DVDizzy Forum

Some friends & family have planned a trip to WDW in the coming months. As the resident parks expert I've gotten questions about Expedition Everest which I really can't answer because I have yet to ride it myself. I ask you, the UD readership, to give me a little help by ranking Everest among WDW thrill rides. My intitial impression was of a sort of Big-Thunder-Goes-Himalayan, but now it looks to be a bit more exciting than that...

One of our party enjoys the Rock'n'Roller Coaster but won't set foot on the Tower of Terror, claiming "simulated elevator death" holds no entertainment value for him; another is prone to motion sickness but only on simulator-type rides like Star Tours. I'm not necessarily looking for a consensus in rankings here---in fact, the wider the variety of responses, the more helpful this exercise is likely to be.

Feel free to rank by whatever criteria you like: intensity, tendency for stomach-churning, whatever. Note that all my prospective riders are adults (at least by legal definition): the young'uns on this trip won't meet Everest's height requirement anyway.

(Also note: the Everest-themed WDW vacation sweepstakes remains open for entries through June 30 at <a href="http://disneyeverest.com/">disneyeverest.com</a>.)

Two things bias my Thrills Ranking*: (A) I haven't done Tower of Terror or Mission: Space and (B) Everest is still new and I'm not as familiar with the track which probably enhances its thrill level...

1. Expedition Everest
2. Rock 'n Rollercoaster
3. Space Mountain
4. Splash Mountain
5. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
6. Dinosaur
7. Test Track
8. Kali River Rapids
9. Star Tours
10. Tomorrowland Transit Authority


*Technically something slow and relaxing can be a big thrill (i.e. "Soarin'"), but I think you're talking about scariness/intensity, so that's what it's defined as here.

Wow---ranking Everest above The Rock'n'Roller Coaster? I'm shocked...and eager!

Fflewduur wrote:Wow---ranking Everest above The Rock'n'Roller Coaster? I'm shocked...and eager!

Yeah, but it's pretty close. Some of my friends still rank RnRC over Everest, so it varies from person to person.

-Aaron

I would rank Everest about equal with Space Mountain...except Everest is smoother.

My personal thoughts:

1. & 2. Expedition Everest & Rock'n Rollercoaster (both are biggest thrills for different reasons; RNRC b/c of launch start; Everest b/c it's new, don't know the track as well so never know what to expect)
3. Tower of Terror (rollercoasters are more thrilling for me than drops in general, that's why this one isn't tied with the first two)
4. Mission: Space (I've only done it once, but from what I could remember it was intense)
5. Space Mountain (It always ends up being more thrilling than I remember it, so it catches me off guard)

To be honest roller coasters especially scare me to death generally, but the Disney ones are so well themed that I actually really enjoy riding them; especially Everest and Tower of Terror...one day I will get Aaron to ride Tower of Terror, it's become my life mission. As far as the motion sickness person goes, I wouldn't suggest getting on Mission: Space, it's fine for most people if they don't look away from the screen, but one of my friends accidently looked away and he didn't fare so well...Good luck!

I can't wait to go back to Disney World just to ride Everest!

Fflewduur wrote:Wow---ranking Everest above The Rock'n'Roller Coaster? I'm shocked...and eager!

Me too! Is it that good? I'm going back to DW in a year so I'm gonna have to wait!

Welcome to the forum, Argenbrit!

My wife has ridden Space Mountain with reasonable aplomb but the only time I got her on the Rock'n'Roller Coaster she looked positively ashen at the end. What pushes R'n'R over the top, I think, are the launch at the beginning, the overal speed of travel & the fact that you go upside down almost immeidately and in the dark.

What is it about Everest that pushes it to the top of the list? Is it that much faster and/or more turbulent than Space Mountain? Than the Rock'n'Roller coaster? Or is it more about traveling backwards and in the dark? Or is it the Yeti encounter---is that "scarier" than the face-to-face confrontation with the carnotaur in Dinosaur?

This is good feedback, folks---I really appreciate it.

Fflewduur wrote:What is it about Everest that pushes it to the top of the list? Is it that much faster and/or more turbulent than Space Mountain? Than the Rock'n'Roller coaster? Or is it more about traveling backwards and in the dark? Or is it the Yeti encounter---is that "scarier" than the face-to-face confrontation with the carnotaur in Dinosaur.

No, the Dinosaur confrontation is scarier.

The more I think about it, the more I think that R'nRC really is the bigger thrill, but it's Everest's newness (and accordant unpredictability) that's putting it at the top right now. Everest doesn't have the launch, speed, or total darkness of R'nRC. It does, however, get up to tremendous heights, go backwards, spend part of its time in darkness, and pull some serious Gs. The track on Everest feels a little wilder to me, but again, that may be due to the lack of predictability. I think that, depending on what psyches you out, either one could top your thrill-o-meter.

-Aaron

I'll have to put it in this order:

1. Tower of Terror
2. Rock n' Rollercoaster
3. Expedition Everest
4. Mission Space
5. Splash Mountain
6. Dinosaur
7. Space Mountain
8. Big Thunder Mountain
9. Star Tours
10. Kali River Rapids

(though- i would still rather go on Everest over tower- i really dont like tower, coaster & splash. Everest wasnt as thrilling for me as those were....sorry- but i think falling 5 stories w/ no restraints on splash is quite scary)

WHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

*may contain spoilers, may not...I'm not sure*

That was a totally awesome ride!!!!!! We went on last week and it was incredible. It broke down some time before our fast passes were ready to be used so there was a MONSTROUS fast pass line!! A first I've ever seen. After being silent for a while and then 3 test runs they finally let people on. They were fair to Stand-by though and let some on instead of just letting the long awaiting fastpassers. Even still, the line was not that long and the cool "archaelogical" stuff in the lines was terrific and looked authentic. It helped prepare you for the storyline of the ride. I just have to say this coaster was truly a unique experience. As far as thrills for a roller coaster, it's a tiny bit tamer than Rock n Roller Coaster, but they're pretty equal to me. As far as show, Everest far exceeds RnRC with the many surprises! I won't say because I wasn't expecting them and it was a terrific surprise. We even got confused at some points. Also I agree with Aaron when you finally see the Yeti. The first time you encounter him I was like..."what? That's it!" But then you really see him and you're more like Whoooooooooaaaa that's incredible!! You're not really scared, just in awe of the magic of Disney. The dinosaur in Dinosaur though is MUCH Scarier and since you encounter him over and over again, it's even more scary. Here's my ranking (I have ridden all of them):

1. Expedition Everest
2. Rock 'n Rollercoaster
3. Dumbo the Flying Elephant... kidding
3. Dinosaur
4. Tower of Terror
5. Space Mountain
6. Kali River Rapids
7. Test Track
8. Splash Mountain
9. Star Tours
10. Astro Orbiter (Not kidding, I found this scary since you're so high)
11. Big Thunder Mountain (pretty tame after going on the others and any Six Flags, but a much better show than Six Flags coasters)

Kram Nebuer wrote: 10. Astro Orbiter (Not kidding, I found this scary since you're so high)

U arent the only one- that attraction is like Dumbo on steriods! It's faster and a story high- makes me dizzy just thinking about it...

However- Shane MUST go on this attraction cuz he used to work there- so i'll go on it, scary as it is... still wont go on Tower of Terror...3rd time & still didnt like it- yeah, never again.

LOL. I never actually got onto the AstroOrbiter until I was 20, and I was surprised how intimidating it was. Grat place for a (moving) view of the park, though---especially at night when everything's lit up.

The more info comes in on Everest the less qualified I feel to make any recommendations for my party. I have a feeling the braver souls among us will simply have to take a test run for the rest...I'm so disappointed.

Everest is deffinatley my favorite ride at the Animal Kingdom topping Dinosaur. Rock n' Roller Coaster is much more fun for me. I like the dark fast upside down rocket start type. Everest is more of a visual thrill. It's not particularly fast, but the Yeti is an amazing anamatronic and the backwards portions are fun. Everyone in my family enjoyed it except my mom. She is very motion sick and does well on Big Thunder and Splash Mountain. She was horrified by Everest and had her face burried in my shoulder and completely missed the yeti. She is 50. Everest is cool and unique and it's nice to finally have an ice mountain at Disney World, but I don't feel it measures up to RnRC in thrill value.

My favorites (of thrill rides):

1. Splash Mountain (who can't resist a Song of the South ride?)
2. Expedition Everest
3. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
4. Space Mountain
5. Mission Space
6. Kali River Rapids (C'mon, you barely get wet)
7. Test Track (LAME)
8. Dinosaur (I don't like rides where things pop out on me)

and I've never been to MGM, so I can't rank those rides in.

1. Expedition Everest
2. Tower of Terror
3. Dinosaur
4. Rock 'n Rollercoaster
5. Space Mountain
6. Splash Mountain
7. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
8. Test Track
9. Kali River Rapids
10. Star Tours

I went back to Animal Kingdom on my very recent WDW trip two additional times just so I could go on Expedition Everest again. I love it.

1. Expedition Everest (Backwards = DeathScream)
2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
3. Test Track (In terms of fun, however)
4. Mission: SPACE
5. Space Mountain

*tlm

Fidget1234 wrote:

Kram Nebuer wrote: 10. Astro Orbiter (Not kidding, I found this scary since you're so high)

U arent the only one- that attraction is like Dumbo on steriods! It's faster and a story high- makes me dizzy just thinking about it...

I read in my book that it only goes about 11 RPMs. It just feels much faster as both the book and myself recognize.