Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to thrill rides, delicious dining, and species of all sorts! The park’s biggest thrill can be found in Asia and it’s called Expedition Everest. This attraction sends you zooming forwards and backwards through the Forbidden Mountain on a wild train ride! Ready to learn some more about this one-of-a-kind coaster? Here’s five wild facts about Expedition Everest!

Pricey Park Investment
Over 10 years later, Expedition Everest still holds to title of the most expensive roller coaster in the world! According to the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records, Expedition Everest is the most expensive coaster of all time. For only $100 million, Disney Imagineers were able to create this iconic Disney’s Animal Kingdom coaster! Since the attraction has been a park favorite for over a decade now, it’s safe to say that the major investment was worth it.

Not Actually Everest
Despite what the name suggests, guests aren’t actually traveling to Mount Everest. The major Disney mountain is instead known as the Forbidden Mountain. The fictitious Forbidden Mountain was created by Disney Imagineers just for the storyline of the attraction! 

Tallest Attraction in Walt Disney World
It’s no secret that Expedition Everest is a pretty tall attraction, but did you know it’s actually the tallest attraction at Walt Disney World resort? It stands proudly at 199.5 feet, only half of a foot taller than Walt Disney World’s second tallest attraction, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Why such a specific height? Attractions standing 200 feet or higher would require a flashing red light to alert airplanes for the structure. To avoid the unsightly add-on, Disney Imagineers made sure build the attraction slightly shorter than 200 feet!

That’s A First
Expedition Everest was a pretty innovative coaster for Walt Disney World, so it holds quite a few titles. This was the first Disney roller coaster to propel rides both backwards and forwards! This coaster made for a whole new type of thrill ride for Disney park goers. For this reason, in 2006 Expedition Everest was awarded the title of “World’s Best New Theme Park Attraction” by Theme Park Insider!

Could “B” More Powerful
When riders encounter the Yeti of the Forbidden Mountain, he can be pretty terrifying! As guests pass him now, he is sitting frozen in “B Mode” with a strobe light flashing to simulate movement. What guests don’t realize is that in “A Mode” this 25 ft tall, massive audio animatronic has the ability to lunge 5 feet horizontally towards guests on the attraction. The Yeti was only able to lunge at guests for a few months though, because the swift and powerful lunges were creating stress on the foundation below him. Until the structural issues can be fixed once and for all, the Yeti remains on “B Mode.”

As you can see, Expedition Everest is a pretty exciting attraction! It’s no wonder that this daring coaster is a fan favorite of guests at the Walt Disney World resort. So next time you find yourself in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, keep your eye out for the Forbidden Mountain!