Author’s Note: This 4-part series answers the question: When you are trying to make the most of your limited time at the parks, and the crowds are maddening, there may be times when you will have to choose which favorite ride you will get a fast pass for that day. What would that ride be? Well, I definitely have my favorites at every park, each of which will be covered under this title with parts 1-4.
When I only have limited time at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I will always choose Expedition Everest as my fast pass. Expedition Everest is an awesome thrill ride experience.
Located in Asia, this ride is a soon-to-be favorite of yours if you enjoy a good thrill. The ride queue is part of the story of the expedition team on their way to track the Yeti. The line winds through a small Asian town and the town’s museum dedicated to the local legend of the Yeti. The “Forbidden Mountain” (as they call it) is home to the legendary Abominable Snowman, guardian of the Himalayas.
Once you get up to the cast member at the front of the line, she will tell you which line number to stand on and then feed in single riders from the single-rider line if there are any empty seats. The ride vehicle is modeled after an aging, steam-engine tea train. The 6-car train seats 34 passengers: 17 rows with 2 riders per row. Each rider has his own individual lap bar.
When the train leaves the station, get ready. There is a small incline followed by a minor drop, then the train circles around to start its ascent up the mountain. Once the train reaches the top of the mountain, it curves around the main peak, then goes through a cave. Out of the cave, the train comes to a stop, as you see that the Yeti has ripped up the track. During this brief stop, the track switches inside the cave. Get ready, because here it comes! Hands up!
The train reverses and you plummet through darkness. Between the speed, the twists and turns, and the utter darkness, you have no idea to where you are going. Then, suddenly, you are at another stop and while the track switches again inside a large cave, the riders see the shadow of the Yeti.
Now, you are hurled down an 80-foot drop (keep those hands up – and be sure to smile for the camera)! I love this part of the ride as I always let the gravity just pull me right out of my seat. But, it’s not over yet, so keep screaming.
The train makes a banked turn and speeds back up as it curves around and around again and up through another cave in the mountain for the final time. The riders see the Yeti for the final time as he reaches down to try and derail the train. Please note that when the Yeti is not working, a strobe light is fixed on him which is less exciting than the full effect.
Upon reaching the bottom of this drop, riders return back to the unloading dock.The full ride lasts for a little more than three minutes. When you exit the train, be sure to stop just inside the gift shop to check out your picture!
This is an awesome ride; one of the very best in my opinion. At the Animal Kingdom park, there is only one thing cooler than riding Expedition Everest during the day, and that is riding it at night.
Experiencing this awesome, fast, exciting ride at night is a must-do for thrill seekers like me. What a rush!
General Info
- Must be 44” tall to ride
- Health restrictions
- Must transfer from wheelchair
Be sure to stay tuned for Thursday’s article when I will talk about the best use of my fast pass at the Magic Kingdom!
Brenda is a native Texan born and raised on the Gulf Coast. She visited Disney World twice as a teenager and always dreamed of growing her family Disney. She took her first-timer husband and their three children to Disney World in 2000 and they now spend every Thanksgiving there. Brenda writes with a comedic twist on various Disney topics. She will be sharing tips she has learned during her travels and also hopes to enlighten people on little-known freebies that Disney has to offer. She wishes she could have met Walt Disney and considers herself to be a student of Walt. In parallel to his dream it is her wish that everyone would take at least one trip to Disney World in order to share in its magic with their families.
