LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.
— Ancient legend holds that high in the
Himalayan Mountains lives an enormous creature that fiercely guards the route
to Mount Everest.
Now that legend roars dramatically to life at Disney's Animal Kingdom in a new
runaway train adventure that combines coaster-like thrills with the excitement
of a close encounter of the hairy kind.
Expedition Everest is part of the 18-month "Happiest Celebration on
Earth," the jubilee honoring 50 years of Disney theme parks and
commemorating the 1955 opening of Disneyland. The celebration began May 5,
2005, with the launch of the largest lineup of new shows and attractions and
continues through 2006.
Walt Disney World guests will discover for themselves the fearsome lore of the
yeti when Expedition Everest peaks in early 2006 at Disney's Animal Kingdom
theme park. Aboard out-of-control railcars screaming forward and backward,
white-knuckle adventurers swoop into the unknown, braving twists, turns and
drops inside and outside a mighty mountain leading to an unforgettable
encounter.
"Expedition Everest adds a new dimension to our storytelling in Disney's
Animal Kingdom," said Joe Rohde, executive designer at Walt Disney
Imagineering and lead designer of the park. "It's a thrilling adventure
themed to the tradition of the mysterious yeti."
The story begins when guests are transported to a distant world of exploration
and the mythical village of Serka Zong. A canopy of prayer flags, an
ornamental monastery, intricately carved totems, and a garden of stone
carvings of the yeti clutching the mountain immerse guests in a far-off realm.
The yeti's role as protector of the sacred mountain is reinforced in this
detailed environment rich in culture and tradition.
"The Himalayan culture is full of ritualized architecture encouraging
great harmony and structure," Rohde said. "The colors of the
village, the carved animal heads on the doors, the totems — it's all very
symbolic and authentic."
Despite forewarnings, the proprietors of Himalayan Escapes tour company entice
explorers to embark on a rugged train journey to the mystical Everest. First
stop is Norbu and Bob's booking office to obtain permits, and then it's off to
Tashi's General Store and Bar for needed supplies for the journey.
Next, 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 at speeds up to 50 mph into a fog of spiral curves
taking mountaineers down a 112-foot plummet to escape the wrath of the
powerful yeti.
"Seeing the yeti will really startle the guests because it is so real, so
convincing," said Rohde. "It is the most mammoth and sophisticated
Audio-Animatronics figure ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering."
Expedition Everest, towering at nearly 200 feet high and occupying a 6.2-acre
site, will be located in the Asia section of the theme park. It is one of 18
mountain attractions created by Walt Disney Imagineering at Disney theme parks
worldwide.
Expedition Everest will feature Disney's FASTPASS — offered at no charge to
park guests — designed to reduce wait times at popular attractions in all
four Walt Disney World theme parks. Expedition Everest will have a height
restriction of 44 inches.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is a 500-acre theme park where the exciting worlds of
wild and whimsical creatures come to life on an authentic African safari, in
an Asian rain forest, on a trip back in time to the age of the dinosaurs and
in other attractions and shows brimming with stories about animals and
encounters with favorite Disney characters.
