dancplanet
01-18-2006, 04:15 AM
WARNING< SPOILERS ABOUT THE NEW EXPEDITION EVEREST AT ANIMAL KINGDOM! If you do not want to hear about the new attraction, please move on to the next thread :)
I just got back from a trip to WDW and I was lucky enough to get to ride Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom. It was the AK cast member preview and some friends got us in to ride and it's awesome! The Yeti is gigantic and the whole theme and ride is very well done. There are more AK cast previews tomorrow night (Wed the 17th) and then other cast members later in the week and annual pass holders next week. If you don't want to hear anything specific about the ride, you might want to skip the next part...
As most of you know, the largest mountain in Florida is now located between Kali River Rapids and Tarzan Rocks (Tarzan's last show is the 21st, by the way). Approaching the snow covered mountain, you encounter an Asian village like an extenstion of the area around Kali River Rapids. There are new restrooms to the left, a viewing area to the right and next to the entrance are the fast pass booths. Once in the heavily themed queue, there are artifacts, pictures and shrines as if you are in a small museum preparing for your expedition to climb Everest. There are pictures on the wall of animals native to the area along with blurry pictures of the Yeti. The pictures are said to be from the camera of one of the explorer's that did not make it back from the mountain because of a tragic accident. Once inside the station, the mountain train pulls into the station complete with sound effects and a burst of steam from the rear of the train. As the creeky looking train exits the station, the train makes a right turn and is pulled up a small lift into a small drop to the left and a turn around to the large lift hill. On the way up the lift, you can see the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM and great views of all the lands in Animal Kingdom. You briefly pass through a structure built on part of the mountain with a classic rendering of the Yeti above you. At the top of the hill, the train dips to the left in between ice covered peaks and then races through a brief cave filled with mist.
Suddenly, the train comes to a stop as you notice mangled track reaching toward the sky. A large bird appears to be hovering on the left side and then disappears as you hear the howl of the wind and perhaps... a beast? There are sounds of the track being twisted behind the train, and then you are off backwards on a wild journey through the pitch black mountain into a helix with strong g-forces. The train stops again inside the mountain and there is a menacing shadow up to your right and you realize this Yeti is HUGE as you see the shadow rip up part of the track and then you are off again! The train breaks loose going forward this time plunging out of the mountain down the ride's largest drop and swoops to the left back into the frigid Everest. Another drop takes you to the back side of the mountain into a double helix and back into the mountain one last time...and this time, the Yeti is waiting for you. As if you should be going the other way, the train dives right toward the 14 foot tall monster and you narrowly escape his gigantic claw! Whoo! What a ride! Now for the Reading Rainbow part of my little report...Next time you are at WDW, make sure you stop at Animal Kingdom for a visit to the Forbidden Mountain! (Just make sure that it will be open by visiting disneyworld.com) The people I talked to weren't sure of the soft opening dates for the general public.
Sorry if this report was a little crazy, I'm exhausted! Had a great time in Florida though! Got to see my friends perform in the Lion King show at AK (they play the queen and princess), got to see EJ Day from American Idol in Kantonga at Busch Gardens and rode Space Mountain with John Stevens from American Idol 3...it was a fun trip :)
I just got back from a trip to WDW and I was lucky enough to get to ride Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom. It was the AK cast member preview and some friends got us in to ride and it's awesome! The Yeti is gigantic and the whole theme and ride is very well done. There are more AK cast previews tomorrow night (Wed the 17th) and then other cast members later in the week and annual pass holders next week. If you don't want to hear anything specific about the ride, you might want to skip the next part...
As most of you know, the largest mountain in Florida is now located between Kali River Rapids and Tarzan Rocks (Tarzan's last show is the 21st, by the way). Approaching the snow covered mountain, you encounter an Asian village like an extenstion of the area around Kali River Rapids. There are new restrooms to the left, a viewing area to the right and next to the entrance are the fast pass booths. Once in the heavily themed queue, there are artifacts, pictures and shrines as if you are in a small museum preparing for your expedition to climb Everest. There are pictures on the wall of animals native to the area along with blurry pictures of the Yeti. The pictures are said to be from the camera of one of the explorer's that did not make it back from the mountain because of a tragic accident. Once inside the station, the mountain train pulls into the station complete with sound effects and a burst of steam from the rear of the train. As the creeky looking train exits the station, the train makes a right turn and is pulled up a small lift into a small drop to the left and a turn around to the large lift hill. On the way up the lift, you can see the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM and great views of all the lands in Animal Kingdom. You briefly pass through a structure built on part of the mountain with a classic rendering of the Yeti above you. At the top of the hill, the train dips to the left in between ice covered peaks and then races through a brief cave filled with mist.
Suddenly, the train comes to a stop as you notice mangled track reaching toward the sky. A large bird appears to be hovering on the left side and then disappears as you hear the howl of the wind and perhaps... a beast? There are sounds of the track being twisted behind the train, and then you are off backwards on a wild journey through the pitch black mountain into a helix with strong g-forces. The train stops again inside the mountain and there is a menacing shadow up to your right and you realize this Yeti is HUGE as you see the shadow rip up part of the track and then you are off again! The train breaks loose going forward this time plunging out of the mountain down the ride's largest drop and swoops to the left back into the frigid Everest. Another drop takes you to the back side of the mountain into a double helix and back into the mountain one last time...and this time, the Yeti is waiting for you. As if you should be going the other way, the train dives right toward the 14 foot tall monster and you narrowly escape his gigantic claw! Whoo! What a ride! Now for the Reading Rainbow part of my little report...Next time you are at WDW, make sure you stop at Animal Kingdom for a visit to the Forbidden Mountain! (Just make sure that it will be open by visiting disneyworld.com) The people I talked to weren't sure of the soft opening dates for the general public.
Sorry if this report was a little crazy, I'm exhausted! Had a great time in Florida though! Got to see my friends perform in the Lion King show at AK (they play the queen and princess), got to see EJ Day from American Idol in Kantonga at Busch Gardens and rode Space Mountain with John Stevens from American Idol 3...it was a fun trip :)