Expedition Everest– Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a thrill ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The ride opened in April, 2006, to the delight of adrenaline junkies, and has quickly become a fan favorite. Since its closure, the reopening of Expedition Everest has become a hot topic.
Expedition Everest Refurbishments
On January 4th of this year, the ride was closed for refurbishments. The Walt Disney webpage for Expedition Everest recently had verbiage removed stating that the ride would reopen in mid April, stirring up a lot of rumors in the Disney community. Many thought that this meant the refurbishments would be extended into May, making this lengthy refurb even longer.
Days after removing this from their website, Disney has added an opening date to their official calendar. It states that the attraction shall resume operation on April 16th, 2022.
The reopening of Expedition Everest should draw some crowds back into the park, as it is a popular ride, and a family thrill coaster, with a top speed of 50 mph and a height of 112 feet.
This is not the first time that Expedition Everest has been in the spotlight. Shortly after opening, the massive animatronic Yeti ceased operations. When the complex, 25 feet tall animatronic began having problems, the attraction was put in “B” mode, which includes flashing lights to create the illusion of movement.
Many fans were hopeful that the refurbishment would include the restoration of this massive beast. Joe Rohde, retired Imagineer and lead designer of the attraction, has briefly touched on the issue in interviews. He shared that if the Yeti were to move in its current location, it would cause massive problems to the structure of the mountain. To fix this issue, would take long, complicated construction work, probably taking at least a year. It is unlikely we will see this beauty restored to working order anytime soon.
We are so excited for the reopening of this attraction. Let us know what you think of Expedition Everest in the comments below.