Expedition Everest

**Expedition Everest** or **Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain** is a roller-coaster in the Asia area of *Disney's Animal Kingdom*. The attraction has retroactively inserted story connections to Jungle Cruise attractions.

## History

### Backstory

Expedition Everest takes place in the village of Serka Zong in the fictional asian kingdom of Anandapur. Bordering the village is the Himalayas and Forbidden Mountain, the home of the legendary cryptid, "The Yeti" which is considered to be Guardian of the Forbidden Mountain in local culture. Over the years there have been many incidents with the mysterious creature such as the creation of a, "Yeti Temple" or attacks on the Royal Anandapur Tea Company's steam-trains passing through the Himalayas, causing the railways to shut down in 1934.

The tourism company *Himalayan Escapes Tours and Expeditions* would come into possession of these railways by 2005 when they repurposed them for tourism trips from Serka Zong, through the Forbidden Mountain, to the world-famous Mount Everest. However, guests find themselves off the planned track in the mountains and pursued by the territorial Yeti.

### Development history

Expedition Everest was an attraction developed to add thrill-rides to Disney's Animal Kingdom. The attraction was a spiritual reimagining to the Disneyland rollercoaster *Matterhorn Bobsleds* which also revolved around being chased by a yeti through a famous mountain. The attraction followed an original story developed by imagineer Joe Rohde. The audio-animatronic yeti was at the forefront of the attraction's hype only for a malfunction to render it static and placed in, "B-Mode" as a result.

## Jungle Cruise connections

### Jungle Cruise

In Alberta Falls' office in the Jungle Navigation Company's Amazon River Base is a post-card from Captain Mary Oceaneer which references the attraction. The post-card reads as:

*"Ahoy Skippers,*

*Hope things in the jungle are in shipshape.  I just wanted to give you an update on my expedition.  Sadly, there has been no sign of your lost grandfather.*

*However, i am hearing some strange stories from the Forbidden Mountain near Anandapur.  I’m leading some members to investigate. On the way back maybe they can bring back a decent cup of tea.*

*Exploratio Continua*

*Capt. Mary Oceaneer*

*Society of Explorers and Adventurers*".

In the 2023 Jingle Cruise, a souvenir banner from Anandapur was hung over the Banana Troop door in the Amazon River Base.

### Skipper Canteen

There is a book in the Skipper Canteen's library titled, "*Everest Expedition: In Search of the Yeti*". The book is authored by Harrison Hightower III, an evil colonial explorer who was a high-ranking member of the aforementioned *Society of Explorers and Adventurers* up until his death in 1899. Referencing Harrison Hightower III alongside Expedition Everest is a tribute to Hightower's actor, Joe Rohde, an imagineer behind Expedition Everest.

### Wilderness Explorers

There were several missions relating to the story of the attraction which Wilderness Explorers could go on.

## Trivia

* Expedition Everest has a backstory tying into the nearby *Kali River Rapids*. Kali River was originally planned to be a boat-ride with live animals, similar to Walt Disney's original vision for the Jungle Cruise.
* Expedition Everest's spiritual predecessor *Matterhorn Bobsleds* took its original yeti animatronic from the Jungle Cruise with the figure having originally been used to depict giant gorillas which attacked the boats. Matterhorn Bobsleds is also referenced in the Skipper Canteen via the book, "Scaling the Matterhorn".

## References

1. ↑ https://blogmickey.com/2023/11/100-photos-jingle-cruise-holiday-overlay-returns-to-jungle-cruise-for-2023-holiday-season-at-magic-kingdom/
2. ↑ https://allears.net/2023/08/23/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-jungle-cruise-in-disney-world/