Expedition Everest SECRETS Revealed! 10 Facts About Animal Kingdom’s Roller Coaster

Before Disney's Animal Kingdom became home to Pandora: The World of Avatar, and before coasters like TRON: Lightcycle/Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind populated Walt Disney World, there was Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain.

Back in 2006, there were only a handful of thrill rides at Disney World, and none at Disney's conservation-forward zoological park. So when this Himalayan railroad-themed attraction opened that April, promising speed, drops, and an encounter with the legendary Yeti, its popularity among thrill-seekers was immediate.

As one of the first visitors to ride this popular attraction during its opening week, I was more than impressed by the theming in the highly immersive queue area and the awe-inspiring effects of the ride itself. Since then, it has remained a personal favorite (despite some changes) and a must-do on every visit, even if it means using rider swap for this parent.

You Might Not Know These Expedition Everest Facts

You may have heard that many who ride Expedition Everest take part in a bizarre tradition of tossing a hair band onto the snowy peak when the train stops at the broken track. Maybe you also know that this exciting attraction reaches a speed of up to 50 miles per hour and features an 80-foot drop. However, there are so many hidden secrets behind the details of this adventure through the realm of the famous Yeti, and we're bringing you some of the best ones!

The Mountain You Climb Isn't Everest

Contrary to the notion this attraction's meticulous theming suggests, the mountain this coaster ascends isn't supposed to be Everest. As is the case with many settings in Disney Parks, the mountain guests travel through on this attraction is a fictional one. It's called the Forbidden Mountain, which is the part of the ride's name that people often overlook.

Guests can see Everest in Animal Kingdom's Asia, though. It's the smaller peak behind the Forbidden Mountain on the right. Although Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, it can appear smaller than the mountains surrounding it due to the great distance trekkers must hike to reach its base. So, Imagineers designed it to look small on the attraction to give visitors the forced perspective of distance.

It Features Authentic Art and Memorabilia

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The queue for Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is probably Disney's best to date. As it weaves through the peaceful mountain village of Serka Zong, where natives revere the guardian of the mountain and honor him with shrines and carvings, guests pass authentic totems crafted by Nepalese woodcarvers. They'll then enter the office of fictional Himalayan Escapes proprietors Bob and Norbu, where they'll find authentic memorabilia like a Nepalese Coke bottle and desk phone imported directly from Asia.

After passing through Tashi’s General Store and Bar for supplies, guests wind through a Yeti museum inside an old tea warehouse, featuring Nepalese cultural artifacts, artwork depicting the Yeti, a history of the Himalayas, and photographs of people who have hiked to the summit.

It Cost Major $$$ To Build

Expedition Everest still holds the title of the most expensive roller coaster in the world with a total cost of reportedly $100,000,000! To build the mountain, Disney used more than 3,000 pre-fabricated “chips” made from 25,000 individual pieces of computer-molded steel, weighing in at 1,800 tons. To color the rock work on the mountain and its surrounding village environment, Disney used 2,000 gallons of stain and paint. Additionally, Imagineers imported around 2,000 handcrafted items from Asia to fill in the detail throughout the buildings and artifact cases and serve as architectural ornamentation.

It's not difficult to imagine how all of these creative elements added up, and that's without considering the cost of building the animatronic Yeti inside the mountain.

6 Years of Research Went Into the Details

Disney Imagineers, including the legendary creative genius Joe Rohde, spent six years taking research trips to Himalayan villages in Asia to achieve the unmatched level of authenticity and detail on this attraction and its surrounding queue area. All of the climbing gear and equipment came from real shops in Nepal, and anything that Imagineers didn't purchase there, they found at the base of the mountain and repurposed as props.

The Yeti is a Shadow of his Former Self

While the 25-foot-tall guardian of the mountain is still a fearsome sight to behold, the astonishingly realistic figure was once a fully functioning audio-animatronic. I was fortunate enough to experience the attraction back when the Yeti made a terrifying swipe at each train car with his enormous shaggy arm. It was a truly spectacular effect that intensified the thrill factor of the ride, but the Yeti's frame is so large that this advanced motion cracked the concrete foundation beneath him. Now motionless, a strobe light flashes on him to create the illusion of movement, inspiring the nickname, “Disco Yeti,” among Disney fans.

The Red Paint Is More Than a Design Choice

You may notice red is a prominent color in the village of Serka Zong. Many of the buildings have red coloration along the edges of the windows and doorways, and there are also red markings on some of the Yeti statues, etc. Imagineers included this detail because many Himalayan villagers believe in magical powers, and they view red as a protective color against evil spirits, as well as the wrath of the Yeti. While they revere the Yeti as the spiritual protector of the mountain, they also fear his anger over people venturing through it.

Taller Than the Tower of Terror

The Forbidden Mountain is likely to be one of the first Disney landmarks you'll see as you enter Disney property. At 199.5 feet tall, it rises above even the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios. Imagineers specifically designed the structure to be as tall as possible without reaching 200 feet, at which height it would be required to display a blinking light to alert incoming aircraft of its presence. Disney felt this safety accessory would diminish the immersive quality of the attraction.

It's Not Really a Steam Train

As you wait to board the train in the loading area, you might see steam that appears to rise from the boiler, making it seem as if the coaster is a real steam-powered engine. This effect is actually an illusion Imagineers created by placing steam vents under the train station. To prevent rusting, the steam isn't water-based.

Native Plant Life

To make the attraction's setting feel more like the Himalayan Mountains in Asia, Imagineers brought in over 900 bamboo plants, 10 different species of trees, and 110 species of shrubs native to Tibet and Nepal. These agricultural elements are important in re-creating the lowlands surrounding Mount Everest.

Two Track Switches

One of the most exciting portions of the ride itself is the moment when the train stops at the summit, and it looks as if the Yeti has torn up the tracks. The coaster then barrels backward down into the pitch black of the mountain, reaching that top speed of 50 mph. Inside the mountain, you'll see the Yeti's shadow wreaking havoc on more sections of track before the train reverses direction and continues forward until you reach the Yeti himself! Two computer-triggered track switches rotate into position in only 6 seconds to accomplish this ride sequence.

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