i thought animal kindom iss a great kid attration area because i thought it was exiting and exilent animal carings.they do not act cruly to animal that just make it good from a childs point of few.
Tour guide very good and friendly. Included a backstage visit to Mission Space monitoring control room, a visit to the house of the future at Space Ship Earth and a ride on Soarin\'. Guide answered all of our questions and the tour group was small which was more than helpful. Have been on larger tours and received less information due to the size. This tour was just right and I would do it again in a few years.
I love this ride. I rode it with my wife, and we both raved about it so much that my dad made me take him during EMH\'s the next day. The walk to the boarding area? Pack a lunch. It\'s a good hike. Was somewhat annoyed by seeing \"Puddy\" from Seinfeld in the preshow video, but the ride makes up for it. The theming is okay....I like anything with neon. The attraction itself REALLY gives you the feeling of flying. I could ride this thing over and over. The one thing that bugs me, is that the film \"cuts\" from one scene to the next very abrubptly....no transition whatsoever. Seems that they could have made you fly into a patch of clouds, and then when you come out of them, you\'d be in another area. It just seemed a bit awkward to us. The music during this baby really adds to the attraction. A beautiful melody that I can\'t get out of my head. I like the music so much I bought the WDW CD so I could listen to it in my Jeep! Soarin\' is one of the HIGHlights of our WDW trips.
this was an amazing ride much better than its disneyland brother. it took you through toad hall a farm a pub and eventuly hell!!! r.i.p toad
I\'ll miss Cinderellabration! Bring it back!!! Here\'s hoping.
This is a DO NOT MISS show in MK. I like Wishes better than any other fireworks (even Fantasmic!)
Well, I was really dissapointed with LMA. A very boring queue and wait area with no preshow what so ever. The story line is blah, but you can\'t really help that in a stunt show. I thought there was way to much filler and not enough stunts.
So I didn\'t write my review in June after my trip because I didn\'t want my friends and mine amazing comments about this ride to get in the way of my review. Now after my family rode it this past week, and reinforced my views, I\'m ready. Let me start of by saying that this is the best ride at WDW. Period. If I could only do one ride, this would be it. It is a pure Imagineering masterpiece. The Queue First of all, I love the queue. It\'s wonderfully detailed, and isn\'t one that just hands the story over to you. You have to search for little clues about the past of the railroad and the country that you are in. I love how the Imagineers really left things to reward the observant riders, giving them more insight on the history of the Royal Andapaur Railroad. Plus the yeti museum is pretty cool, revealing some history/theory on the yeti. The Ride A great, thrilling trip through the Forbidden Mountain. Great scenery before and during the lift hill. I love the broken track segment, but the bird is a little tacky. The backwards portion is the most intense thrill you can have at WDW. It\'s hard to explain how it feels, but it\'s crazy. The projection room is cool, and adds some supense to seeing the yeti. The Yeti I gave the yeti its own section, because I think its that important. There have been many complaints that you do not see him for long enough. I believe that you see him for just the right amount of time. His movements are fluid and looks real. Many of my freinds were actually ducking as we went under hime you get so close. Problems The only problems I have with EE is that there could be more of a thrilling score to the ride, at least in the very begining while traveling through the forest. Also, the ride isn\'t great for smaller children, which could alienate some families. In summary Everest is a grade A+ attrcation that I believe is the best attraction at WDW.
This is one of my favorite thrill rides. When we last went, they\'d stopped issuing fastpasses (which I don\'t get; more fastpass rides = happier guests, IMO), and the wait was no more than 15 minutes. The ride is short, but great for cooling off. The best part is all the splashing and the \"not knowing\" who will get soaked.
I loved Expedition Everest. The theming is great and it makes you feel like you are really at the Mount Everest (even though you never quite make it there!) The yeti is awesome and it seemed so close to me when I went on it. It felt like I could touch him/her/it if I tried. Don\'t listen when others say that it is like Big Thunder Mountain. It goes backwards and makes you feel like you are going upside down (you go down and up in a circular motion when you are going backwards). Also, when you are going up the big hill into the mountain, it is really frightening! I barely even noticed the big hill out of the front of the mountain, it went so fast. I suggest this ride for anybody who likes thrills but I dont suggest it for anybody that thinks that Big Thunder Mountain is too much. Overall, I think that it is one of the best rides on Disney Property. I love it!
I think that Soarin\' is one of the best rides that I have ever been on! It makes you feel like you are really flying! I like the queing area because I like the way that it looks. If you haven\'t been on this ride, I suggest it. It is awesome!
Not as good as Disney hyped it up. Honestly, I am a little bit disappointed with EE. The backward is interesting and fun but not something totally unique or \\\"wow\\\". Yeti is quite lifelike but it\\\'s too short to meet with. I think the finale is a let down. The theming is as good as it possibly can but overall this ride is just slightly above average. I wouldn\\\'t want to wait for more than 30 mins for this ride, but ironically the only way to avoid waiting less than an hour is to get a fastpass which will force you to pass the queue which proabably is the best part of this attraction.
Man I telling you man you got ride this thing HATE THAT TAKEOFF in fact i love aerosmith now
Overall, I\'d say the ride was a unique and refreshing experience. The ambience and theming is absolutely top notch. The ride could be longer and more thrilling however it really meets the intended criteria .. intensely themed with a wide array of riders. The only disappointment to me was probably the length of the ride - I was expecting it to be a little bit longer; also, the story was sort of disjointed in the middle. In the end though, it\'s a great ATTRACTION, not just a ride.
This attraction has an extremely wide appeal, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone. It\'s gentle and thrilling at the same time. The Imagineers outdid themselves with this one. The film and the in-theater effects are INCREDIBLY well synchronized. Beautifully done.
The stunts themselves, especially the driving, are quite impressive. Very fun to watch. The storyline is the same one as all stunt shows. The bit with the kid from the audience and the remote control car was tiresome.
This is precisely the attraction the AK needed. Fast, fun, and full of surprises. My sons, who were already big Space Mountain, BTMRR, and Test Track fans, enjoyed this ride as much as or more than those others. The theming is extraordinary.
I had read about Walt Disney World's "Backstage Magic" tour many years ago, but have never taken it because of its length (7 hour) and its price ($200.00 per person). For this trip though, I made a point of allowing time for it and the 20% discount from the Disney Visa card was also very helpful. *** Warning: This report is very detailed, so don\'t read further if you want to take the tour yourself and be surprised, or if you feel it might \"spoil the magic.\" *** My partner and I took the tour on Friday, June 2nd and here\'s my report. Epcot had not yet opened, and a fair size queue was gathering to be the first ones in the park. After passing through the bag check, we went over to the guest relations window, only to be told that groups meet just in front, where appropriately enough, there was a "Guided Tours" sign. Shortly before 9:00 AM, our tour guide Nancy came over and told the small group of about 20 people that we should fill out our names and emails on a sheet of paper. We would also get a name tag to wear for the duration of the tour. The name tag had a picture of Mickey Mouse going through a mirror. We all introduced ourselves and stated what our dream Walt Disney World job would be. As a group, we entered Epcot and walked under Spaceship Earth. Just past the restrooms on the west side, was a blue wall with a "Castmembers Only" sign. This was when Nancy explained to us that we could not take any photographs while we were in any backstage areas. Just like Mickey Mouse walking through the mirror, we walked backstage, where a Disney Cruise Line bus was waiting for us. On board the bus, Nancy introduced the driver and showed us an ice cooler on the front seat filled with Dasani water bottles, which we could help ourselves to at any time. The bus drove counterclockwise around the internal Epcot perimeter road past the Living Seas and the Land pavilions. We continued around behind World Showcase and the tunnel under the waterway leading from the World Showcase lagoon to Crescent Lake. The bus parked behind the American Adventure pavilion, where we got off and went onstage. This part of the park was still closed, however and we could not take pictures of the castmembers pressure cleaning the tables and floors. Here, Nancy explained to us the use of forced perspective – how the American Adventure building shows it is three stories tall, but is actually five stories tall. She also told us about the attention to detail, like the American flag flying above the building with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, accurate to the time when that building represented. We returned backstage and entered the building through a pair of small doors marked "AA." We went down a flight of steps and saw the back of the huge screen from the American Adventure show. Even more impressive was the mechanism holding most of the show's audio-animatronics. Nancy explained how the huge structure was located on a train type track that went under the theater's seating area, with the first scenes then positioned under the stage, ready to be lifted up for the show. As each scene was then used, the mechanism would go forward a few feet to allow the next set of scenes to rise, and this was repeated until every scene was used. Some audio-animatronics also came out from the side and one even from the building's ceiling. Just as we were ready to leave, two women charged with caring for the audio-animatronics figures came in and showed us how they brushed Ben Franklin's and Mark Twain's hair. Mark Twain's eyelash was also missing, so they quickly fixed that. The attention to detail was indeed amazing, seeing it all up close. Back on the bus, we continued around behind World Showcase past where the Illuminations barges were located to a huge backstage area with many trailers and warehouse type buildings. We entered one of the larger buildings, where the Disney Learning center, Employee store and many more offices were located. After a quick bathroom break, we saw the huge castmember locker area and the wardrobe department. Nancy explained how all the employee's clothes are organized with bar codes and how they are permitted to take home a set of clothes and how they return them to be washed and repaired if need be. The locker area is also a very high traffic area, so this is where Disney tests the wear and tear of carpeting for future use. Back on the bus, we drove under Test Track's outdoor track and drove over to another backstage area full of warehouses. Here, we toured the Walt Disney World florist. This is where expert florists prepare arrangements for any special events held throughout the resort as well as weddings and anything special a guest might request. Adam and I saw a very cute "Mickey through the Years" vase and they happily sold it to us. Also here was a department that made gift baskets for guests staying on property. We returned to the bus, which took us to the Disney – MGM Studios. After a brief security bag check on board the bus, we proceeded backstage to the Walt Disney World Costuming, where they designed all the character outfits as well as any needed for any shows. It was interesting to see how they first designed costumes on paper, then made a scale model of the garments, then made the real thing. It was also fun watching the Backlot Tram Tours pass by and watch us every few minutes. From here, we walked onstage onto Mickey Avenue. After a brief bathroom break, we continued on to Mama Melrose's restaurant, again via a shortcut through a backstage area, just behind "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" playground. In the restaurant, we were escorted to two large tables set up for us. The tour included an all-you-can-eat lunch, which was served family style. Soft drinks and gratuities were also included. Lunch started with a nice green salad, a pizza appetizer, and then bowls of a seafood dish, a pasta dish and a chicken with veggies dish. It was all yummy and they specially made a few cheese-less dishes for me. After the yummy dessert sampler platters, we exited through an unmarked door to another backstage area where the bus was waiting for us. As we boarded, we saw some parade characters drive by. The bus drove North on World Drive and then past the Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts to another backstage area off of Cast Drive. This was an industrial area north of the Magic Kingdom. Our first stop was the Holiday Warehouse. This enormous building housed all of Walt Disney World's Christmas holiday decorations for all the theme parks, resort hotels and all other locations. The amount of trees, garlands, bows and other items were incredible. Nancy explained how the decorations are placed in their locations beginning in October and are all in place by Thanksgiving. After the holidays, everything is returned to this location, where each item is cleaned and repaired if necessary, wrapped in plastic and stored to await use the next year. We also got to see pieces being renovated and cleaned, a huge job. We then crossed the street to the Walt Disney World Central Shops. This was the very first building on the property and where all the attraction vehicles, audio-animatronics and much more are made. Inside, we put on our safety glasses and we saw some Small World boats being repaired, as well as the new vehicles from Epcot's Living Seas ride. In one of the workshops, we saw a display of how an audio-animatronics bird from the Tiki Room works. In another room, we saw a person working with plastic molds for a character costume. Nearby, we also saw the sign department and much more, which we did not have time to see. The bus then picked us up and took us past the Walt Disney World Railroad roundhouse, where the Magic Kingdom's trains and monorails are stored and repaired. We then went South on World Drive and entered the Magic Kingdom's backstage area just behind Main Street and Tomorrowland. The bus dropped us off next to an employee cafeteria and we walked a few steps past a green wall and we were in the Magic Kingdom! After a brief bathroom break, we returned backstage and then went down a few steps in to the famous Magic Kingdom Utilidors. I had been there a few years ago with Danny, but this was a new area, under Main Street. Here were the photograph labs, castmember pin disbursement area, lockers, and more. Nancy explained the Utilidor color coding system and the AVAC waste system. At one point, we were able to see a few characters partially dressed in their costumes. It really was fascinating to see all this and we definitely spent way too little time here. We returned to the outside and again entered the Magic Kingdom, just east of the Plaza restaurant. We walked on to Main Street and Nancy explained about the use of forced perspective of the castle and how the Castle seems further away. We also saw some of the windows over the main street shops and how they honored the people that worked on the Magic Kingdom. Nancy took us to Town Square so we could watch the 3:00 PM parade from there or under the shade on the other side. The park was not very crowded and we had a great view of the parade. After the parade was over, we returned backstage via an entrance next to the hat shop. The tour was basically over by this time and since a few of us were staying at Magic Kingdom resorts, Nancy was kind enough to ask the bus driver to stop at the Wilderness Lodge and the Polynesian resort, so that we would not have to ride the monorail all the way from Epcot. As we exited the bus, Nancy gave us two special "Backstage Magic" pins – exclusive for tour participants.
The Jungle Cruise captures the essence of the Magic Kingdom. Whisking guests away on cruises into the unknown. Definetly makes you feel like you\'re not at Walt Disney World anymore, but actually exploring the rivers of the world. The skipper can make or break the cruise. A good skipper can add to the themeing and REALLY bad jokes. That can be Pun-ishment in itself.
ok i love these there great. In my opinion it\'s a must do, right lets see, the rapid start ffrom the very begining and last right the way touhg, and there a soem good drops, but you must now YOU GET WET!!! dont waer thing that will got see thorw or you dont want soked!!! a must do but rember YOU WILL GET WET!!
OK STITCH!! well you are all put in to a big room, where Pleakley, tells you some information then Gantu come out and you all go it to a large room, where you straped in to you seat, and the stitch appers, and cousre loses of mischife before he escapes. that it really but it so much fun
How many different Cinderella stories can there be? I realize it is at the castle and Cindy is popular, but c\'mon, how about some originality.
Loved it so much we rode numerous times. Thanks to FP.
Love the stunt show. A lot of fun, especially for my son and I. Reminds me of the old Joey Chitwood shows at the state fair.
We took the backstage magic tour in September of 2005. Our guide was Nancy and she really knows a lot about Disney. I rated this poor for kid friendly because I really don\'t see why kids need to be 16 before they can go on the tour. I think that most 13 is old enough for this tour. It\'s not like we saw dressing rooms or areas that would give away the \"magic\" to children. We did get to see costuming but nothing that would give away any \"secrets\" so to speak. We ate at Mama Melrose at MGM which was nice. The tour supplied us with water which was nice. I wish that the tour was longer in duration and that we would have been able to spend more time at the Magic Kingdom. It would have been nice too if they included the Animal Kingdom. I really enjoyed the places that were outside of the parks like costuming, the flower shop, the building that houses all of the holiday decorations, etc. I would have liked to see more of that as well. It\'s amazing to see how everything is organized. My mother has always wanted to take this tour so we are going again in September 2006. I am hoping that maybe we will see something new this time. And the best part....the special pin that you get at the end!! For those of us pin traders, that\'s a real treat.
Queue Time-Average. Used to get very long waits. Now, not so much. Audio/Music-Average. The sound FX are pretty decent and the music is alright, too. Preshow/Queue Area-Good. There is a lot of preshow entertainment. You get a rundown of your mission and a briefing by your pilot. Storyline-Average. You basically are going on a scientific experimental expedition to probe the human body. Not really exciting, until things go wrong. Theming-Good. The theming does a good job to make you think you are in a laboratory for science. The bacteria scanners and other props add to the ride as well. Thrills-Good. The ride is quite rough. To most, this is bad. To me it was great. Lots of quick turns and sudden dips. Don\'t expect Star Tours, the ride was a bit more violent and bone-jarring. Duration-Good. About 4 minutes. Some motion sickness-prone people might say that\'s too long. Kid Friendly-Average. Split right down the middle. If your kids love Star Tours they most likely will like this. Can be too rough on the little ones, though. Overall-Average. This ride was not as good as Star Tours. The characters were rather dull, too. Worth a trip for anybody that has never been on it. If you didn\'t like it much the first time, you won\'t like it the second time either.
Queue time-Average. I have seen this ride many times with a walk-on wait and other times with a 30 minute wait...and both times were in the middle of July when it\'s crowded. Audio/Music-Good. There isn\'t much music heard in the actual boatride portion of the attraction. The music in the movie you see after the ride is very good, though. The sounds are adequate throughout the whole presentation of the ride/movie. Preshow/Queue Area-Average. The outside is very detailed and quite beautiful. But once you get indoors it\'s just a giant room with a huge mural of the Nordic Sea. Not much really to look at. Storyline-Average. There isn\'t a real story, but instead it\'s more like you are the focal point. It\'s more of a tale I would say. Theming-Good. The theming of the exterior and the quaint village at the end of the journey are Exellent. Postshow-Average. Nothing really. Thrills-Average. Nothing to get overly enthused about, but it does create a couple of laughs and screams. Little kids might be timid about the drop, but it\'s no worse than Pirates of the Caribbean. Duration-Well, the ride alone is short...too short. But if you factor in the movie with the ride it ends up being about 10 minutes, which is perfect. Kid Friendly-Good. Again, most kids will love the trolls and the waterfalls. But, little kids who aren\'t too fond of the dark or hate any kind of drops should steer clear. Overall-Average. I, personally like this ride very much. But, with an unbiased and realistic opinion it is merely an average ride to most people. I think of it as a poor man\'s Pirates of the Caribbean.
Unless you are or travel with someone who needs constant in-your-face distractions, this is one of the most enjoyable parts of WDW. First off, the Moroccan Cast Members are some of the nicest and most beautiful people you will ever meet. The food there is wonderful. The theming is some of the best and most detailed in all of Disney. It is well worth 15-20 minutes to look around in all the shops and to talk to the CMs.
I just really like being on a boat inside. It\'s really cool to go through the court yard at the foot of the temple and go through the mist and into the tunnel. Not a great thrill, but I\'ll ride this on my first and last days there, it\'s just quintessential Disney.
I took the Backstage Magic tour on May 9, 2006. My guide was Carmen and there were approximately 13 people in our group. The tour was amazing and Carmen was great! A coach bus is assigned to your tour and it follows you everywhere. No need to bring water, they supply it) You begin at Epcot and visit the American Adventure to learn how the attraction was build and how it works. You then tour the Epcot Cast locker and costuming area and you learn how each CM obtains their costume. Take a special look at the cast members vending machine. It\'s not your average vending machine! Next it\'s on to MGM to visit Creative Costumes to learn how the costumes are designed and created. (You will visit the area that you ride thru when taking the MGM backstage tour). Several of the CM\'s explain the projects they are working on. We actually saw the final costumes for the new CARS movie that will be used in the parade. Great detail! Next it\'s onto lunch at Mama Melrose\'s Restraunte which is wonderful. After lunch it\'s time to board the bus to ride over to the Magic Kingdom to visit the Holiday Warehouse (I was amazed by this), Central Shops where everything is is made for the parks including ride vechiles and all of the Audio Animontronics. We were lucky enough to have someone from Audio Animontronics spend some time with us and show us how they build them and how they work. We also visited the Paint Shop and the Horticulture Flower Shop. The Central Shop is just an amazing place. There is also a visit to the Utilidors. Lastly we saw the afternoon parade from a great spot and then proceeded back to Epcot. This tour is full of detail and is for true Disney fans who want to know how everything works. Even when you are driving from one spot to another you are given tons of information. Plus it\'s fun to drive in the backstage areas of Epcot, MGM and the Magic Kingdom. I highly recommend this tour.
I took the Keys to the Kingdom tour on May 10, 2006 and I had a wonderful time. We started with a general overview about the Magic Kingdom in Florida and how Walt obtained the land. We proceeded to walk down Main Street to lean where some of the names on the store windows came from. A lot of time was spent on the history of the Magic Kingdom, which I found very interesting. We rode Haunted Mansion with special direction on looking for certain Hickey Mickey\'s. We were given the history of all the lands plus several of the attractions. We also visited the backstage area behind Splash Mountain. Of course, we had the visit to the Utilidors which was fun. This tour is just full of interesting information and is great fun. I highly recommend it. Please note that tour is not for children under 16.
Queue Time-GOOD-I remember waiting for an hour for this ride in \\\'89, but every time I visited WDW after that, it was a literal straight walk onto the ride with no wait. Audio/Music-EXCELLENT-The score for this attraction had to be one of Disney\\\'s all-time best. The narration was not that serious and also was very informative and light-hearted as well. The sound was awesome for it\\\'s time. PreShow/Queue Area-GOOD-The queue was a room with multi-leveled ramps that wrapped around a giant mural that was behind a kaleidoscopic window. The theme song would play as you waited in line. I guess it might have been slightly boring. Storyline-GOOD-You basically started on a journey with an older couple from the future narrating your ride. First, you got to see the future\\\'s from other older eras. Eventually you caught up to present day and then fast forwarded into the future to see how life is like in Space, the sea and on Earth. Theming-EXCELLENT-The theming was very detailed and well done. Every scene was a great example of Disney\\\'s imaginative and thorough dedication to the guest\\\'s enjoyment. Post Show/Merchandise-VERY POOR-Okay, I really dislike this category, because I don\\\'t think a good attraction needs a post show or merchandise trap. But, Horizons really didn\\\'t offer anything after you got off the ride. A nice futuristic tunnel with a giant G.E. symbol inside an electrical crystal ball was all that was there before you went back out into the walkways of Future World again. Thrills-POOR-Not much was thrilling other than the cool Omnimax theatre and the dated-but-still-cool simulation-style ending. The scene with the spacestation was actually exhilirating, too. The vehicles\\\' track was above you, so that you were suspended in the air which made some of the scenes more dramatic breathtaking. Thrillseekers would have hated this attraction. Duration-EXCELLENT-The best thing about the old EPCOT was that all of the shows and attractions were at least 14 minutes. Horizons was a great way to get out of the elements and relax. Too much of today\'s Epcot is made up of short, less than 5 minute thrill rides......a shame. Kid Friendly-EXCELLENT-Horizons was great for kids as well as adults. Nothing was loud or scary really. And since there was so much to look at, even toddlers could enjoy it. Overall-EXCELLENT-It is a sad shame EPCOT lost the gem of an attraction that was known as Horizons. It was a perfect example of the old EPCOT\\\'s purpose to teach and explore and at the same time entertain the whole family. The old EPCOT was one of promise and hope for the future and Horizons exemplified that beautifully.
A very expensive price to pay for a cheap stuffed animal. Kids enjoy playing these games, but after you shell out $20 for a one dollar toy, you wonder what the point is. It is fun to walk around the midway, but don\'t go there to play the games. Go to enjoy the atmosphere. If you play a game or two, ok. Just don\'t tell the kids you are headed to the Boardwalk to win a prize! Save your money and go to the gift store instead!
This is a must-see!!! My son is 9 and he loved it as well! Now he wants to go to Vegas to catch another Cirque show. Fantistic show, fantastic music. Expensive, but worth every penny.
Over all its not very good. Its barely funny, the effects from the original (alien on your back, breathing, sounds) all seem off, and it feels like it was thrown together on a weekend.... I go on it every time I go. Why? Its Stitch. The character is the only thing the attraction has going for it, but frankly its enough. The biggest (and ONLY) thing that was improved here is the cannons and the Stitch that apears in the middle ring. They are two of the best AAs in the park. The cannons move increadibly fast and smooth and Stitch moves very realisticly (for something stuck in a small ring). It is worth everything else that doest work in the ride, which is almost all of the \"dark\" elements and effects\" to see the Stitch and cannons. I took a group of kids on the ride who had alot more fun then me (10, 9, 6 and 4).
i loved the safari ride, everest wasnt open yet though.
The adults in my \"family gathering\" wanted to see this, and I reluctantly agreed. I was afraid that my daughter would be bored- well, I couldn\'t have been more wrong!!!! The show defies explanation- it is weird and funky, but way cool! Despite the length, (and NO INTERMISSION!) the time flew by. It was truly one of the highlights of our trip, and i thought that I would hate it! Just goes to show, you have to be open to new things!
We went in October of 2004, and it was great! Waves were a bit strong for wimpy mom, but lots of fun. You really need a whole day to see this whole place. We were only there for 3.5 hours, and we saw MAYBE 1/10 of the whole park! Great fun, but on our next trip (only 5 days long) we won\'t be dropping in!
This was my favorite show! We had such a good time! We used the fast pass and waited for no more than 5 minutes!
i absolutley love disneys animal kingdom. if i had to choose between magic kingdom and animal kingdom it would be a toss up because they are both my fave parks. the first day of my holiday is spent in AK coz i know then that my holiday has started. one of my fave things about AK is that you can just relax - after a hectic day of travelling this is a place where you can relax and just sit back and enjoy what is before you. as soon as im there i head for the safaris coz that is one of my fave rides -what with the views that you see and the animals that you see; what more could you ask for. i love just walking around taking things in like how peaceful it is. i take so many pictures of the tree of life coz it truely is breath taking just looking at it and seeing how much detail went into it -in my book it ranks as breath taking as the castle in MK. AK has everything for everyone -animals, restaurants,rides, shows. AK is a park where you can just relax and take your time. one of my faves!!! mickeys jungle jammin\' parade is awesome -i couldnt believe it when i was watching it -the music and the performers and the animals that go past you is amazing. doing AK when its EMH\'s is a must -a reason being just to see the tree of life all lit up at night.
A bit scary for some, but a great show! Sit on the left if you have doubts, so you can exit quickly.
I love Space Mountain!!! I love the space \"windows\" in the line/waiting area. They\'re really great for being old. The music is fun too. I just love everything about this ride! It\'s a classic, and a Must-see!!!
This is the most uncomfortable ride I\'ve been on. The seating hurt, and the chinky safety belt was definitely not going to hold any small person in...and isn\'t this supposed to be more of a children\'s attraction? I would be afraid of a child falling out! I even felt like I would fall out! I know it\'s an old ride, but it really could use some better safety belts. I had avoided this ride for a long time, but the wait was short my last trip so I tried it out. I was very disappointed. I\'d rather stand in line for Dumbo.
I love how they incorporated different Disney movies in this attraction!!! It\'s really fun, and great for all ages! A must see!!!
WAY TOO SCARY! I was 10 when I went on this ride, and as a child...it was the most horrible experience ever. If it was still there to this day, I would NEVER go on it again. I was sick to my stomach afterwards. So glad that they replaced it with Stitch!!!
I LOVE this ride! Make sure you catch it, it\'s a MUST SEE! Amazing!!!
If you dont mind getting up at the crack of dawn this is a great tour. Dont forget that you get a cool pin for this tour! Only major problem is getting to MK at 7:30. Usually Disney Transport isnt running that early. I took a yellow cab. Hint: Tell the cabbie that you want to go to the conteporary, if not they will try to drop you off at the TTC.
I love Star Wars. In this ride you will be in a starship. This ride isn\'t the fastest ride in the world, but you think you are inside a real starship. You will see TIE fighters, and the Death Star. At the end of the ride the rookie takes you to hyper-space.(description given by a 10year old).
The detail and planning that went into this attraction is awe inspiring and its fun too! It is popular so the que is understandably long at most times of the day. My only problem is that the merchandise is very limited (no fridge magnets!) Also the Yeti snowboard stuff is out of place in my opinion, I thought it was supposed to be authentic? They need more shirts and t shirts sized for women, the shirts that they are selling are just WAY to big and the designs are too limited. Why is it that there are so many t shirts for men and only 1 design (that comes in two colors) for women?
This is by far our favorite Disney ride. From being greated at the doors by the CM, to the end, this ride keeps on giving. Our kids 7, 9, 10 were a a little spooked the first time, but after that they wanted everything the ride would offer. We love the music and story which is apparent throughout the entire ride. GREAT!!
This was an amazing experience. You get to fly through California and experience the sights, sounds and smells. The orange groves were incredible. You must get there early to get a fast pass or walk-on.
Overall I really didn\'t like this version of JII. Call me selfish, but I longed for the original attraction of my youth. There was one time on the ride back in the 80\'s that everything shut down before we were evacuated, but it didn\'t stop me from riding it again in the future. Anyway, Kids of today may like it or may find it is a little likeable and a bit boring. I feel none of the two rehabs they did holds a candle to their original Imagineering design. If they only tweaked some of the original effects and sets... Oh well ... just selfish dreaming on my part
This ride finally brings escapism and fantasy to the animal kingdom. Its perfect in everyway and gets better and better every time you ride....especially at night. Negative reviews i predict are from people with no imagination or sense of fun. Sure anyone can go thru the ride saying \\\"oh that's fake and ya that doesn't look real\\\" but that's there problem. Ride this ride you won't be disappointed. Have fun!!!!
I really had high hopes for this attraction. It really is a bit of a disappointment. I would only ride it again if I could walk right on. I think a lot of people are riding it because there isn\\\\\\\'t much else to see at AK. AK is such a pretty park, but it really doesn\\\\\\\'t have much going for it in the way of attractions. Unfortunately, Everest really doesn\\\\\\\'t add that much to it.
Boring ride. Don\'t waste your time. This is easily the most overrated ride ever. It looks great on the outside, but the ride itself is just a total waste of time. I was expecting a really neat queue, but even that is pretty dumb. There\'s nothing to see except for a lot of backpacking equipment. Disney standards have really dropped.
We stumbled upon this kid friendly coaster and were pleasantly surprised. We thought it was only for the little ones, but it was fun for the entire family. The ride was short, but in keeping with the theme on the area, it represented a wonderful little \'roadside attraction\' carnival ride.
This is a MUST SEE attraction. I had my hopes up for this show, but to be honest it blew me away. Perhaps people that are not into cars simply don\'t get this attraction, but if you are a car nut, you owe it to yourself to see what spectacular driving is all about. The cars are LOUD and make fantastic sounds as they tear it up all over the set. My friends and I were giddy with excitement upon hearing these modified RWD Opel minicars with 1300cc engines. The choreographed manuvers will make your jaw drop...we are talking seriously talented drivers here. Several cars are involved as the bad-guy cars chase the hero car, and he tries to make a getaway pulling off simply ridiculous moves. This is easily the best show I have ever seen at a theme park.
Can someone please tell me WHY Disney feels the need to insert poop, fart, vomit, and snot jokes into every single \"4D\" show they have ever presented? Come on, guys, kids are a lot smarter than you\'re giving them credit for. You don\'t need bug farts and chili-dog breath to entertain little ones. You really think Walt would have green-lighted such elements, even in 2006? Aside from the potty stuff, it is an entertaining show (especially the surprise at the end).
What a total waste. Would be better suited at California Adventure. It really cheapens the otherwise decent Dinoland area. If you want to see what this ride COULD have been like, Google \\\"Winja Phantasialand\\\". It has theme, thrills and completely out-Disneys the Disney \\\"thrill ride\\\"
This parade is very cool because so many of the characters interact with the guests. I was disappoj=inted by one thing though. When I saw this parade in April of \'03, my friend and I were near the end of the parade route. As one of the characters approached us, someone who apparently knew her started up a converstion with her about what they were doing that night. The woman was completely out of character which is something I never thougt I\'d see at a Disney park.
An excellent show which eats up a hiddeous amount of electricity!! I often wonder if other cities nearby black out as a result... anyway....people line the streets for this up to an hour or so in advance which I can never be bothered to do, so I tend to have off a lamp post or sit on a bank of grass or something...ooops...fantastic floats and wonderful colours / lights make this exciting and one to see during your stay. Keep kids close by as it is VERY busy and, of cours, dark! Don\'t forget your cameras!
Great show....beautilful fireworks exloding in time with the music, great effects, I love watching this with a view of the castle in front of me while scoffing a hot chocolate fudge brownie with lashings of vanilla ice-cream melting down the sides of my cup...pure class!!! HE HE!
This all around cinema experience (stading) was one of the only attractions, although beautifully shot and executed, to make me a bit sick. While interesting and worth a look, I wont rush back as it\'s much more worthwhile looking around the Pavillion in my view...
My God! When I got to the UK in World Showcase, I was knackered having walked clockwise (how British of me!) and the UK is one of the last stops. But it was great. Seeing everyone having their photos in our wee red telephone boxes, or having fish and chips, or sitting on the lawn with a pint of beer or watching a street entertainer...all stereotypical (yes folks, it does exist though), all charming, all...well, home I guess. The pub is so English too, I just had to have me a pint! Oh, and it was SUNNY and HOT!!! Now that, my friends, was a miracle!!
America, I love you, I do. As a Brit I love travelling to and around America. And I love the people. But this is just a just a little too saccharine for me. Yes, it\'s interesting. Yes, the sets are good. Yes, I learned something, so it was definitely worth while. BUT I found it difficult to exeperience the emotional side as a Brit. And many kids were either asleep or getting restless in their seats. BUT, yes, Americans will love it, everyone else will be interested enough to keep them on their seats. In terms of the Pavillion, its just fine, although the food court is well under par and you can get better just about anywhere else in World Showcase.
Say yes to Norway! Very beautiful, well designed (the houses are great!) and interesting. Also you get a chance to ride Maelstrom, the main attraction in World Showcase in my opinion. Although not a breathtaking ride, it is fun and has a backward drop in your boat. Just skip the presentation afterwards...!
OK, here is real charm. Don NOT pass Morocco by...it may not have attractions, but it has great appeal. I love the hidden streets with vendors outside, under beautifully crafted canopes...it really made me want to go to the country. And of course there is a great restaurant. Seriously, if charm appeals to you and you are not worried about the lack of attraction appeal, don\'t miss out.
I visited this attraction last year and wondered where the cabs had gone because, yes, they were always the highlight. Once you have been to Seaworld or Discovery Cove, this seems a little underwhelming to be honest. Has lots of potential but more needs to be done...there\'s no WOW factor any more...
A lovely area to stroll and some good eateries. I can\'t help think a better gondola experience would enhance the charm of this area though.
The restaurant in the temple offers great Mexican food and some cool cocktails...I recommend it. As for Mexico, it\'s another winner with me, as is the short, simple and underwhelming boat ride...it just has charm and that outweighs all those negatives!! oh, and you never have to queue more than a few minutes either.
Another beautiful area to walk around, but for me, I love the food....it makes such a change to eat Chinese and not burgers or ribs!
The attention to detail here is great. Just such a beautiful area to walk around and some great food too.
A well designed area with some good places to eat, great crepes and some fun can-can at times! a great spot to watch the evening show too.
Originally this was a relaxing cruise which to me, was beautiful, but a little pointless, with very little to see...and yet people queued like they had never been on a boat going in as circle before...oh, hang on, they probably hadn't...nor will they again
A spectacular stunts show which would benefit from having better pace. A little too much waiting and talking which makes the show rather long...strangely too long. But when the stunts are all out there, it is great to watch...just not more than once though.
OK, although this comendy warehouse cannot possibly score high on the list above (wrong evaluation headings for such a polace), I can tell you that it is excellent...funny, clever, alcohol fringed...I love it and I guarantee you will leave feeling a beter person! Not a long show (I'm sure no longer than an hour) but just right. Arrive early as the word has spread....!
What a great ride! Even better, what a great ATTRACTION! The whole place is so authentic, you will actually WANT to wait for this to soak in the queue ---- an attraction in itself! I feel that the storyline could be more dramatic / involved (what about the tea company??)....this could also have helped make the ending more "complete." A greater emphasis could be placed on Rohde's intent to make the Yeti the "good character" .... that the expedition services are impeding on "nature's purity." This would REALLY allow us as Guests to come out of the attraction with the appreciation I think Rohde wants us to have.
I hate to say it, but I don't actually think this park is open any more. Maybe they are up-dating? A shame as this is a real traditional park and a great place to spend an afternoon lounging around. BUT it's not the all thrills of TL and BB...this is good ole fashioned family fun....if indeed it is even still open!!
Epcot is a thought provoking park with something for everyone of all ages. There are two main sections, the first is where you will find most of the rides and attractions of which there are certainly some greats...Soarin' (fly above California), Test Track (totally amazing ride where you are in a car being tested for road durability and speed), Mission: Mars (nausious but awe-inspiring), Honey I shrunk the Audience (fun 3D show) and Spaceship Earth (interesting journey through time in the big ball!). There are also lots of educational attractions which are great fun for all the family and definitely not to be overlooked. In World Showcase you walk around the huge lagoon through countries of the world where attention to detail is second to none...there are a few minor rides and attractions thrown in for good measure too! It's a LONG walk so come prepared! The evening shows are tremendous with people lining the lagoon munching on foods from all over the world having a great time in the balmy evenings. Speaking of which, you can eat brilliantly here if you know where to look. Check out the reviews on eating in Epcot. Remember, it's a long walk around this park so be prepared to keep your younglings happy!! Enjoy!
I rode this ride 3 times during a "sneak preview". Since it's new the wait will be longer than most, but on a Wednesday in February the line was about 40 minutes long (accurately noted in the wait time sign). They have 4 coasters going at the same time so the line continually moves. Fastpass is available, which I used a second time. I also use the "single rider" line which took about 5 minutes (same line as "fastpass return"). When getting close to the ride you walk through a building meant to represent an expedition guide post. They have numerous authentic displays about Mount Everest and the surrounding areas. There are many real items brought directly from Nepal which adds to the overall feel. The line was moving rather quickly and there wasn’t much time to take it all in. There’s also numerous displays dealing with the mysterious Yeti, who you may encounter on the ride. The ride itself is very similar to Thunder Mountain in Magic Kingdom. There are no big drops but many twists and turns. The biggest twist however is that the ride goes backward for a good distance. It’s fast, furious and a lot of fun! My 9 year old daughter loved it and I saw many younger children enjoying it also. The “Yeti” is less scary than the T.Rex at the end of Dinosaur. Overall I give it a 9 out of 10. (Rock&Roller Coaster being a 10, Thunder Mountain a 7). It is certainly a must ride when at Disney.
During our recent trip, my family rode E:E three times on two visits to AK. Here is a person-by-person rundown: Motion-sickness prone 54 year old male: Only experiences very slight nausea after riding. Reported feeling worse after riding Dinosaur!. The level of nausea experienced did not prohibit him from enjoying the ride nor would it prevent him from riding again. 21 year old male with extreme fear of heights: Was too awed by the view and the ride experience to be scared. The 'big' drop was not all that big. Was the first to get back in line. 25 year old male with previous back/neck injury: Was not too jerky to irritate old injuries. *NOTE* his doctor has not advised him to avoid roller coasters or other rides. 25 year old female: (ME!) I am a heavier woman than some (5'7" size 22) and found the seats to be perfectly comfortable (I have had discomfort on some WDW rides) and was able to ride next to another adult with no problems. All in all, we were surprised by this ride - in a good way! I was expecting it to feel like a short roller coaster ride (like when they're over too soon) but this felt very un-rushed. The effects were all amazing, especially the Yeti himself. The scenery was appropriate for the area of the world they are trying to represent, and we all thought the queuing area was just great. So many rides have you lining up and looking at just walls, or a few pictures, or a couple of televisions. I felt that the entire queuing area drew you in to the story, from the shrines and bells outside to the wool caps, stock room, and the museum-like presentation of 'evidence' in the final room of the queuing area. One thing we noticed was on the first day we rode, it seemed we could REALLY see the Yeti; he was very well lit for a prolonged period. The second day we rode, it seemed that the lighting was more intermittant and therefore the Yeti was not as easy to see, well to see details at least. It was still scary and great though!
OK, I wont go on and on...BUT you need nerves of steel to navigate the park successfully...and when you do, it's everything you could wish for. Truly inspiring and wonderful for families.
Right, I am presuming that the poor reviews this park has experienced on this site are because of younglings thinking they were about to sample some of the finest rollercoasters in the world. THIS IS A THEME PARK BASED ON THE NATURAL WORLD AND ITS WILD INHABITANTS. IT IS NOT ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE! There, I have got that off my chest now! Sorry! As a theme park, yes, there are attractions, but there is so much more on offer...so much more than a zoo, bordering on a real safari experience, as contrived as that may seem. The park is stunningly beautiful and there is wildlife on every corner. You probably don't notice most of it because every care is taken to ensure animals feel at home. Don't be surprised to look up into a tree and see tens of monkies jumping about. You really need to look closely. The Safari Ride itself is incredible. I have riden this in the morning afternoon, and early evening and am happy to say that all experiences were different and great fun. I always saw lots of wildlife and love the adventure of the thrilling jeep ride. On this safari you see just how big the park really is. And the rides. Yes there need to be more BUT the rides avaiable to you are top notch. Tough to be a bug is, to my mind, one of the best 3D shows around and my ultimate favourite. The line takes you around the beautiful and uber detailed Tree of Life which is a joy. Kali river rapids is over too quickly but the theming is extraordinary as is the last drop. I was totally drenched! Dinosaur happens to be one of the best rides in the whole of WDW (seriously, don't miss it) and the new Expedition Everst (although I will not have the chance to ride this until next year's holiday!) is supposedlt world class. There are other rides and attractions, some of which are successful, others not so (Tricera whatever spin...urgh...we dont need more Dumbo spin offs!). The Lion King show is great...well performed, familiar songs, acrobatics, fire breathing...you name it, it's here. Don't miss it. Admittedly, I have never needed more than half to 3/4 a day here (I always arrive by 8.30 having said that), but I have always had a great time. TIP: dont forget to take the trail through the Gorilla and tiger enclosures...it's overlooked but I got some amazing footage from here. Enjoy the world and what it has to offer!
Now then, as a Theme Park freak, I have always completed this park in half a day and then spent an evening here. Get here early, ride Tower of Terror (totally amazing in every way...detailed, terrifying, gut wrenching, awe-inspiring) and the Rockin' Rollercoaster (brilliant acceleration and all round buzz). From then on you can relax a little as none of the other rides are so busy. Definitely try out the Great Movie Ride (really interesting), Star Tours (just the once will suffice though) and Muppets 3D (veeeeery good fun and excellent effects...kids love it and so do the adults!). In terms of shows, I lke the Indiana Jones Stunt Epic and Lights, Motors, Action! but be warned, they do eat up a couple hours each once you have lined for a wee bit and waited for the start. Each show lasts a good 30/40 minutes but are great spectacles. It's at this point I like to go back to the hotel, have a swim, get a late lunch before heading back to see Fantasmic (maybe book a table at the Italian Restaurant beforehand) BUT you really MUST get to the show well in advance otherwise you will either be miles from the stage (as big as it is) or standing at the back. I tried to get in 30 mins in advance but had no success. Try at least 45 mins to an hour in advance, get some popcorn, drinks, ice-cream and chill out. Entertainers are on hand to keep you busy. The show is . well, fantasmic, and to tell you what happens would be a real spoiler. TIP: sitting at the front? You will get wet, and then very very hot!! Enjoy this great day out!
Everthing about this ride is amazing. Justthe work alone that went into making it is amazing
OK first of all this is a club, so I dont want you to think I gave it an excellent kids rating because I am irresposible, whic I may well be, but I don't think that category should be here at all and I dont want it to spoil the overall mark. If you like dancing on a platform of flickering lights to the classics, you'll have fun here. I did...I had a wee bit too much to drink...and I went home contented. Try it out!
To my mind this is one of the better kiddie attractions for adults!! That's right, you don't just visit sites in this ride through Winnie's world, your car actually bounces through them whenever Tigger is near! And that's enough to keep me happy!!!
Yikes...how many variations of the Dumbo ride do you need? OK, so this time you roll back and forth, and it adds another ride to the park, but surely some spitting camels wouldn't have gone amiss??!
There's no mistaking the charm of this one. All that flying around in a boat...views of London etc mke this a winning formula. BUT be ready for horrendous lines...and not all together a particularly long ride. if you don't do it first thing in the morning or last thing at night, you are dooooooomed! And that makes it a horrific event for children, and worse for parents I should imagine...! You have been warned.
Well, I guess this was always a classic and a good substitute for Animal Kingdom. But now that AK is here, would't you rather do this for real rather than watching some fake animals? Oooooh that's so cynical....NO, suspend your belief, hope for a nice sunny day, and I'm sure it's like the real thing. Silly fun. (I love it really)
Well, you know, if you like dolls, or irritating tunes (albeit in a funny way), a gentle boat ride or a famous attraction, you have to ride this. You have to ride this whatever actually...because it's like an institution, although you might want it to be institutionalised once getting off! Or you might be institutionalised if you can't stop singing "it's a small world after all" an hour after the ride came to a stop...
Whilst this ride is hyper-detailed and fascinating, you might only be disappointed if you are expecting it to be scary. It's not. You wont jump, although you will marvel. Enjoy...although I know you would rather be just a little scared wouldn't you?
Well, I felt that I had to ride this...nostalgia, all those famous tv appearances...but by God I never imagined such a long wait for such a minor thrill! Yes, its a must, just to say "oh I've been on that elephant" but you wont want to do it again once an hour or two have disappeared from your day...
Although not thrilling, this shoot em up has some fun elements...you control you car direction and there are some lovely sets en route. And I cant help having to beat anyone I am with! Good fun, not a particularly long ride, but great for families.
This may not be the most thrilling of rollercoasters but it certainly packs a punch...very detailed, great theming and certainly great fun. Get a fast pass though...the line can stretch and stretch! Look out for some of the furry animals en route! Check out a longer and faster Thunder Mountain in Disneyland Paris.
This attraction shows you how all those great chase scenes are made. Excellent precision driving. The wait in the stadium was a bit long, however being a new attraction, it's to be expected. There is also an onscreen trivia game to occupy the audience filled with car related movie questions. If you like fast cars, motorcycles, jet skis and explosions, you will enjoy this attraction.
I was able to ride Expedition Everest last Sunday (January 29) as a part of the preview the opened for all annual passholders......and i did........SEVEN TIMES IN A ROW! It is a very good coaster, so far the smoothest one built by Vekoma (although you cant forget it's still brand new) and is a wonderful new addition to AK. The Line: At the first time around, the line was stretched out past the fast pass area, through to a little corner near what looked like a restaurant of some sort. Line times first said 90 mins, but I only waited in line for about 40 mins. (I traveled by myself) Single riders was available but 1: you had to ask for a single rider's pass, and 2: i wanted to see this awesome theming ive heard about. First stop: the enterance building, done quite nicely, building themed perfectly with the asian wood hues and age. The computer they had in there was old (to be expected) and things like exposed florescant lighting definetly helped. From there you continued on to the "temple" section of the line. There were some nice "but loud" prayer bells which were a bit fun to ring here and there, plus some nice yeti inspired art. To those of you who travel in groups, try to get a coin into one of the goblets in the center where the 4 headed yeti stands. And ..man...some guy had actually threw a $50 bill into the cesspit. Ok moving out, from the temple, you go into....a path surrounded by bamboo, grass plugs, and what is proported as tea. Its very nice, the bamboo looks astounding but it makes you wonder "Didn't our friend Joe say they spent millions on theming" The theme is way over hyped in the queue. Next, after your little forest exploration you come to a shop where expedition gear is sold...very nice, similar to the first building you had entered but stuck to themeing, but unless they had spent thousands of dollars for rice cookers and cans of food....its still over hyped. And from there you go into a "Yeti museum" and explore the history of Everest climbing, the culture, and how the Yeti has effected them all. Very nicely done all in all, and i'll reiterate..over hyped. Last part, you hit a hall way encased in your regular walls and a window where you can see the loading dock. Nice touch, you've kept your audience in suspense long enough. Score for the line: 3.5/5 just slightly above average The train: The train is a rather standard thing but nicely themed, sticking with the "Anadapur" theme of the Asia section of AK very nicely, it seated 2 people per row, 3 rows per car, and...if i recall correctly, about 6 cars per train. It's designed to look like a diesel pusher/shunter train but yet is steam powered...kinda kills the realism for people who enjoy engineering like me, but for the kiddies, its all good. It has steam that comes out of the train normally upon entering the loading dock and exiting, although, its a bummer to see the sticker on the steam mechanism saying "CAUTION: HOT STEAM"..they really should get rid of it, and keep it only facing the employees. But the steam trick isn't always reliable. Nice touch though. The trains themselves are currently very very smooth except upon the helixes where they can be a bit rough and brings back memories of Space Mountain and the jarring and shaking come into play. I definetly like the bag/leg guards (attached to your lap bar)that keep goods and you from falling out of the cars, and ITS A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT MORE CONVENIENT THAN STORING YOUR STUFF AWAY INTO A LOCKER (LEARN THAT LESSON UNIVERSAL). The break skids on the train are a bit awkward though...they look FREAKING HUGE kinda like a knife jutting out of the bottom of the train, you wonder how they fit mechanisms for the chain lift with em on? But mechanics amaze me so i find it cool. Oh and of course, the lap bars and seats are meant for one person only so you dont careen into your next seat partner, or nearly shove them off the car. Score: 4.5/5 The Loading Platform itself: Normal, comparable to Rock n' Roller Coaster...standard gates, not your standard steam machine, the mechanism to unlock the lapbars are highly unusual to me though, it looks like a bent rail that goes up and down. I nearly mistook it as a piece of rail that got caught onto the train and was dragged along. The biggest complaint, albeit minor, is the fact that you see the exit platform, one of the greatest things about disney coasters is that normally, you never see the people exit, makes you wonder if they had survived or not, or if it was any good. Here it's in plain view. Still just as effiecient as all the others since you have dual platforms=more trains on the track. But its still not quite the same. A quickly prepared wall would do quite nicely. 3.5/5 The Ride...Finally- Yes this is a spoiler for those who haven't ridden it. Upon the hands up from all ride operators you are moved forward onto the track. SLIGHT hill down, right turn, and onto what i like to call a fakie chain lift, after that, a short plummet onto another oval track which is a nice touch..gets the blood flowing for the new riders, and onto the main chain lift. The closer you sit to the front, the less harsh the connection to the chain lift is, which can be pretty rough. As you go up you get some superb views of AK, Epcot, Swan and Dolphin, and you go through a "Fortress" as it has been said. Eerie music plays along with nice decorations of Yeti art surround you. Then you hit the top of the mountain, you hear the train's whistle and you make a slight drop, left turn, sharp left bank, AND HIT THE BRAKES MAN! THE TRACKS BROKE! lol....you are carried up by multiple sets of wheels up to the face of the broken track as you hear the sounds of the train struggling to stop. You wait shortly (for those of you in front get a nice shot of the fake bird, broken track, and 2 other theme parks and the Swan/Dolphin. Then a slight SLIGHT short earthquake that's barely noticeable, and you are (rather slowly) shot down. (for those of you sitting in the back, your only entertainment is to stare at the flipping track at this point, and that also seems to be the most interesting thing for everyone riding the coaster). For those of you not expecting this, this may seem boring, but you quickly gather speed as go FAST backwards down inside the mountain. By far this is the most exhileration part of the ride and the most spectacular. No clue as to where you are going cept for the speed and g forces. Absolutely timeless. Yes you do go up a bit, but i personally haven't figured out where it is. It's about 24 seconds in length from my timing, and its better than the 3 seconds on The Mummy. Then you break again, and its MOVIE TIME!. You've been pulled into a siding, and while the track in front of you flips, you see the Yeti tearing up the track. Its ok, nothin scary, and if there is someone screaming, its probably because they are trying to act Goofy. Then you are thrusted forward, and DOWN YOU GO! Wave to the crowd, and then its left bank, and back through the mountain. Out again, and into a 2 story helix, and are climing it up, very very nice. Good g forces, lots of fun. Albeit a bit rough. You head back into the mountain and meet the yeti......or lack thereof. You only see the yeti for about 3 seconds, then down to ground level, and out into the break field before entering the exit dock. The yeti, after meeting him 7 times is done quite nicely, he/she/it is the fastest moving animatronic device ever, but i wish they had stopped the vehicle a bit or at least let us see him. Infact, the track leading next to the yeti that looks broken is a lot scarier than the yeti, and even the tunnel the yeti stands over is scarier as it gives the head chopper illusion quite nicely for those who sit close to the front. Score:5/5 Final Statements: It's absolutely wonderful, but should be taken with some things in mind. Namely, you really shouldnt wait more than 1 hour for the ride as you may be dissappointed by the results, but for me 7 times, and still going strong. It's still very very fun, and I cant wait to go on it again. (Roller coasters only get boring to me when i memorize the track layout and everything audio around it). Also, for every beginning rider out there, even single riders, if its your first time, go through the queue line, and take in the theming, its very enjoyable, even if its overhyped. Hope to see you there. -Your Disney Tour Expert-
EE is a superb addition to the line-up at Animal Kingdom, and WDW as a whole. It's classic Disney through and through. An exciting adventure for people of (almost) all ages (if you meet the height requirement). Amazing attention to detail everywhere from the walk to the queue, to the queue itself, to the ride and the effects. An amazing animatronic figure. A storyline that works on multiple levels from just a fun ride with Yeti encounters to a philosophical debate about man's impingement on nature. Best of all its laid out in visuals so you can get out of it what you want without having to endure another video pre-show like so many recent attractions. It also has amazing repeat value. If it weren't for the park closing at 6pm, I would have taken another spin on EE and I was there the entire day at AK (most of it spent in line to ride it) And most of all, its just a lot, and I mean A LOT, of fun. One of Disney's best to date. Excellent job for all those involved in creating another classic Disney masterpiece
Needs a bit of work. When you are going backwards, you can really see the inside of the mountain. I hope this is fixed before the official opening.
EE is an instant Disney classic. Period. It pushes the envelope as a thrill/coaster attraction and provides enough thrills and chills to sooth thrillseekers, yet adds enough theming and element to attract non-coaster riders. Everyone should experience it. The attraction is smooth, fast and groundbreaking. The reviews above have done a fair job of describing it technically, and I don't want to rehash what's already been said. Disney has created plenty of classic attractions in its day - most have taken a number of years to achieve that "classic" status. This is untrue for EE. It immediately awakes the senses and brings a smile to one's face. It has infused a new vitality to AK and has provided a visually and sensory grand slam for all to enjoy. With apologies to Nike...Just Ride It!
I went during Cast Previews and I thought it was well done and exciting. Due to the fact I just moved down to Tampa and just became a CM it was trilling just in that sense. This being my first preview I was trying to get and I still am encouraging everyone to ride this ride. I belive that Animal Kingdom finally has a real ride to account for and Disney World has another success story that will indeed become if it has not already become a classic to fill the tresured hearts of all Disney World vistors. I will definitly be going on this ride for years to come. This ride though is not meant like it says for everyone if you do not enjoy drops (though they aren't as bad as some drops they don't last too long because of the smoothness and speed of the ride) or anything in the dark this ride is deffintily (sp?) not for you. The kids if they are adventureous might enjoy but the Yeti can still scare some adults (I was on the ride with a few). I can't wait to ride again also I enjoyed that you have a close enough picture spot on the side of the shop so that if you have "chicken" family memebers they could take your picture and not have to guess because they can see you drop. I can not wait to go opening day in april (which is the time period they are discussing at this moment may change).
This is one of the best in my eyes! I NEVER queue for this ride...always get a fast track or ride later in the evening. If I did queue for the one hour plus, I wouldn't be disappointed...it's soooo not necessary though! The ride itself is amazingly intricate and lasts a good 6 minutes. The hills are fun, sometimes scary, and the scenery is great. You can't help but want to ride it again and again!
I have to say, I had already been on Space Mountain at Disney in Paris before this one. Paris has a totally different Space Mountain with launched hills, loops and belting music. It's truly excellent. Florida's version was a little disappointing in comparison. So I rode at least twice to make sure I wasn't missing something. And you know? I did miss something. It's such an old coaster, slow in mph but feeling fast due to its clever design with some stomach churning moments. It really is a thrilling ride....was just hoping for a loop or two!
This really is one of the best 3D (4D?) shows on offer. The scree is enoooooooooormous and the fact that you can smell whats in front of you is awe inspiring. Don't miss it!
Alien Encounter is no longer...it is now a hommage to Lilo and Stitch and whilst exciting and less scary for kids (but still scaryish), made me feel sick when the creature belches in your face! ho ho! Such a novel experience, but quite revolting at the same time!! You have to ride to understand!
Do not make the following mistakes! 1. Mission is intense. I have a cast iron stomach but this nearly tipped the bucket. 2. Children will not enjoy the experience. 3. It is claustrophobic in your spaceship. 4. Your muscles will be sore from Gforces. 5. You will have a blast (ho ho) 6. Be strong!
I just LOVE this ride! I must be one of the fortunate few to never have had to line up for too long and the ride has nearly always been up and running. Admittedly, there are formidable queues and I recommend a fast track. But if you are in a line, the inside area is incredible and there is always something to be looking at. The ride itself is amazing. High speed turns, brakes, excelleration, near collisions...yes, you are testing a car for all eventualities, including extreme temperatures (watch out for the robots!!). The outside run is stunning. Take my word for it, get a fast track and you will be blown away!
Let's not beat around the bush, the main reason for boarding SpaceShip Earth is not because of the story through ages, although this is endearing. You just wanna get inside that big ball! And my God it is neverending inside! The ride lasts roughly 6 minutes and you wonder where they pack it all in. Think Dr Who and you might not get so freaked out. A memorable voyage, if not sedate.
Like the Rio del Tiempo, this is a sedate boat ride (although a small backwards drop is fun) and has a certain charm which is worth a visit. Aviod the after show in the cinema. Don't let them trap you inside!! I beg!
This is good family fun, unless you have a nervous child or adult who is scared on mice or snakes. A strangely believable journey into smallsville is packed with fun but I find the movie itself to be out of date now.
I recommend a meal at the Mexican restaurant and then heading onto the Rio for a short queue and an enjoyable, if not slightly underwhelming, boat trip through Mexico. Ok, it's not exciting, it's a poor replica of boat rides, but it has a certian charm and I am always happy to spend 10 mins of my day chilling out on this. The Aztec temple is rather beautiful as is the illusion of the sky. Pretty.
No matter what anyone tells you, don't ride this if you have experienced Star Tours. I found the whole experience totally forgettable and whereas in Star Tours I felt real excitement the first time round, I never actually believed for a split second that I was in someone's body, and let's face it, you want that second of believing. It's jerky, noisy, and not much fun. If you have nothing better to do, try it out, but if there's a queue, don't bother.
Whilstnot a thrill ride, this has to be one of the most interesting guides to the movies. You board huge capacity cars which keep the line to a minimum. I have never to had wait more than 10 minutes, even at Easter. Your guide takes through movie sets (yes, all your favourites), there is a little interaction and banter from other cast members joining in at various stops and of course...you meet the wicked witch from Oz! Yippeeee! A long ride, lots to enjoy, never disappointing.
Whilst there is no mistaking that this is a very good ride, once you have ridden Star Tours, a repeat ride is a little underwhelming. I have had to ride it on many occasions with various family members / friends and even though first-timers are excited, it's not so sweet the second time. Quite a rough ride, a little out-dated too..I'd love to see something more in line with Revenge of The Sith.
When you approach this ride, it's hard to believe there's a rollercoaster inside! It looks tiny, tucked away in a corner. A then there's the line. Chains, chains and more chains. Up and down, up and down, up and down. And finally you enter the recording studio, home to the Smith and a limo that will be taking passengers across town at high speeds in order to make their concert. You STILL can't imagine that tucked away is a rollercoaster. You make it to the parking lot and BAM. A car screeches past you in a second...lights flashing, hair swept back, terrified faces, not enough time to scream. Yes, this is a real coaster. The launch is fast. Not only is it fast, it's in a dark tunnel which then suddenly turns into a huge loop. It may not be the longest of coasters but with such a thrilling beginning and music pumping into your ears...it's a huge thrill. Watch out for the picture opportunity on the launch...I have never composed myself well and the fear on my face is real. Get past the chain line and you will love it.
Ok, now this really is a good 3D show. Make no mistakes, you will have a ball and kids will bein heaven, but it's no Tough to be a Bug. One lovely moment...Miss Piggy singing and falling bubbles! One Two Three...ahhhhhhhhhh!
Whereas first timers will enjoy this spectacle (especially fans of the very first Indie outing), it tends to drag the 2nd and 3rd time. It can't be long before Disney think about an up-date. The problem is, what? Few adventure films live up to Indie, although Pirates of the Carribean....? Maybe? You will enjoy the show, but it's not spectacular.
I love this...it's just different from what's on offer and as well as an excellent pre-show area (you may get wet) feeling informed throughout, you also experience the wonderful Catastrophe Canyon...and then the behind-the-scenes construction. It's interesting, educational and thrilling all at the same time.
Just trust me...this is a superior Disney show...go and see for yourself and you will come out smiling...maybe crying if you are hugely sentimental. Pity about the random line but once in the theatre, the wait is made easy thanks to the cast members.
Do. Not. Eve. Bother. This ride is much more special at MK (Dumbo) and even whilst Aladdin was an unnecessary addition to MK, at least it is more fun with shorter lines. Tri is totally unacceptable and needs pulling down with the rest of Dinorama. OK I admit it, younglings will enjoy, but it's seriously not worth the wait. Just tell them there's a much nicer one around the corner!
Whilst Dinorama is a total assault on your eyes and an unforgiveable addition to this beautiful park, if it's not too busy, this coaster (which has been done a 100 times) is at least fun for the family. TIP TO DISNEY: Pull down this area and go back to the drawing board...the sooner the better. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!
This is quite simply what I was hoping for in every way! I wanted to see animals. I did. They come up to your truck...they're within touching distance. The whole plain is vast. The attention to detail is second to none. Although the 'rescue mission' element to the ride isn't quite necessary, it does add some added thrills (wobbly bridges, fast speeds through water and winding roads etc). TIP: go early to aviod heavy lines and to see more animals and try to sit at the end of a row, preferably near to the rear of the truck.
I don't want to spoil this 3D show for you. Suffice to say that it is one of the best you will see. The line is detailed (winding its way around the Tree of Life) and you rarely have to wait long. The show is incredible...you will laugh, gasp, hold your breath, shriek and jump out of your skin. Kids also love it, but younger ones may be way too freaked out!!
Yikes! Amazing theming is the key to this ride's success, and it really is amazing....you rise through fog only to discover burning timbers alongside the river as man destroys nature itself, starting with forests. A few slashes later and you are faced with a frmidable drop, given usual water raft standards. If you are sat with your back to the drop, as I was, it is a little like being thrown overboard in your clothes!! Great fun....and yes, the rest of the boat's crew will laugh at you. The main problem with this ride is the long long long line! Waiting times are aoften at least an hour or two. And when a ride is as short as this one, you wonder whether it was worth the wait. My advice is definitely get a fast pass, that way you will not be disappointed. Why Disney didn't see that this could have been an incredible ride had it been longer is beyond me. Try Pluto's barges at Universal IOA to see how it should have been done.
This ride is quite simply up there with the best and I cannot understand why some people have not picked up on this! Firstly, the line is easy to navigate and rarely heavy. I lined for 10 mins max on my last visit. The ride is highly turbulent, scary and fast. The effects are excellent and you really do feel like you are caught in the middle of something catastrophic. All my family loved it and wanted to head straight back into the line which I recommend! You miss out on lots of detail the first time. Yes, it can be a little dark at times, BUT this only adds to the overall thrill. Don't miss out on this ride!! You won't regret it!
Do not be fooled! This park is as good as Blizzard Beach...just for different reasons. Do NOT miss out! Since the new watercoasters have been built, the thrills here are heavy. The watercoasters are incredible fun: scary, fast, wet wet wet, and unique. Going down hills is a norm on water slides...but up and down and up and down again? That's amazing. Truly inspired fun. Other slides are fun, especially tube slides....imaginatively themed and massive fun. I love the lazy river too... extremely beautiful and relaxing...lovely theming...if I wasn't at all worried about burning, I'd stay on this for hours. And the Lagoon...WOW! The wave is the biggest man-made in the world and everytime you hear to jets explode, pushing the wall of water forward, so starts the screaming. My other favourite is Shark Reef. I loved swimming with the fish and sharks and rays. Ok, so it's not Discovery Cove, and it's not like snorkelling in the Maldives, BUT it's great fun, you are guaranteed to see loads, and it's such a good starting point if you are nervous of snorkelling. My niece loved it so much (well, the 2nd time around) that we went to Discovery Cove too. Food isn't all that, lacking in variety, but it won't spoil the day. Just accept that you will be eating burgers, pizzas or ribs and you'll be fine. Tip: during your stay, crowds are slight when it is cooler. Now, cooler by Florida standards is still warm to hot. I went on a day where the temps reached 73F. Most people shuddered at the thought, but not us...and there were no lines, no hassles...just lovely warm sunshine, warm water and lots of fun. Enjoy!
This is such a unique park...from the minute you walk through the entrance, you know you are in for something special. The theming is incredible. The slides are top notch and numerous. The pools are adequate (although not on the same scale as Typhhon) and there is a wave pool which kids love. I love the chair lift to the top of the mountain...great views of WDW and of people plunging down the slides screaming. And of course a novel way to travel! Be careful of the sun here...some lines are long and you can easily burn. You also have to walk up a lot of steps to reach some of the enclosed slides to the rear of the mountain. However, the slides are great. I love the family raft ride...the longest in the park and one of the best. Summit Plumet is terrifying...only the once for me! I dare you not to be nervous...it's the tallest in the world, I think, and it feels like it is too. I loved to sledge slides where you face forward holding onto your mat for dear life. Exhilirating and loads of fun. The lazy river is beaultifully themed and seems to last for ages...a perfect way to relax...but watch out for the icy cold waterfall in the cave...you will hear the screams long before you get there! The food is ok here but there is not enough variety. It's not a spoiler to the day though. Enjoy!
There's no missing this attraction! You anticipate it by seeing the mountain tower over Animal Kingdom as you pull into the park. Once you walk into Asia or out of DinoLand USA you see how enormous it really is. The town makes you feel you're really in another world. The queue area makes you really wonder what you're going to see, referring to the Yeti. With all the artifacts and books helps you understand what you might be going through. Once you see the steam of the train you know there's no turning back. All I can say is hold on for the ride of your life! Thanx to Animal Kingdom for allowing the Annual Passholder preview! After riding it three times I knew there was no way I would miss Expedition Everest anytime I visit the resort. I've said it once and I'll say it a million times, "There's no missing the attraction!"
Review from opening day, Thursday, January 26, 2006. Queuing time was as most Disney attractions a little inflated. Posted 30 min. was more like 15-20 min. There was minimal audio/music. So if you want noise then ring the prayer bells on your way through. The PreShow/Queuing Area has been described in much detail so I won't add much except to say it is in 4 parts: the expedition booking office, supply store, museum, and a wall of photos of your expedition leader and team. If you FastPass this attraction it is mostly just he booking office and team photos. Sneaky in the thrill department. Quite a pleasant ride through the country side until things go wrong. **Spoiler** - I don't think anyone has mentioned the earthquake or avalanche effect just before the backward drop happens. The train does shake some. Biggest surprise is the "drop" is not a straight drop backwards. Lots of ups and downs with mostly curves. In fact if you look down there is enough light leakage into the mountain that you can see spirals of track below you. Also, while you can't see the first switchbackfrom mid- train to the front, (at least I couldn't because of the high seat back), you can watch the second switchback FLIP over. It occurs during the Yeti projection about when it rips up the tract. Look at the track down before you to see this. Very cool engineering. I had thought it would have been more like a flat train track where the rails just move sideways but the track section actually inverts. Most unanticipated thrill is the enormous drop out of the projection scene and the Gee forces that are pulled in the banks of the double helix track. So much for a pleasant ride in the country side! OK the view of the Yeti AA is brief. So when you enter the cave after the projection scene and see a green exit sign on the upper right cave wall start looking up. If you are in the back of the train you will have more time to react to this. Very nice fluid motion to the AA's action. I think this is enhanced by the "wispy" hair flowing from the Yeti's arm. Best ride for the backward portion is in the rear of the train. The brakes before the load/unload station are really forceful but be prepared for a jolt for the final stop. Not particularly pleasant. Upon disembarking into the PostShow/Merchandise area you are welcomed back from your expedition and shown the way into this area. The traffic flow in here is terrible. There is no easy egress out of there. Likewise, it is congested even if you are trying to find something to purchase. Merc doesn't seem to be organized in any particular grouping patterns except that the shirts are hung along the walls. Nicer/pricey adult items are mixed together with toys and plush for the kids. There is a lot of schizophrenia about what the Yeti looks like depending on what item you purchase. It ranges from what you would expect from a Saturday morning cartoon of the Yeti to a fair approximation even though the coloring in wrong. Duration - upon first riding you will say it is too short and find yourself saying, "Let's ride again!" Fair enough. Even after you have seen the actual Yeti the ride offers enough thrill for repeatability. Once you get a few rides under your belt you will realize the duration is about right - unless the wait times get insane. I found it was brisk business earlier in the morning and walkon in the hour before park close, (let me qualify this by saying I am reviewing the AP preview. Most people I talked to in line rode two or three times at most and then were out of there so the lines were at first inflated and then self diminishing. My experience was from about 10 AM to 12:30 PM and again from 2:00 PM to just before park close for a total of ten rides). I didn't see that many youngsters riding as this was a school day but most were tolerating the ride well. The scary part is over so quickly with the Yeti they didn't seem to be reacting badly to it. I only saw one child in the line where the Yeti theming actually caused them to become upset. Overall I give this a solid Good +. The problem with the gift shop traffic flow isn't something that can't be fixed. Oddly, the purchase of ride photos seems to be separate from the photo pickup. Not just adjacent - completely across the gift shop. If the ride attendance I experienced holds up the hours before park close or a Fast Pass ticket will be the way to go.
Awsome ! Just did it today 5 times! Ride is like a fine wine, the more you go on it the better it gets!
i've been to disney 10 times since fantasmic opened and went every night(of my vacation) to see fantasmic! it's amazing!(just don't come 2 hours b4)
This is a great Disney attraction. WDI did an amazing job.
I rode Expedition Everest three times yesterday (cast preview) and loved it!
First off, let me state I'm not going to be a "RaRa" this is the best Disney has ever done guy. Nope, not here. Lets break this down into 3 pars, Queue, Ride, Gift shop. Queue: Wow, well they did a great job. All I can say, look at the props. Look at the fake wood, that's made of cement. Yes, I'd have to say that they must have blew allot of the budget on just the queue alone. To bad that they had nothing left over for the ride itself. Ride: Yes the steam effect as your train leaves the station is cool. Sadly, it's rather poorly done what with the big "CAUTION HOT STEAM" stickers all over the device. Sort of killed the illusion for me. The ride itself is okay, though I thought I was riding the Matter horn at Disneyland for a few moments there. Icey White Tunnels and all. Sadly, we loose what could have been a great ride right at the very top. Your train comes to a stop by some twisted up tracks and you see a "Plastic" bird. Good god, why? Why? Couldn't we have a Yeti pop up, menace you and tear up some more tracks? That would be cool, but a BIRD? Ugh. We now have the backwards portion. Nice, in all the best part of the ride really. As I can go on BTTM and do a helix on that. Of course, what would the ride be without the "Yeti so big he's not even connected to the building" okay, well. Yea, it was NOT scary. In fact, I did not ask myself "Is this real?" no, I asked myself, "How much did we pay for that?" Oh wait; there was also a projection of a Yeti. Forgot about that, I've seen Ren and Stimpy cartoons that fit better than that did. Why was there a Yeti shadow there? Was there a hole in the wall that let light in? What about at 5pm in the winter when it's dark out? What casts the light for that Shadow effect? Get my drift. At least over at Splash it's a fireplace. Again, couldn't we have had a really cool Yeti figure? Heck, it would have enough time to really "SCARE" you to scream like a girl. But no. Gift shop: Yea, well done. Looks great, but we all knew that would be the case. That's where the money is made, so of course it's going to be good. So that's it. My review. I bet plenty of Disney fans won't like it. To bad, you see this ride could have been great. I mean it, really freaking good. But, again we get a so-so eh, okay ride. Don't wait more than 45 mins for it; you'll hate yourself in the morning.
Not a bad ride. Considering how much money was poured into it, its a fair experience. I wonder if they spent another 50 million they could have added some length to the track -- maybe have it skirt out over the lake area a little or make the outside helix a bit larger or more involved (figure 8?). Its a pretty amazing attraction from a technical perspective as it employs some new tricks. Its a very exciting ride but has little depth to it. Somehow touring a museum or supply shop before riding isn't as exciting as pretending to be in space or the wild west (has Disney milked all possible themes?) I hope its a popular ride for AK's sake and I hope they get the queue worked out as its really bad (in terms of capacity) right now. It would have been great to have the queue extend somehow around the backside of the mountain as well (but there is track to maintenance in the way). Maybe a tunnel or underground queue back there? Its just that at 30 minutes away, you area already on the main path, that kinda sucks. I think they should expand the queue somehow -- spend another 3-5 million on that. Be in ice caves or something. Over all the attraction is fine for what it is -- an E ticket.
rode Everest yesterday during AK cast preview and am providing this very detailed report. note: This is very detailed in terms of track layout, and even though much is known about the layout of the ride, this could be a spoiler for some, so beware. First off, the queue is nice but overhyped. If you like the queue at Kali River Rapids, you'll like this too, very similar in my opinion. But it is less spectacular or "magical" than say Dueling Dragons at IOA but interesting nonetheless. As there wasnt much line during this preview, i didnt linger to soak it all in. Im sure it is more interesting if you are forced to wait in it. As for the ride, very very cool and an instant Disney classic. More than the Mummy, Everest reminds me of thunder mountain, as it is a trainride mostly outside. The thrill level is certainly greater than Big Thunder Mtn though. As others have said, the train toots as it leaves the station and you are off on the journey. A clever trick provides a puff of steam that seems to come from the back of the train. The track banks to the right for the 1st lift hill (small, about Barn Stormer size if that). The train goes down a short dip banking to the left and we have a calm outside section of the ride with another small dip. The area is freshly landscaped and we hear bird noises coming from speakers. We bank to the left again and up the main lift we go, through the Yeti shrine and to the mountain. The lift is very smooth and extremely quiet after the initial hooking on of the train to the lift chain. Once the train clears the lift, we are "in the mountain" but still outside (kind of on the moutain I guess, not in it). We bank to the left again and go up an incline to see mangled tracks. The train stops and an eagle-like bird appears. The pause is about 10-15 seconds while the track behind us (the switchgate) repositions. Meanwhile, we hear ominous sound effects. Next, the train takes off backwards and we go inside the mountain into darkness, banking back and to the left. This section is longer than the Mummy backwards section, about 20-25 seconds long I'd say. It creates good forces, as we careen in the dark seemingly up a banked hill. Finally, the train comes to rest in the mountain and again the track switchgate resets (this time in front of us). Up above, a shadowy Yeti figure is projected (very sharp and crisp). He tears up some track and darts off in a King Kong-like manner as our train darts forward too. The train flies out of the mountain over the big drop and then back into the mountain. Once inside, there is another small banked dip to the right before racing out the back of the mountain for some tight banked left turns. A few seconds later we are back in the mountain for the finale. The train plunges back into darkness, slows a tad before picking up speed for this final scene. The train banks back to the right and we see the very tall Yeti up ahead. He is brown in color and quickly we realize we are headed right under him. The Yeti swoops his arm right at the front cars of the train, very quick and very scary if you are in the front. He re-swoops for the back of the train too. Quickly we leave the mountain and see the unload station ahead. Overall, the ride is extremely cool and fun. The hill is not as big a drop as I expected, literally not much more sensation than the biggest drop of Space Mountain (serious). The backwards section actually is the most thrilling in terms of forces and sensations (heightened by the darkness of it). There is no audio in the cars. The encounter with the Yeti is VERY brief. At first I thought that was lame, but then I realized it kind of preserved the mystery of the Yeti, almost like real explorers who wondered if they really saw what they thought they saw. Anyways, your visual time with this Animotronic is under 5 seconds. Perhaps the coolest part of the ride is the AWESOME view offered by its height. During the first lift hill, if you look out in front of you, you can easily spot AK Lodge and the Highway 192 West area of town. If you turn around on the big lift hill, you can see the Contemporary Resort and Space Mtn in the distance. Around the corner at the mangled track, the front 2 or 3 rows get a GREAT view of Epcot and MGM - any further back in the train cannot see this though. Lastly, on repeat visits, try to sit in the front o get a great view of the switchgate track repositioning (during the projected Yeti sequence just before the big drop). Rather than a traditional switchgate like Norway's, the track flips 180 degrees so that the track you first crossed on is now under the new track, which takes you ina different direction. It is hard to describe but neat to see. (You can also see it if you ride in the back and at the mangled track scene, simply turn around and watch for it). In summary, this ride is a great addition to Animal Kingdom. Disney's single-word description of AK is adventure (MK is fantasy, Epcot is Discovery, etc) and EE absolutely adds to the feeling of adventure at AK. My biggest complaints would be the shortness of the ride (shorter than Big Thunder) and the overhyped queue, which while interesting, just does not live up to the endless hype offered by a certain imagineer.
This ride blew me away. It was everything I hoped for and more. I couldn't belive the attention to detail and just the grand size of it all. The backwards section is cool and all the Yeti effects are really nice. Be sure to look for the falcon at the top of the mountain. It is the funniest thing I've ever seen.
Tour was disorganized in assembly area. Tour got off late due to bus failure (lift failed to work) and there was no back-up. Due to delay the MK portion was eliminated. Tour should assemble in Germany where it would have been less confusing. Safety would not be a problem in that the Princess Breakfast is held in Norway and there are many children around. CM's were very good - but if you have been on other tours this would be a vast letdown.
I took the Yuletide Fantasy Tour on Dec 9th. The tours were run by the Disney Institute (not the old one that I enjoyed thoroughly) but a small offshoot of it. We met outside of of the enterance to Epcot. Our hosts were Leesa and I can't remember the other woman... I think her name was Sharon, but I'm not sure. They were really good. They got everyone organized and explained what we were going to be doing and where we were going. This was a combo tour explaining both how Disney does their decorations and how our own decorations have meanings. They made sure that we had our photo id because they would check (and they did). We then proceeded over to the bus area at Epcot and boarded a bus from the Disney Cruise Line. There were 39 of us on the tour so they divided us up into two groups. It made it easier for us to hear each of the guides. On the bus, they took turns telling us different things pertaining to the holidays. We started off at Epcot behind the scenes, entering at Germany (this is where they checked our id's). It was interesting to be able to see Epcot's World Showcase before it was really open to the public. The only other people we saw at that part of the park were other people taking tours. (I want to try the Segway one next time...) It was interesting to be able to see how they were planting in Germany (using what I described as a drill to dig all the holes and dropping the Geraniums in (I need one of those for my garden). We started out talking about how many of our traditions including the Christmas tree and the ormaments came from Germany. We learned how the glass ornaments evolved and they described the pickle ornament which traditionally is put on the tree on Xmas eve and the first person who finds it gets a special gift. We moved on to Italy where we learned that the decorations are more somber. They use darker colors and they described the old woman who comes to leave gifts by your tree. The US was next. We learned how the tree is done in the colonial style with fruit and natural things on it, with the exception that Disney put the large red balls on it. We also learned how it was Eisner's choice to keep the Candlelight processional at WDW because the story was important to Walt and he wanted all aspects of the holiday celebrated. We went inside to see the Haunaka and Kwanzaa displays. We learned about the 8 nights of light from the one night of oil. and We learned that Kwanzaa is more of a values type of holiday and learning to be the best person you can be and to keep that spirit with you and those around you. We moved onto Japan after that. They don't celebrate Xmas tradionally, but they do it with New Years. We learned about the doll with no eyes that they color in one eye on new years and they make a wish. When that wish comes true, they color in the other eye and throw it away. In Morocco, they explained about Ramaadan and since they don't celebrate Christian holidays, they really couldn't do much for the decorations. They red and green flags are the colors of the Moroccan Flag.... They did explain that during Ramadaan, many of the cast memebers who observe it, fast for the day, so the CM's who were in charge of the area made sure that they would be positioned indoors because when they fasted they also didn't drink water and they didn't want the cm's fainting on them. They said that they had a small party at the end of Ramadaan and the cm's brought their favorite Moroccan foods with them. After Morocco, we got back on the bus and headed over to MGM. I was surprised when we went backstage at just how much they have there that you cannot see from either the road or the park. I noticed that there is actually an office building and a parking garage back there. We went in through a gate by "One Man's Dream" and walked over to the "Streets of America". The lights were not on, of course and they told us that they may not be on for 2 days because they are indoor lights and they take that long for them to dry out (but I also heard that they did make it on occasionally) We got the chance to see how the lights were attached and how they made alot of different shapes out of the lights. They explained several of the displays - on the globe there is a star and an arrow. The star is Bethlehem and the Arrow is for Little Rock (where the Osborne's come from) We looked for several of the hidden mickeys and we even found the black cat (tucked in an alley along NY street) The black cat is a Halloween Display that the Osbornes also put up, which got mixed in with the Xmas lights. Disney put it up the first year and when the Osbornes came to see it they noticed the cat. They decided that since it had made it all the way to Fl, it would stay. It is put in a different place every year. There are also other references to the Osbornes there. On the fire escape, the heart with Breezy's name is the name of Osborne's daughter and the date they got married. We learned that the Osborne's display had gotten so big that they bought the house next door just to store the lights in. After we left there, we went to the Wilderness lodge, which I was glad for, since I was staying at the Grand Floridian and had already checked out the decorations there. They explained how the tree was done in natural decorations such as pine cones and even moose antlears. We also learned that the Wilderness Lodge was the first resort on Disney Property to be built with the Xmas tree in mind. They had to wire the resort for the tree and it is the largest tree in the resorts - standing on a 5 foot high base. We left the WL and moved on to the MK. It was interesting to see how we had to go to get backstage. The security was a bit around and about and I noticed that they had those special drop down gates that they can put up to stop as much as a truck from getting through. We got off the bus and made our way onto Main Street entering just at Town Square, next to the Confectionary Shop. It was fun to watch because it was obvious that we were a tour together and all the people around us were stopping to listen to some of what we were learning. We learned that the Xmas Tree on Main Street comes apart in 6 sections. It is brought in by crane and assembled there. They explained how they used to use live trees, but they would have to go the the Sierras and cut down 3 trees to make one tree (using one as the base and the other two they drilled holes in and stuck the branches in to make it a full tree.) (they also painted it green, because the live tree would start to brown quickly) It couldn't be composted because of the paint, so they had to throw it away. We made our way down Main street to the first alley way on the right past Uptown Jewelers. We were talking about the xmas parade because someone asked when they were going to tape it. (they had done it the weekend before) On Main St., we talked about how alot of the decorations that we use come from the Victorian times and how it became more elaborate as the years went by. They also told us about the garlands across the street. The year that they had the inflatable baloons in the parade they couldn't use it because of height of the baloons, also another year, one of the floats was too tall for the garland and each time the cm playing one of the princes went under he had to duck. We left the MK and proceeded onto to the Holiday services Warehouse. It used to be the building that they used for food preparation before it was spread out to other parts of the park. It is just that. A big warehouse. But they did explain alot about it to us. About how a resorts decorations are meant to last for 5 years. How it takes up to 2 years to plan out the resort's decorations. Of course the decorations were out. We did see, however how they had shelves and shelves piled high and categorized with ornaments. They purchase 5 years worth of ornaments because they expect breakage (yes, they do use glass ornaments...) They then took us into the workroom where 25 full time people work year round to get the holiday's done. After everything is brought back in from the resort, they have to inventory and list breakage and damage to the items, which they spend the rest of the year fixing. They still had the tree from CoP out - it was due to be placed before it opened Xmas week... It was cool to see behind the scenes because I got the chance to see where the Monorail barn was and just to take a quick look around and see what was there. We then reboarded the bus and took the road around the MK over to the GF and back to Epcot. We got back at around 12:30. They gave us a commemorative pin - LE 1200 which was Tinkerbell sitting on an ornament. I've taken lots of other tours with the Disney Institute. I loved it when it was in full swing (it was like being at summer camp as an adult and also going to the parks later in the day...) I liked the tour. It wasn't my top 10... that was the archetecture tour at the old DI.... but this was fun. I think it depends on who your tour guide is and try not to go in with any grand expectations and you'll find lots you may not have heard before.
Introduction: This is a review of my riding Expedition: Everest for a promotional filming. The ride is still going through testing procedures and not all elements are running yet. I will update in the future. *SPOILER WARNING* Queuing time: This doesn't really apply to my recent experience with the attraction, as this was a filming and not standard operation. The loading station had a different layout from other attractions, so it should prove to be effective. Audio/music: I'll update on this later, as area music was not running at the time of the filming. The eerie sounds coming from the mountain did add to the overall effect. Queue: Although I didn't see the standby queue, I did get a good look at the overall entrance courtyard. It truly feels like a village in Nepal. I will update on the queue theming when I can, though I've heard that it's one of the best-themed queues in all of Disney. Storyline: You and your team are on your way to climb Mt. Everest, but first you need to cross the Forbidden Mountain, home of the yeti. There is a train that can take you quickly to the other side, but locals warn you: the yeti will be angry if anybody enters his mountain. In the spirit of adventure, your team chooses to take the train..... The ride begins innocently enough- two toots of the whistle, a puff of steam and you're on your way to Mt. Everest. Upon climbing Forbidden Mountain, you pass through a shrine to the yeti. Atop Forbidden Mountain all seems peaceful enough, but something isn't right. Things go dreadfully wrong when you come to a stop- right before a piece of broken track! After a suspenseful pause, your train begins careening into total darkness- BACKWARDS! Once again you come to a stop, only to find that the yeti has torn another train right off the tracks! This time your train plunges forward- out of a cave and straight down the side of the mountain! A sudden curve back inside for a few moments, only to go speeding out of the mountain once more! Your train enters Forbidden Mountain one last time, only to bring you face-to-face with the yeti...... Theming: Although all of the effects weren't working at this time, the theming was quite effective. There are so many details. I particularly enjoyed the steam from the train when it first left the station. Post show/merchandise: I didn't see any type of post show. There is merchandise available at Beastly Bazaar, and the mountain is appearing on some Animal Kingdom t-shirts. Thrill: Although many will say that this ride isn't too thrilling for a roller coaster, I beg to differ. The added theming , effects and story make it so much more than your average thrill ride. Duration: I wouldn't mind if it lasted a bit longer, perhaps involving the yeti more, but more time in the seat may have caused the story lo lag a bit. Kid friendly: This ride isn't violent or rough, so most people should be able to ride with little or no discomfort. Due to the height limit, not all children can ride. I would reccomend letting children who are tall enough try smaller coasters before this one. Overall rating: This is easily one of Disney's best attractions. I had high hopes from the time it first went under construction, and I was not let down. I do hope that all of the effects are working soon. Personal notes: I had two big problems going into this ride- possible motion sickness due to large drops and a broken rib. My fears (and stomach) were quickly settled. The ride was so smooth that the I hardly felt the drops and my rib wasn't bumped or hurt at all. In fact, I spent most of the ride (at least when I wasn't screaming) giggling like a schoolgirl..... I believe this covers everything, and I tried to be as thorough as possible.
After a great tour of the queue, station, and surrounding area, Everest is an amazing Disney masterpiece. Disney builds up an intriguing story and tells it through artifacts and details. There\'s no typical video screen preshow, but the preshow is drawn out through the queue. The story continues all the way to the station where your journey begins. The ride is a fast paced and exciting journey encountering the fearsome yeti. It exits into a bazaar type gift shop. The ride may be a little to intense for younger children. Even if you don\'t ride, I sugest you take in the experience and story regardless. So much effort and theming went into this ride, more than any other Disney attraction. It is an instant classic for countless future visits. EDIT Finally got the chance to ride it fully. All I can say is WOW! This is truly an amazing ride that I\'d be willing to ride over and over again.
Basically, the problem I found with the tour is that I am one of those theme park people who rushes A to B to C and this was slow for me - too slow. The other thing is that the rides you go bac kstage on are not the best - I would love to see behind the scens of splash mountain, etc. But all the other stuff is good - good guides, good info, lucnch included, utilidors. If never done, definately give it a go and it is bvery good value