Expedition Everest Set for Disney's Animal Kingdom

NEW YORK (AP) – A new ride called Expedition Everest is opening at Disney World's Animal Kingdom in Orlando in April, but New Yorkers will get a peek at the excitement when Disney brings a preview to Times Square next month. Disney plans to transform the exteriors of the W Hotel and the adjacent Argent building at Broadway and 47th Street into a gigantic backdrop of Mount Everest. An aerial acrobatic troupe will perform there Feb. 15 and 16 on a stage 57 stories high, rappelling down the mountain and coming face to face with a Himalayan yeti – the legendary abominable snowman. An animatronic beast will also be part of the thrill when the ride opens at the Florida theme park. The attraction is designed to resemble an old mountain railway, taking guests to the foot of Mount Everest through bamboo forests, past thundering waterfalls and into snowcapped peaks before plunging through canyons to an encounter with the angry yeti. Expedition Everest will be surrounded by a mythical village at Animal Kingdom called Serka Zong. Based on research by a Disney team that traveled to Nepal, the village will be decorated with prayer flags and carvings and will include buildings, plants and trees designed to look like the real thing. On their way to boarding the train, riders can see artifacts from Nepalese culture and learn about the yeti, the Himalayas and the mountaineers who've climbed Everest. Disney researchers were accompanied on their trips to Asia by teams from Conservation International and the Discovery Networks. Discovery plans to air a series of cable specials in April about the journey and the creation of the Disney ride. Although the ride officially opens April 7, Disney will start informal test runs on Expedition Everest next month, so you might have a chance to check it out if you're visiting Orlando in February or March. Children must be at least 44 inches tall to ride.