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There are no "Hidden Mickeys" in Expedition Everest. However, there is one hidden reference to Walt Disney Imagineering in the queue line.

Ride Review
RIDE: Expedition Everest
PARK: Disney's Animal Kingdom
DATE: April 6, 2006
REPORTER: Mike Collins
 
"We've all taken rides on theme park attractions that claim to have a clear storyline and a coherent theme. However, most times they miss the mark.  
 
For instance, if a superhero themed roller coaster is to be set in a run-down part of the city, some theme parks will just throw some nasty trash and old discarded props around the queue line and call it theming.  They're even happy when guests throw litter on top of the theming because they say it adds "atmosphere".
 
Then, when it finally comes time to board the roller coaster, nobody is sure why they're getting on.  Where's the storyline?  Where's the immersion?
 
When it comes to theme park attraction design, nobody is better than Disney Imagineering.  Some might argue with me and say that Universal Creative gives them a run for their money.  But we all know that the Universal guys learned from and were inspired by what Disney has done.  It all goes back to the ideals and principals that Walt Disney himself outlined when he created the art of Imagineering.
 
I just returned from checking out Expedition Everest, the new E-Ticket attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
 
I'm happy to report that the tradition of immersive storylines and strict attention to detail that Walt Disney started in the early 1950's is still alive today.
 
The story begins the moment you enter the park's gates.  You immediately begin to see signs that point out what "elevation" you are at in relation to the Everest Base Camp.
 
As you trek closer and closer to the attraction, the signs let you know that you are climbing higher and higher.  First 1,000 feet, then 2,000, then 10,000 and so on.
 
After passing through the Asia section of the park, you finally come upon the mythical village of Serka Zong. For awhile your eyes are drawn to a canopy of prayer flags, an ornamental monastery, and many intricately carved totems.  But eventually your eyes become filled with Everest.
 
The mountain stands almost 200 feet tall and occupies a 6.2-acre site.  It's one of 18 mountain attractions created by Imagineering at Disney theme parks worldwide.  Supposedly, Disney's version of Everest is only one percent of the mass of the real Everest.  Wow.
 
For this review, I'm going to follow the Imagineering tradition and present it in story format.  So, my Everest quest began by visiting the Himalayan Escapes tour company.  The people who ran this company said that they could get me to the top of Mount Everest by using an old steam train that used to service the tea plantations there.  This was perfect because it meant I wouldn't have to do things the hard way by actually climbing the mountain myself.  I takes enough effort just to get me on the treadmill in the morning!
 
I was pretty hyped up for the train ride, but I noticed that everywhere you looked, there were signs warning me about possible ferocious encounters with the Yeti.  Apparently, he is a much-debated creature who is seen as a menace by some and a protector by others.
 
The locals all told me that it was foolish to enter the forbidden part of the mountain, so I felt a little uneasy when I found out that's where the train was headed. 
 
Then it was time to enter the queue line... ummm...I mean... my first stop was Norbu and Bob's booking office to obtain permits. Then I walked though Tashi's General Store and Bar for needed supplies for the journey.  Next, I passed through an old tea warehouse that houses an elaborate museum run by Professor Pema Dorje, Ph.D., a conservation biologist who believes the yeti's existence is grounded in fact.
 
This is the most beautiful and well themed area of the queue line.  There are hundreds of artifacts reflecting Nepalese culture, plus a history of the Himalayas and tales of the yeti. Many people in the queue were stopping to look at the artifacts and photos that show show guides and others who have conquered the summit.  It was amazing to see how much the lore of the Yeti was a part of the Nepalese culture.
 
After passing through the queue, I finally reached the station where the a train from the Anandapur Rail Service was just pulling in. After a huge release of steam from the engine, we all hopped aboard for our ride to the top of Mount Everest.
 
The ride began with climb up a small hill followed by a short drop into scenic tour of thick bamboo forests and fern groves. After a few turns through the forest, our train began to climb a steep hill that passed through a fortress.  As we passed under the fortress, we could hear haunting, ritualized music that made us all feel uneasy.  It seemed to signal that danger was ahead.  In fact, a cluster of sacred yeti totems and a massive yeti mural crafted on the rockwork warned us all to go no farther and to turn back immediately.
 
There was no way to ask the train's engineer to stop, so we continued across a teetering bridge into the mountain.  The train picked up speed as we dove into a shimmering glacier valley filled with mist and ice old air.  We began to make a climb up into the snow-capped peaks when suddenly our train screeched to a halt.
 
I was sitting in the last row of the train, but I could see that we had stopped because the track ahead had been totally ripped apart.   Just I was wondering what could have possibly done such damage, I heard a roar unlike anything I have ever heard before.
 
Somebody or something was really PO'ed.
 
Since we couldn't go forwards, we had to go backwards.  The train picked up speed as we raced into  the mountain through darkened caverns and icy canyons. It felt like we were passing through a double helix on many of the Vekoma roller coasters that I had been on back in America.
 
 
Eventually the train came to a grinding halt in a cold ice cavern.  We  saw a terrifying shadow of an enormous creature who began to rip up more of our track.  He was roaring louder than ever now and determined to put an end to our journey through Everest.
 
It was time to get out of there, so the train accelerated forward through some fog and plunged down an 80-foot drop. Then the train then began to dart in and out of the mountain range during a series of high-speed helixes as we tried to get back to the train station.
 
We entered one last cave and that's when we saw him.... the Yeti.
 
Standing 20 feet high, covered with fur, and glaring at us with blood-red eyes and snarling teeth, the Yeti was in the process of tearing up the final bit of track.  When he saw our train approaching, he began to swipe at us with a speed that was unreal.  Luckily, we were just out of his reach, because we managed to pass just under his grasp.  We flew out of the cave and into the safety of the train station.
 
I got out of the train and went immediately to ride again.
 
Expedition Everest is a solid attraction all around.  It is an excellent addition to Disney's Animal Kingdom which was in need of a thrilling E-Ticket attraction to give people a reason to stay more than a half-day at the park.
 
When you go to experience Expedition Everest, don't go expecting to ride a roller coaster.  When I spoke with Imagineer Mike Lentz who was the project manager for Expedition Everest, he told me that the ride system is merely a storytelling device.  Expedition Everest is not about airtime or inversions or even 70 mph speeds.  It's all about the story of this little Nepalese village, the legendary mountain Everest and your encounter with this mythical creature that guards the area.
 
If there's one reason to come and see this attraction, it is the Yeti.  Seeing pictures on the internet do not do him justice.  He is clearly this most highly engineered Audio-Animatronics figure ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering.  It's a great finale to a great attraction.
 
What I like best about Expedition Everest and the surrounding Serka Zong area is that it will inspire children to learn more about this region of the world.  Nepal and the Everest regions are probably places that we should all visit, but can't for one reason or another.  It's nice to know that we can get a small taste of that land's culture and diversity by visiting Orlando.
 
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Images  © 2006 The Walt Disney Company