Off for the Expedition Everest Passholder preview!!

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Jan Tue 24, 2006 7:57 am

WOO! Our flight leaves early tomorrow and on Thursday we'll be front and center for the EE passholder preview! I cannot wait as we were so hopeful it would have been open at Christmas when we were there.

I'll be sure to report back when I return next week! 8)

SpringheeledJack · Post by **SpringheeledJack** » Jan Tue 24, 2006 11:20 am

Yep! I'm planning on heading over there either Friday morning, or maybe Saturday sometime!

Have fun!

Mickeymac · Post by **Mickeymac** » Jan Tue 24, 2006 7:17 pm

Ack, i'm so bummed. I can't wait to hear all about it. Can you scan your pin and lanyard when you get them? Taht's the only reason i wanted to go. I know, it's stupid.

Can't wait to hear all about it!

Post by **rdeacon** » Jan Wed 25, 2006 10:12 am

Yeah I am bummed too!

I have to wait till my trip in April.

I so have to move to FLA!!

Let us know what you think of everest.

Rich

QuickGold · Post by **QuickGold** » Jan Wed 25, 2006 10:40 am

Have fun!

CDAbleson · Post by **CDAbleson** » Jan Wed 25, 2006 12:49 pm

My daughters and I have seen the RCPRo video numerous times, and wish we were heading down for the DVC event......

DebK. · Post by **DebK.** » Jan Wed 25, 2006 8:17 pm

You are soooo lucky! Have a great time!

SpringheeledJack · Post by **SpringheeledJack** » Jan Fri 27, 2006 7:24 am

My wife had to pull overtime this weekend, so... since I have the kids and they're too short to go and I'm all by myself... No passholder preview for me.

Let me know how the ride goes!!!

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Jan Sat 28, 2006 2:47 pm

Just flew back late last night - we hit the preview on Friday and even with a little chaos we only waited 20 minutes max to ride and used FP for the remaining rides. They were super diligent in checking DVC/AP cards to photo IDs, but the crowds still were pretty heavy. Incredible doesn't even begin to do it justice you guys! This is totally going to change how we know AK today - they've got a surefire hit on their hands!

I think it's great for the whole family - the backwards part is actually the most thrilling in terms of pulling G's but that big drop and seeing the Yeti swipe at you at the end are just outstanding!

Get there as quick as you can - it's so great!

Mickeymac · Post by **Mickeymac** » Jan Sat 28, 2006 3:16 pm

Oh glory, I can't wait!!! I used to be such a fan of coasters, and am wicked bummed we didn't go down for the passholder preview, but we'll be there in four weeks. Did the ride break down at all? I got to see the ride vehicles in the engineering building and they CM said it was one of the most stable new attractions in recent history, so I keep hoping that it will remain open from this weekend on forward...

SpringheeledJack · Post by **SpringheeledJack** » Jan Sun 29, 2006 6:03 pm

Yay! I managed to talk someone into going with me so I could go on it.

But my opinion, unfortunately, is very mixed. In terms of the actual thrill of the ride, I thought it was really, really bland. It wasn't very thrilling, or even that fun. Interesting is probably a better word. I don't know. The backward bit was novel, but without the ability to see anything it didn't really do much for me. The forward parts were very tame (my five year old went and thought it was the least scary of the coaster rides), and just... I don't know... The whole start-stop-start-stop really sucked the thrill of speed out of the ride. It felt a LOT like someone took the Runaway Mine Train coaster, hacked it into multiple pieces, then taped them back together.

Now, that being said, the REST of the ride was fantastic. The technology going on in there is freaking amazing, the artwork/decor/etc was flat out one of the best of ANY rides I've ever been on. Ambience-wise, it is absolutely tops not only at Disney but any park I've ever been to. That says a lot since I'm both a Twilight Zone fan, and feel that the Tower of Terror offers the best background story/backdrop for a ride ever.

I think it was best summed up by the five or so people who I overheard talking after the end of the ride. "Oh my GOD! That was awesome! I can't believe how cool that was! But I DEFINITELY wouldn't wait in line for an hour to go on it, again." It's that sort of ride that amazes you the first time through, but never achieves that coolness factor again. Kind of like Mission to Mars. It's a blast feeling it for the first time, but after a few rides you couldn't care less if you ever went on it again. Fortunately, the ambience of it would be enough to draw you back in. At least, if you were already planning on going to Animal Kingdom. I can't honestly say I'd make a special trip for the ride, though.

So, in a nutshell. It's still a great ride overall, but doesn't have the long-term fun factor that I would've liked to see in a ride like this. The best comparison I can come up with is Universal's The Mummy ride, but without the thrills that keep bringing you back.

Oh, and did anyone still want to see the passholder pin? I can probably do a quick scan of it if you're still interested!

SpringheeledJack · Post by **SpringheeledJack** » Jan Mon 30, 2006 8:27 am

In case you wanted to see the very cool swag...

To get it, they have you run your passholder/vacation club card through a Fast Pass machine, and it kicks out a ticket that tells you to redeem the coupon at the front desk. VERY cool, but it also meant I couldn't get one for my wife, since it wouldn't give them out to people with passholder cards that weren't also in the park. Definitely an awesome perk for people with passes, though. Well, besides getting to be some of the first on the ride, as well.

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Jan Mon 30, 2006 9:19 am

SpringheeledJack, I'm sorry it wasn't as big of a hit for you as it was for me. I'm a huge coaster fan - the bigger, the loopier, the taller, the faster, the better. See, where I think this ride scores is in it's uniqueness - the sudden stop at the end of the torn up track, the backwards 540 degree helix (which I thought was very thrilling), the outside drop and upward spiral and the inside drop into the 540 degree helix behind the mountain. EE had to appeal to a wide audience including kids (it's got a pretty low height requirement) so I personally think Disney hit the nail square on the head.

Compared to Hulk, Dueling Dragons, Kraken, or Sheikra there is no way EE measures up in thrills - but benchmarked against Disney I think it's a pure winner and will have the crowds coming back for more.

Mickeymac · Post by **Mickeymac** » Jan Mon 30, 2006 9:37 am

I can't wait to ride - thanks also for the scans. I was wicked bummed not to be there to get the pin and lanyard, but we're going in four weeks so I guess I can't be too bummed!

Thanks for the feedback, guys - I was nervous about riding this, but I think I'll give it a go!

SpringheeledJack · Post by **SpringheeledJack** » Jan Mon 30, 2006 9:39 am

Oh, don't get me wrong. I really liked it. And you're absolutely right, by creating the ride the way they did, they managed to include a good portion of children, too (my five year old more than met the requirements). That's been a big complaint of mine about recent Disney rides, actually. If I want thrills, I'll go to Universal.

And the more I think about it, the more I recognize that the ride succeeds on many levels. But the coaster part of it was so broken up... Well... I'll put it this way. One of the first thing I noticed was how the hill climbs started. It actually took two climbs with some dead coasting between before you even started the ride, and it felt like an eternity. That's sort of how the whole ride felt. Like, just as you started to enjoy the ride, it stopped and made you wait for the next bit with some nifty visuals. It never managed to THRILL me.

But, again, I'm not so sure that's the point. Because, like you said, it definitely succeeds as a Disney *style* ride... offering as much visual entertainment as one can possibly handle and giving you an EXPERIENCE over just thrill ride excitement. After I slept on it, it definitely sits better with me this morning.

But tell me this: could you see yourself going on that ride time after time after time and never getting bored of it? I mean, I've been going on the Kraken and Hulk and Spiderman rides for years and it never grows old. Yet, for whatever reason, I don't see that as happening with this one...