I understand that this ride is close to 20 years old, and that this is primarily a Universal Studios forum, so there is no doubt going to be a good bit less attention here towards this attraction compared to others. But even still, I am genuinely shocked that we aren't all still singing the praises of this ride constantly.
There are definite issues. The Yeti will almost certainly never be fixed unless they decide to gift us a Hatbox Ghost-style treat in 30 years, and the coaster itself isn't the craziest in terms of actual experience. It's a few notches up from Seven Dwarves.
But god damn, this ride is insane. The sheer scope and ambition put into it is unfathomable.
Returning to the classic Disney Parks tradition of mountain-themed coasters with the very first, the Matterhorn, and treating it with the realism, authenticity, and weight of a 2000s-era thrill coaster within Animal Kingdom is a stroke of genius. It's the kind of idea that would make us all light-headed with ectasy if they were to announce today. The concept that this entire beautiful gigantic and original area was not justified among the rest of the expenses of the opening day park, but was an expansion? Unheard of in the modern theme park industry.
Everything is so purposeful and striking. The facade from that little landing next to the Anandapur shop is stunningly kinetic, and tells such a perfect story within its' endlessly looping picture. Totems of this creature with gigantic fangs, some painted blood red, depicting it eating people. Seeing the train go up the mountain, coming back down with the biggest thrill moment in the experience. The waterfall gracefully lapping down the side. The way the coaster track itself seems to be resting atop piles of wood and lumber. Even if the forced perspective illusion is revealed a bit with the full-sized people on each train, the monumentality of it all means it remains just as stunning even despite that.
The queue is so rich in detail and age, from start to end. You can partially lift up the fabric cloth sign out front, revealing that the attractions' name is actually two seperate messages to riders. The top cloth advertising "Expedition Everest", the name of the tour you book to go up to Forbidden Mountain; and underneath, covered up by that advertisement is a warning from the locals, "BEWARE Legend of the Forbidden Mountain". What a novel and tactile detail that so many will miss. I only happened upon it myself out of curiosity.
The story is so naturally told through each room. The multiple shops selling you on this short-cut tour, the weathered temple and gardens clearly frequented by locals, and the Yeti museum all showcase such incredibly solid environmental story-telling. It's all of the best parts of Animal Kingdom on display; a sense of wonder and adventure, an unmatched level of authenticity and grittiness, and the combination of both previous elements - a genuine sense of fear and foreboding for what comes next.
Without a single line of dialogue across the entire experience, the ride establishes setting and tone immediately, ratchets up the tension with a noticably loud and exceptionally tall lift hill, and completely subverts expectation with the incredible Broken Track reveal. From that point forward, you have no idea what will happen next or where you're going, both literally and figuratively. It takes everything you think you know about Disney Mountain coasters, and even this coasters' own facade, and throws it all out. And before you can get your bearings again, you're already flying backwards. It's so inspired.
It's a genuine marvel. Outside of the floating islands of Pandora next door, I can't think of a theme park with an expansion as impressive at that mountain. Having gone to Epic, Islands, and Magic frequently at this point, I don't think there's anything at any one of those that even comes close to it. It frames the park so perfectly, and it lifts up every adjacent land through its' scale and beauty. Flame Tree has incredible views of it, as do the Wild Theatre and the Kali Temple pathways.
This post is scattered and long, but after a recent incredible experience with it, I just wanted to give this ride some love here. I almost never see it brought up, and I think it deserves some discussion, even almost 20 years out. It stands as the last major original attraction within Walt Disney World, to my knowledge. What an attraction to hold that title.
In a way, its' incredible scope and success may have been its' very own downfall, and the downfall of original attractions as a whole, but that is a post for another day haha.