British visitors to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida this Easter will be among the first to experience Disney's latest thrill attraction. The Legend of the Yeti roars dramatically to life in a thrilling new runaway train adventure in the Himalayan Mountains. Expedition Everest, the new attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, officially opens in April 2006.
Guests will board the rickety old Anandapur Rail Service destined for Mount Everest and travel through thick bamboo forests, past waterfalls and along glacier fields before climbing higher and higher into the snow-capped peaks. Suddenly the train screeches to a halt near a gnarled mass of twisted metal. In a fit of rage, the Yeti has torn apart the track. The thrills intensify as the runaway train moves both forward and backward through darkened mountain caverns and icy canyons and guests head for an inevitable showdown with the towering Yeti – known to some as the abominable snowman.
“Expedition Everest adds a new dimension to our storytelling in Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” said Joe Rohde, executive designer at Walt Disney Imagineering and lead designer of the park. “It’s a thrilling adventure themed to the tradition of the mysterious Yeti. The Himalayan culture is full of ritualized architecture encouraging great harmony and structure – it’s all very symbolic and authentic.”
Rhode continues; “Seeing the Yeti close up will really startle the guests because it is so real, so convincing. It is the most mammoth and sophisticated Audio-Animatronics figure ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering.”
Expedition Everest Fun Facts:
· At just under 200 feet, Expedition Everest is the tallest “mountain” in Florida
· The new attractions features a chilling 112-foot drop and has nearly a mile of twisting turning track
· The mammoth-sized Audio-Animatronics Yeti has a potential thrust, in all of its hydraulic cylinders combined, of slightly over 259,000 pounds force – potentially more instantaneous power than a 747-400 airliner.
· 1,800 tons of steel were used in the mountain structure. That is about six times the amount of steel used in a traditional office building of this size
· The mountain is crafted with more than 3,000 pre-fabricated “chips” created from 25,000 individually computer-molded pieces of steel
· 2,000 gallons of stain and paint were used on the rockwork and throughout the village. The color scheme has ritual meaning to the Himalayan culture
· Artists from Imagineering used hammers, chainsaws and blowtorches to “age” wood and buildings in the village, giving them the appearance of being longstanding parts of the landscape.
· More than 900 bamboo plants, 10 species of trees and 110 species of shrubs are being nurtured and planted to re-create the lowlands surrounding Mount Everest.
· Some 2,000 handcrafted items from Asia are evident in the props, cabinetry and architectural ornamentation throughout Expedition Everest
The opening of Expedition Everest is part of the 18-month “Happiest Celebration on Earth,” commemorating 50 years since the first Disney Park opened in California. The celebration began in May 2005, with the launch of new shows and attractions in Disney Parks throughout the world and will continue throughout 2006.
For further press information, please contact the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on 020 8222 2829.
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