The setting for the newest thrill adventure in Asia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a towering mountain where a runaway train adventure is woven with the lore and legend of a fearsome yeti. A white-water rafting adventure, a jungle trek past wild Asian animal species and a breathtaking show that features an array of birds in flight complete the exotic journey through Asia.
As guests cross Asia Bridge, they enter the mythical Kingdom
of Anandapur (place of delight), filled with the crumbling yet
beautiful ruins of the ancient village, its temples and even a
maharajah's palace. Soon, they discover a natural treasure of wild
creatures and an unforgettable expedition into the rainforest.
Expedition Everest
At Expedition Everest, adventurers take on the treacherous terrain of the forbidden mountain in a high-speed runaway train adventure through the mighty Himalayas.
The story begins as guests are transported to the mythical village of Serka Zong, where a canopy of prayer flags, an ornamental monastery and carved totems immerse guests into a distant world of exploration. The yeti’s role as protector of the forbidden mountain is reinforced in a detailed environment rich in culture and tradition. Despite forewarnings about the ferocity of the yeti as protector of the mountain, explorers embark on a rugged train journey to Everest.
Aboard out-of-control railcars racing forward and backward through darkened mountain caverns, adventurers plunge into the unknown, braving twists, turns and drops leading to an unforgettable face-to-face confrontation with a snarling yeti.
Soaring nearly 200 feet tall, Expedition Everest anchors the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Expedition Everest features Disney’s FASTPASS -- offered at no charge to park guests -- designed to reduce waiting times at popular attractions in all four Walt Disney World theme parks.
Kali River Rapids
At Kali River Rapids, guests are launched on 12-person rafts
into the turbulent Chakarandi River for a wild, wet ride through a
jungle habitat jeopardized by illegal logging. Rafters first travel
into a huge bamboo tunnel, where they're enveloped in a
jasmine-scented mist as their raft climbs upriver into the
headwaters.
Soon their rafts encounter a sweeping waterfall. A giant carved
tiger face appears from behind the falls. Gliding beyond to the
wondrous rainforest and temple ruins, the raft emerges suddenly
from a bamboo thicket, and the sweet jasmine aroma is lost to the
acrid smell of burning wood. A discordant note is struck as fires
are burning, trees are falling, habitat is destroyed and pristine
lands are endangered, a constant threat in Asia. As their raft
twists and spins through the river, guests face a denuded landscape
of logged-out forest burning wildly. A tangled arch of burning logs
looms ahead as the raft rushes toward a fiery doom. Disaster
narrowly avoided, more thrills await on a ride through turbulent
waters that reveals a surprise around every turn, including an
abrupt drop into churning waters.
Kali River Rapids features Disney's FASTPASS.
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Another attraction, Maharajah Jungle Trek, is a breathtaking
walking journey through the lush home of myriad animal and bird
species.
Acrobatic gibbons emit deep-throated hoots as they swing from a
Nepalese-styled monument tower to the ruins of a temple with Thai
design in the mythical village of Anandapur. Revered tigers roam
and play, intrigued by a herd of grazing deer just beyond the
crumbling walls of a maharajah's palace. Giant fruit bats fly above
the bat cliffs of Anandapur, where guests can walk right up to
large open windows overlooking the bat habitat and watch them fly
or hang from trees and the cliffs' rocky walls. The largest monitor
lizard in the world, the Komodo dragon, which can grow up to 12
feet long, suns nearby. A spectacular aviary, complete with lotus
pool, is home to beautiful ground-, mud- and tree-dwelling
birds.
In this rainforest environment, Nepal, India, Thailand and
Indonesia all are represented through architecture, animal carvings
and ruins scattered throughout the village. Clusters of trees grow
from the ruins of a beautiful tiger shrine. The exotic animals are
visible from the top of a parapet, through a stand of bamboo and
from a bridge that stands amid the ruins near an old herb
garden.
"Flights of Wonder"
"Flights of Wonder," a humorous show highlighting the beauty and
diversity of birds, is presented several times daily at Caravan
Stage outdoor amphitheater.
The setting for "Flights of Wonder" is a crumbling Asian fort.
Macaws, ibis and other birds emerge from alcoves to soar high
overhead. Although the show is carefully rehearsed, birds are being
taught to show off their natural talent, not "do tricks." Trainers
demonstrate how birds respond to special audio or visual clues, how
they hunt and how they eat.