Expedition Everest - First Hand Review

Expedition Everest preview dates were held in January 2006 for Annual Passholder and Disney Vacation Club Members.

Debbie Chambers from The Magic For Less Travel provides TheMouseForLess with a first hand report from the Expedition Everest preview. Photos are below.

I just got back from the AP preview of Expedition Everest, and I must say, it’s true Disney quality. After almost 3 years and $100 million, the long-awaited day for many is finally here. What a fabulous ride! First you wait in a line to show your AP and ID, then you wait in another line to get your coupon for your free pin and lanyard, then the line to get on the ride, which actually went by too quickly. The queue area is full of wonderful things to look at, so once there the line moved too fast to really get to look everything over. It’s like going through the expedition offices, then a museum. Disney actually went to the Himalayas to bring back articles to put in this area. The Fastpass queue is much shorter, but with different things to see. They are also testing out a single-riders line. You can access that by going through the Fastpass line, where they’ll give you a ticket for single-riders. According to the Cast Members, they’re testing several things like this to see what will be needed when the ride actually opens to the public April 7.

Half of the ride is in the dark, where the other half is outside. I’ve heard it said that this is a mixture of Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain, and I can certainly see parts of all of these in this ride. The one thing I’d say, if you have problems going backwards, it might not be a ride for you. I was glad that the backwards part didn’t last any longer. Several people said they felt like they’d done a loop, although without shoulder harnesses, you know that isn’t the case, but it does feel like it. Again, in the dark, Disney plays well with your senses.

It’s a fairly smooth ride, with the roughest part being when the chain grabs you as you start the climb up the mountain. As you get to the twisted tracks, be sure to look for the vulture, flying overhead looking for corpses. The Yeti is probably the best animatronics that Disney has done. He’s magnificent!

Look for soft openings beginning in February. It’s truly a ride worth waiting for!

Check out our Expedition Everest photos!!!

The Crowd Gathers for Previews - 1/26/06

The Legend Of The Forbidden Mountain!!
(aka Ride Restrictions)

A Hidden Mickey!

Wait!! You don't think that's ALL, do you?? We have a lot more photos for you!! Just follow the links below. You'll feel like you are THERE!!

Photos From the Ride Queue

Photos From the Ride