Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, also known as "Expedition Everest", is a steel roller coaster built by Vekoma at Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The ride is themed around the Yeti protecting the Forbidden Mountain next to Mount Everest. It is the only roller coaster at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and the tallest roller coaster at any Disney theme park. The 2011 edition of Guinness World Records lists Expedition Everest as the most expensive roller coaster in the world, a record the ride held until 2019 when Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal's Islands of Adventure opened. Including sets and extras, its total cost was reported to be US$100 million for six years of planning and construction. It is the tallest artificial mountain in all of the Walt Disney parks, and Disney's 18th mountain-themed attraction. It is also the most recently opened attraction at Walt Disney World not based on pre-existing intellectual property. History The attraction was announced publicly on April 22, 2003, during an event to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Construction of the new attraction began a month before the announcement in March 2003. It took three years and required more than of rebar; 5,000 tons of structural steel; and 10,000 tons of concrete. Expedition Everest opened for previews on January 26, 2006, and had its grand opening on April 7, 2006, in ceremonies led by Disney CEO Bob Iger and theme parks chairman Jay Rasulo. At , it is the tallest attraction at Walt Disney World, beating The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios by . Disney keeps all of its attraction buildings under because aviation laws require structures of that height and taller to have a blinking red light beacons for low-flying aircraft, which would take away the theming in their attraction.