On this day in 2006, an iconic Disney attraction opened to the public. This attraction holds several titles at Walt Disney World resort including Tallest Attraction and Most Expensive Roller Coaster. I’ve written about fun facts for this attraction on my own website and on Best of Orlando. Which attraction has an anniversary today? If you guessed Expedition Everest, you are correct! Expedition Everest turns fifteen today.

Brief History of Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest was first announced to the public during Disney’s Animal Kingdom‘s 5th Anniversary celebration on April 22, 2003. Construction took three years, and on January 26, 2006, Expedition Everest held a soft opening. The grand opening of this attraction was held on April 7, 2006, with the ceremonies led by Disney CEO Bob Iger and Theme Parks Chairman Jay Rasulo. Fifteen years later, Expedition Everest still stands tall as one of the top attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park.

Forbidden Mountain Facts & Figures

This attraction is 4,424 ft long and has a lift incline of 118 ft. It reaches a top speed of 50 MPH and features an iconic 80 ft drop. (Where your PhotoPass photo is taken!) Guests must be at least 44 inches (or one yeti’s foot) tall to ride Expedition Everest. This was Disney’s first attraction to travel both backward and forwards, and the trackswitch rolls and locks in six seconds. Over 900 bamboo plants, 110 species of shrubs, and 10 different species of trees were planted to bring this area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom to life.

Expedition Everest has a run time of two minutes and fifty seconds and a ride capacity of 2,050 guests per hour. For over ten years, this attraction held the record for the Most Expensive Roller Coaster in the world at $100,000,000. In 2019 it lost its record to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, a coaster that cost $300,000,000 to create.

I shared four of my favorite Expedition Everest facts back in 2018 — You can read all about them here! In honor of this attraction’s anniversary, I’m sharing fifteen more facts you need to know about Expedition Everest.

15 More Facts About Expedition Everest

1. Expedition Everest has six trains, but only five max are ever on the ride track.
2. If you look at this attraction from an aerial view, you’ll notice it makes a giant Hidden Mickey.
3. This custom rollercoaster was built by Vekoma and was the first coaster to feature their newest track system that placed the rails on the outside of the ties rather than the inside.
4. It holds the title of Largest Artificial Mountain in all Disney Parks and it was the eighteenth mountain built in a Disney theme park.
5. This attraction features Standby, Fastpass+, and Single Ride line options. (Pre-COVID)
6. Photos hanging in the Expedition Everest Himalayan Village “museum” were taken by Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde while on his research trip to Nepal for the attraction’s village, Serka Zong. Rohde was also the lead designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park.
7. Expedition Everest has a unique height marker of a Yeti’s Foot for guests to verify they are eligible to ride.
8. Three different TV specials aired in April 2006 in honor of Expedition Everest’s grand opening.*
9. The rising steam you see coming off of the train during the ride sequence is an illusion created by Disney Imagineers. The steam isn’t water-based to prevent rusting. 
10. If you’re wearing a MagicBand you may find yourself as a part of the interactive advertisements near the end of the ride queue.
11. On February 15, 2006, Disney staged an elaborate publicity stunt in New York City’s Times Square called “Everest in the City.”**
12. The animatronic on this attraction has the nickname “Disco Yeti” — Read about why here!
13. In 2006, Expedition Everest was awarded the title of Theme Park Insider’s “World’s Best New Theme Park Attraction.”
14. As you walk through Asia on your way to Expedition Everest, you’ll pass a shrine just across the lagoon from the attraction that is a mini version of the Forbidden Mountain.
15. Imagineers went the extra mile to authenticity on this attraction, bringing back native plantlife, artifacts, and more from Nepal and Tibet.

*Expedition Everest took six years of planning and constructing, and most of the process was documented. In 2005, Disney, Discovery Networks, and Conservation International held expeditions in Nepal as a part of promoting the upcoming Disney’s Animal Kingdom Attraction.  Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, Disney’s Animal Kingdom scientists, and Conservation International scientists participated in these expeditions. The group conducted cultural and scientific research in remote areas of the Himalayas — where the scene of Expedition Everest is set.

Between the footage from these expeditions and the construction of Expedition Everest, three documentaries were created and broadcast on Discovery’s cable television channels. The first, Expedition Everest: Journey to Sacred Lands, premiered on the Travel Channel just two days after the attraction’s grand opening. Next, Building A Thrill Ride: Expedition Everest aired on the Science Channel on April 10, 2006, and on the Discovery Channel on April 12, 2006. (You can watch this full documentary on Youtube, starting with Part I here!) The last special, Corwin’s Quest: Realm of the Yeti, was broadcast on Animal Planet on April 15, 2006, and featured American animal and nature conservationist Jeff Corwin.

** “Everest in the City” was a publicity stunt created by Disney in New York City’s Times Square. On February 15, 2006, large billboards were draped over several buildings to create a display of Expedition Everest complete with a train car on one billboard and the Yeti peeking over the mountain on the other. If people texted “DISNEY” to the number “4YETI” (49384) to make the Yeti’s eyes glow red on the billboard!

I guess you could say Walt Disney World’s tallest attraction stands above the rest when it comes to history, details, and facts. This attraction has always been one of my favorites because it provides thrills for the entire family! It’s hard to believe that Expedition Everest has been taking guests up into the Forbidden Mountain for fifteen years, but I look forward to celebrating the next fifteen.

Have You Ever Conquered This Peak at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?