Home > Florida > Animal Kingdom > Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest
Website: Animal Kingdom Homepage
Ride Type: Steel Coaster
Ride Status: Running
Average Rating: 4.2444
TPC Overall Rank: #102 out of 2933 rides.
Reviews: 61
Last Review: 10/26/2015 2:20:00 PM
In User Top 10: 37 times.
User Tracker Count: 89 times.
 


80 ft Drop

Everest from a Distance
   
Post Review
You must login or create an account to post a review.
 
Page [ 2 of 6 ] 1  [ 2 ] 3  4  5  6 
5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up CoasterCrazy111 on 6/19/2010 12:10:00 PM - User's Top Ride #9
ITS DARK, SCARY, AND LOADS OF FUN. Get a fast past ASAP. The line gets long very quickly.

5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up squash10 on 7/19/2009 9:05:00 PM
Still one of the most thrilling rides at Disney even with the Yeti not moving. The strobe light at the end kinda makes the Yeti look like its coming towards you which is an ok alternative. The story and visuals in the ride are top notch and the queue is amazingly themed too. Its really fun and if all the effects are working its the best ride in Disney World!

4 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up jeopardyfish on 7/1/2009 10:17:00 AM
A brilliantly themed, very smooth ride. Those who don't like to be surprised will not enjoy that the coaster goes backwards. The coaster is not fantastically intense but is still a fun time.

5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up xianghuagurlie on 6/18/2009 9:15:00 PM
Good ride! I really liked the speed of the ride. The BIG UP HILL wasn't fun for me at all. I am normally not so afraid of heights, but that hill scared me. After the hill, everything was awesome! I would have liked to see the yeti longer though. That would have been nice!

4 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up jesussaves on 6/16/2009 12:20:00 PM
This is a ride that I had been anticipating riding for a long time and it lived up to most of my expectations but lacked on one major point. First though, the theming is great from the highly detailed qeue to the mountain itself. Next, the ride itself is great, the backward section is excellent and even though I know it does not have one it feels like it has a loop, and the forward section is very good also. The only drawback to the ride itself is for the first half you just start to get into the ride and then you stop and wait to change direction, which is understandable considering the track having to flip itself over and all for the direction change, so it is really not that big of a deal. Now for what I was dissapointed in. The yeti. Don't get me wrong it is a very detailed and smooth moving animatronic, it's just that you barely catch a glimpse of it as you fly by. In my opinion the perfect time to have the yeti encounter would be when you are switching from backward to forward and are sitting there watching the shadow of the yeti on the wall tear up the track. Instead they could have had a momemt like in dinosaur or the jurassic park boat ride where you just barely escape getting captured by him. But, I realize that is a long time to fill and would be extremely difficult to do especially for an animatronic of that size. Still it would of been good to have seen it for a longer period of time. Other than that it is a great ride. Overall rating 4.5 (I realized after posting this that the yeti was possibly broken when I rode this. Nonetheless with the strobe light flashing and all it still appears to be reaching for you, so that trick worked on me. If it would have done more my rating may have been higher. No matter though I still believe the encounter with the yeti would probably be better while waiting for the track to change over.)

5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up msmithjr83 on 5/22/2009 10:20:00 PM
Top-notch ride design, theme and que atmosphere provide an extremely authentic ride experience.

Although the ride is fairly intense by Disney standards, it may fail to fully satisfy those expecting the rattling thrills and excitement found on more extreme steel coasters.

This lack of truly gut-wrenching moments is made up for by a pleasing ride duration and of course reverse-riding moments in the attempt to escape the clutches of the Yeti. (Who is incredibly hard to see due to such drastic changes in lighting contrast during daytime riding as the coaster twists both inside and outside of the faux mountain.)

Overall, the ride is very well balanced with an even better presentation. It is by far the most thrilling attraction found in Disney's Animal Kingdom and should not be passed up by anyone going to the park! Thumbs up!

5 Rating
0 Rating Rate Down Rate Up PennBJJ on 5/1/2009 12:21:00 PM
Easily the best ride at Animal Kingdom. If you're looking for an insane thrillride, than this won't fit the bill - however, for Disney standards it provides more than adequate thrills.

As many reviewers have discussed below, the themeing for this ride is top notch - from the queue to the actual ride itself. Definitely worth going through the full queue at least one time.

The ride itself starts slowly, looping around before approaching the actual mountain. The views from the lift hill up the mountain are spectacular (particularly to the left, where you can see Hollywood Studios and Epcot). After a few twists and turns, the ride begins its backwards portion. The intial backwards loop feels nearly like an inversion and is pretty intense for a Disney ride. After some more twists and turns, you come to a stop and the track flips, sending you down the 80 foot drop. The final journey back through the mountain and outside with the helixs isn't super intense, but fun nonetheless.

I think the encounter at the end with the Yeti is somewhat underwhelming, but the detail is incredible.

I found that the ride from the back is by far the most intense, even for the backwards portion. The front is fairly nice, while the middle provides probably the least intense ride out of all three sections. Based on overall theming, ride duration, and the decent thrills within the ride, I have to give this ride a perfect score - the best at any Disney theme park in my opinion.

4 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up B&Mfan on 3/30/2009 6:48:00 PM
This has to be the best ride at Animal Kingdom. It shouldn't be missed by anyone at the park. The themeing was excellent especially in the quene line. The ride was quite thrilling. Most of the drops surprised me and provided some airtime. The backwards part was amazing and seemed forever. It was fun not knowing what was around the corner. The Yeti also surprised me. Overall this is an excellent ride and shouldn't be missed by anyone.

5 Rating
+1 Rating Rate Down Rate Up Canobie Coaster on 8/31/2008 11:34:00 PM
Up until a few years ago, Animal Kingdom was widely regarded the worst of the Disney parks. People criticized it for lacking that Disney charm, enough attractions, and many other complaints, but the most frequent complaint typically revolved around the lack of a true thrill ride. Sure the park had Kali and Dinsoaur, and heck, it even had Primeval Whirl, but it just lacked that iconic thriller like Test Track, Splash and Space Mountain, or Tower of Terror. But that all changed in 2006 when Disney in collaboration with Vekoma created a new legendary thriller that will surly be a Disney classic for years to come that would allow riders to embark on a perilous expedition through the world’s largest and most famous mountain. And with that I give you none other than Expedition Everest.

Towering above Asia just as well, the real Everest does, words can not truly describe how incredible the mountain looks. In my opinion, it is by far the best looking of all the Disney mountains ever constructed! Quite a compliment huh? I mean they’ve created some beauties like Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, but this one is just in a league of its own. Each and every snowcap and rock is placed perfectly; so much in fact that I reckon Disney teleported the real thing from Asia to Orlando and then hired Wayne Szalinski to shrink it down a bit, but by no means is it small. Even more impressive is that Everest looks even more amazing in the evening with the eerie and mysterious glow the mountain has.

And that’s just the exterior! The ride’s queue is unbelievably well themed as well. Most Disney queues feature a pretty significant amount of theming that really make any wait more bearable and sometimes even enjoyable. Well, Disney really outdid themselves with this one, and in fact, I really would consider the queue more of a museum! Scattered throughout the queue and especially during the final half, are a cornucopia of historical artifacts pertaining to the legend of the Yeti or the death-defying sport of mountain-climbing. The sheer amount of effort put into the queue is simply unbelievable, and in fact, I even intentionally skipped getting fastpasses for this incredible attraction in order to better take in all the detail!

You may be wondering about lines since it’s far and away the park’s most popular and noteworthy attraction, but don’t worry at all. Typically I saw waits around 30-40 minutes or so, which is definitely worth it, but if you aren’t really one who enjoys waiting to taking in a museum, Fastpass is an option, or better yet, I recommend utilizing the single rider queue featured on this attraction. I used it about 3-4 times, and the longest wait I had from it was about 10 minutes. But whatever line you choose, you will definitely be moving as this is simply a capacity machine that just devours people at a very impressive rate! One final note before venturing into the ride itself, the trains are incredibly comfortable thanks to their non-restrictive lap-bars and copious leg room.

The ride itself really can be divided into four sections. Beginning the ride is a swift and silent dual lift system carrying trains to Everest’s summit. In between the small and main lifts are a few innocent looking turns that actually provide a few weak laterals, but they’re a nice little surprise that sets the tone for what’s to follow on the much larger, more extreme elements of the ride. The main lift is simply colossal and even passes through the mountain, giving great views of the entire picturesque park. It’s just like a photograph! Yes, it’s that beautiful, but it’s not too long before riders are careening through the many caverns of Everest.

Immediately riders reach a dead end, only to reverse directions and plunge down a very sudden, swooping drop in complete darkness treating all riders to some very powerful laterals, especially for front seat riders. The sheer power of that helix is surprisingly intense for a Disney coaster, and while it lacked any real size, the abruptness and forces really make that one of the ride’s most memorable moments. Following that the train just slowly meanders towards the ride’s third and final section. An extra helix or drop would have enhanced my experience even more, but it really isn’t all that major of a deterrent in my opinion.

The final third begins with the first encounter with the Yeti, which is very well done I might add with the help of some simply beautiful CGI that really maintains the ominous tone present throughout the attraction. He immediately rips up the track resulting in the train rolling forwards over Everest’s largest and very picturesque plunge treating back seat riders to some nice air thanks to the sheer size and steepness of the drop. Here your picture is taken as well, so smile. Subsequently riders are treated to some laterals via a giant S-hill through the mountain before plunging into a fast and surprisingly intense helix. I was expecting it to be actually pretty tame, but boy was I wrong as that thing provides some pretty powerful Gs for the entire train that was a very pleasant surprise. Sure it’s not Intamin hyper coaster Gs, but they are still pretty significant, especially for a family coaster.

Last but not least is a final swooping drop and the climatic finale- the epic encounter with the almighty Yeti. Now I was skeptical at first about the Yeti animatronic and if it would live up to the tremendous hype it has been receiving, and it was a mixed bag for me. I can definitely confirm that it is truly the best-looking animatronic Disney has ever made as it just looks so lifelike and really shows what Disney is capable of creating. However, when I rode this past summer the Yeti was extremely difficult to see due to a horrid strobe light effect and unfortunately the Yeti was not moving (therefore the use of the strobes). Still, the sheer amount of detail absolutely blew me away, but I was somewhat disappointed that the Yeti wasn’t moving and I hope Disney can restore this beast to his former glory rapidly.

Expedition Everest simply is an absolute achievement in all aspects! From the mind-blowing theming to the sensational ride itself, Everest really is an incredible attraction. Despite its immense size, Everest really is more of a family coaster than the major thrill ride I originally anticipated it to be, but in no way should that deter you from riding as it is easily one of the best, all-around coaster experiences I’ve had in a while. Now I know that the comparisons between this and Big Thunder Mountain are inevitable by some, but this is simply in a league of its own. Expedition Everest is simply an attraction you shouldn’t even think to miss, as not only is it Animal Kingdom’s best attraction, but it’s also the best coaster offered anywhere in Walt Disney World!

4 Rating
+2 Rating Rate Down Rate Up fergusonat on 5/22/2008 11:16:00 AM
Its true, Expedition Everest does not dish out the thrills...but what it does dish out is a fully satisfied and lasting feeling of enjoyment that few rides can dare lay claim to.

First off, the level of theming this ride has been outfitted with is otherworldy. Even ignoring the behemoth and extraordinarily realistic mountain looming above riders, one can find a plethora of interesting details and intricate theming elements that only the likes of Disney and Universal even bother paying attention to. The mountain is obviously a masterpiece. It is simply jaw-droppingly beautiful and another perfect signature icon for Animal Kingdom.

As for the ride experience itself, it can be described as tame, yet thoroughly enjoyable if you ask me. I had a blast careening through icey coves and blasting through rock-faces, sliding back down ruined lines of track... only to finally be confronted by the almighty yeti.

This mofo is impressive.

Hanging over the entire train, all riders are sure to get a great view of this tremendous robotic wonder --- fully equipped with terrifying fangs, claws, and a furious grip. I never expected the yeti-finale to be so epic, but it truly delivered.

Disney really outdid themselves with Expedition Everest. If only Animal Kingdom had...uh...more to do, it would definitely be among my favorite parks to visit

Page [ 2 of 6 ] 1  [ 2 ] 3  4  5  6 






Clicky Web Analytics