest was originally much more advanced in his movements. A few months after the ride opened, the concrete foundation on which the Yeti stands cracked, and his full range of movements was put to an end. Instead, a disco-style strobe light now flashes behind him to give the impression that he is moving.
The yeti was the most ambitious audio-animatronic figure ever built by Disney’s Imagineers. It stands at 22 feet tall, and originally featured movement controlled by 10 actuators. It was able to move five feet horizontally and two feet vertically in its original guise.
