EE - whats the verdict after its first summer

Originally Posted By CMM1

With the summer season winding down and with most of those persons who had jumped down to WDW for the express purpose of riding Expedition Everest having done that, what is the consensus on EE as a headliner Disney attraction?

Is it destined for other parks? Will Disney simply keep it as one of those unique WDW attractions to pull USA visitors? Where does EE fit in the overall rankings of Disney park coasters?

I'll venture a few opinions for starters:

1. Overall, EE is a cut above BTMRR, non-looping Space Mountain versions and the Matterhorn - its not quite up to the disorientation level of the inverted and/or launch coasters such as DLP Space Mountain, Screamin or RnR Coaster. Being in my early '50s, however, and finding the inverted coasters becoming not so much my fancy, I liked the fact that EE used the backwards technology rather than relying upon inversions for its "wow" factor.

2. Are there other parks where EE would be a good fit? It would seem like HKDL might be a good place - perhaps proximity to Nepal might help to make it a bit more compelling to those in SE Asia or the ride's structure (actually its only themed on 3 sides) might lend it to being on the fringe of a park like HKDL where there is already a large mountain in the background and/or nobody might venture to a point where the stark backside is visible.

3. Speaking of the issue of only being themed on 3 sides - isn't the "show building" stark backside visible from the far reaches of the AK parking lot? Does that obvious "show building rather than actual mountain" effect detract at all from the attraction? Back in the early days of the Mine Train ride at KBF in Buena Park the stark and angular backside of that ride was very apparent - only after Knotts populated the backside of that ride with attractions (and subsequently painted that backside of the mine train ride with a faux background) did it lose a bit of that visual conundrum. At TOT in Anaheim, they at least themed the backside facing the corner of Harbor and Katella so that the Tower building does appear to be a real hotel (rather than leaving it as a stark and bare monolith) - of course, that may only have been done so because Disney felt that, perhaps one day in the future, that DCA guests might be venturing into new park areas offering views of the buidling backside and thus, like WDW's TOT, there was a need to "theme" all sides of the attraction (it was kind of funny on the bus at WDW during my last trip there when a small child asked his mom what hotel that was as we passed by MGM and she said she wasn't sure but that she thought they had stayed there once before already on one of their numerous trips when dad had to jump in and let the kid know that "hotel" was actually a ride).

4. Where does EE fit in the "thematic" presentation category? With the elaborate queue and the terrific placement of the attraction across the big lake and seemingly rising in the distance as one arrives by the path from the Africa section of the park, it seems like Disney Imagineering did a great job on the presentation and placement of the attraction.

Any other opinions?

 

Originally Posted By brotherdave

Expedition Everest is definitely a fun ride, with mostly awesome theming, but SOME not so awesome theming also (flying bird, not much to see inside when going backwards, etc). The queue line IS top notch, though!

I think it will reach it's intended mark at DAK, and will be a healiner attraction at WDW for years to come. But, due to it's theming and it's design specifically for DAK, I'm not sure if we'll see it at other Disney parks or not. I guess it could fit in some parks' Adventurlands. Not sure where else it would fit. I guess it's possible to redesign it for Frontierland and give it a 'Sasquatch/Bigfoot' theme as opposed to the Yeti. But, since all of the other Frontierland's (except for HKDL which sorely NEEDS a Frontierland!) have BTMRR, my guess is that they wouldn't try to build it there due to the similarities. The 'Bigfoot' theme could possibly be used for DCA, though, and might work really well there. Unfortunately, I don't know if there's enough room to add it properly to DCA.

It's possible to try to give it a 'Hollywood' makeover and pretend they're shooting a 'Yeti' or 'Bigfoot' movie so they could add it Walt Disney Studios Paris (another park that could desperately use this attraction!). I guess Tokyo Disney Seas could add a new area to accomodate it, but, somehow, I just don't see that happening.

Although I could be wrong, I just don't think we'll see EE 'cloned', at least as itself, to any other Disney park. We might see something inspired by it, but not totally replicated.

 

Originally Posted By Disneymom443

I get to try it out in just 4 short months, and my whole family is looking forward to it.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

<Being in my early '50s, however, and finding the inverted coasters becoming not so much my fancy, I liked the fact that EE used the backwards technology rather than relying upon inversions for its "wow" factor.
<

as another 50's person, I second this statement

 

Originally Posted By demderedoseguys

^* As a young 49er,I found that the going backwards made me dizzy and disoriented.I feel much more comfortable being launched and going upside down on RnRC. However, maybe when I'm as old as you "seniors", I'll prefer going backwards. I know I'll want to age-wise, even if not on EE.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

^^^^^^^^^

amazing as I get older how much more I appreciate Potc - HM etc..LOL !

( I thought the backwards part was going to be disorienting, yet it didn;t bother me at all -- now those nasty tea cups - another story )

 

Originally Posted By crazyformickey

EE is great. Happy to see another great attraction at Animal Kingdom.

My favorite part is the view at the top it's so peaceful

 

Originally Posted By demderedoseguys

>amazing as I get older how much more I appreciate Potc - HM etc..LOL !<

Watch out ole man. Next thing you know, you'll just want to sit near a certain playground at MK and watch the crowds walk by and all the children playing.

P.S.- I'm the same way . Give me the nice slow moving attractions like the two you've already mentioned, throw in TTA as the thrill ride and I'll be happy.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

<Watch out ole man. Next thing you know, you'll just want to sit near a certain playground at MK and watch the crowds walk by and all the children playing.<

my wife has explicit directions that if that day ever came, the papers to commit me are in the hall drawer....

I'll be the old guy sitting on abench shaking my cane at that lousy attraction...


<P.S.- I'm the same way . Give me the nice slow moving attractions like the two you've already mentioned, throw in TTA as the thrill ride and I'll be happy<

Isn't this the truth -- last time there while my wife and oldest daughter were waiting 55 minutes for Space Mountain during EMH - my youngest and I did Buzz 3 times then rode TTA 3 times around- as I tried to convince her how relaxing it was...luckily it was 1:30 AM and she didn't care if I rambled..LOL!

 

Originally Posted By WDWs Future

^^ Hehe. I'm a youngin' still and I love my thrill rides..but nothing beats the TTA! My mom and I love that ride and its great for many things..especially during Wishes, or for seeing Space with the lights on, etc. They better not get rid of this gem

 

Originally Posted By a1stav

EE is a top notch E ticket pure and simple. I don't think that it should be cloned though. AK needs to have such a great headliner unique to itself. Great ride in so many respects.

 

Originally Posted By CMM1

a1: One might have thought the same thing a few years back regarding TOT or RnR Coaster at the Studios - but we now see TOT in DLR and TDS and RnR Coaster in DSP (with TOT also on the way to Paris). Cloning seems very much still a part of the Disney philosophy.

 

Originally Posted By ssWEDguy

>> Cloning seems very much still a part of the Disney philosophy. <<

Cloning, and yet still individualized. Each of the TOT's has it's own distinct architectural look, and is decorated differently in it's interior.

The WDW TOT and DLR TOT even operate differently before the main shaft sequence. (Though I'm guessing that Tokyo's probably works like DLR's)

 

Originally Posted By ssWEDguy

Who knows? If EE ever "went to another park" it might use the same basic track structure, but be themed quite differently.

I believe DLR's Indy and DAK's Dinosaur do this trick.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

Or perhaps if it was worked into another park, it would use the same theming, but have a different track layout, like the two versions of the Haunted Mansion. I think it would be difficult to find a place in a park where Everest could fit in the story, and have enough room to build it in the current format. If it was reworked a little, I bet they could be able to make it fit where ever they wanted it to go.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

I wouldn't expect to see Everest in any other park ...

 

Originally Posted By LadyandtheTramp

"Being in my early '50s, however, and finding the inverted coasters becoming not so much my fancy, I liked the fact that EE used the backwards technology rather than relying upon inversions for its "wow" factor."

Different strokes for different folks. I can do RnRC without problem, and do Space in the spinning version without difficult. But I actually get disoriented on the backward part of EE - though it doesn't stop us from going on it every trip to AK. But I refuse to go on the teacups; can't help doing the spinning thing, and can't walk once the ride stops. (And 55 is a distant memory - if I could remember.)

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

My sister who would usually only make one trip to AK on average when at WDW went three times on her most recent holiday there. Needless to say, she loved EE.

 

Originally Posted By Friar Tuck and Roll

EE is one of my current favorite attractions. Unfortunately I was not able to ride it during my last trip over the weekend. A person in my party had yet to experience it and we were 1 train away from boarding when the ride broke down. EE did not come back unline the entire time we were at AK. And this was disappointing when I even had a free on-ride photo from VMK that I will not be able to use. While AK was the first park we visited, we did not go back during the trip as we learned that AK is the absolute hardest park to push a wheelchair in as my brother waas in one from a recent back surgery.

 

Originally Posted By ssWEDguy

>> AK is the absolute hardest park to push a wheelchair in <<

Really. I would have thought DAK was one of the more friendly wheel-chair parks. Not much in the way of stairs anywhere.

Is it that it's not all flat?