Hold on to your hair ties ! We ’ ve run out of track . PHOTO BY CLIFF WANG
BY MATTHEW KRUL
Mountain-based attractions have been a cornerstone of Disney Parks since Walt Disney envisioned Matterhorn Bobsleds , which opened at Disneyland in 1959 . From Magic Kingdom ’ s Space Mountain to Hong Kong Disneyland ’ s Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars , mountains have laid the foundation for some of the most thrilling Disney attractions . No Disney mountainbased attraction is perhaps more grounded in authenticity than Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain at Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom .
RESEARCHING THE HIMALAYAS Because it ’ s one of the youngest mountain ranges on the planet , the Himalayas feature some of the world ’ s tallest mountains , covering about 1,500 miles and passing through six nations . At 29,000 feet , Mount Everest is the tallest peak in the world , making it an exhilarating setting for the first major roller coaster at Disney ’ s Animal Kingdom .
Imagineering ’ s first step to building Expedition Everest was to travel to the Himalayas . In the early days of development , lead Imagineer Joe Rohde took project coordinator Chris Kelly and architect Stefan Hellwig on scouting trips to this region , exploring Himalayan horticulture , architecture , and culture , including the legend of the Yeti . These expeditions included several visits to Nepal , particularly Khumbu and Makalu-Barun , where Yeti lore is most widely held . These areas inspired the primary setting for the attraction , a fictitious Nepali village called Serka Zong .
DESIGNING THE MOUNTAIN Upon returning from Nepal , the Imagineering team designed concept sketches for the attraction ’ s mountain range , drawn by Imagineers Chris Turner and Dan Goozee , as well as other concept designers . Disney then converted these sketches to small paper models , which became the blueprint for 1 / 8-inchscale models sculpted from clay , and later from foam . Altogether ,
The mountain towers over the village of Serka Zong . PHOTO BY JUDD HELMS
the team created 24 unique models before completing the design , resulting in a 6-foot-tall practical mountain model that featured even the smallest details .
Another complexity in sculpting this mountain range was that it needed to include a roller coaster that guests would believe to be a working railroad . In a December 2022 Imagination Skyway episode , Imagineer and Disney Legend Rob ’ t Coltrin told me how he and Joe Rohde intertwined these designs . After building one model of the mountain , they would redesign the track in a way that would also require a change to the mountain , or adjust the mountain in a way that would necessitate a change to the track . The final product was the result of the team ’ s desire to create a believable story that effectively blended both of these designs .
PREVIOUS : Imagineers conducted in-depth research to create a realistic mountain . PHOTO BY DANNY SHUSTER