The path to Everest
In 1999, the first of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Phase II growth opened… Asia. Back then, only half of the eventual Asia we’re in today had come to be. Just as the park’s Africa is localized and incarnate in the village of Harambe, a trip to the park’s Asia invites us into the kingdom of Anadapur (in Sanskrit, “the place of many delight”) at the deltas of the Discovery and Chakranadi Rivers.
The realm is one of serenity and mysticism; misty Asian ruins, churning waters, and habitable villages – just one of the unique aspects of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Unlike the fantasy-infused “lands” at Magic Kingdom with their quasi-historic, perfected, idealized story book sights, the kingdom of Anandapur might as well be a brick-by-brick recreation of a real place on the map. It feels inhabited, lived in, and authentic… a photorealistic recreation of a true Asian village.
Even the most experienced world travelers would gaze upon Disney’s Asian village at the river’s edge in wonder, eager to discover the layers of detail in this lived-in world. And there are plenty.
In true Animal Kingdom style, every square inch of the land is faithfully dedicated to in-universe storytelling and immersion. Throughout the land’s restaurants, shops, and paths, the legend of Anadapur unfolds. Chalk that up to the hard work of Joe Rohde and his team of Imagineers who went to immeasurably great lengths to make sure the worlds of Animal Kingdom indeed feel rooted in reality… every smell, texture, sound, and symbol is real, created tirelessly as part of a commitment to “ambient storytelling,” subconsciously setting a story through deeply layered detail.
Take, for example, the land’s signature animal experience, the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Along its course, guests pass by the tomb of the kingdom’s founder. Observant trekkers will note that this rainforest sanctuary is so-named because it was once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajah of Anandapur (who died in a not-at-all-ironic hunting accident). Soon after, it was retained as an imperial British outpost before being turned over to the villagers of Anadapur years ago for its transformation into a nature preserve.
Layer upon layer of this deeply-woven story reveals itself for those who look.
Like so many, this village is kept alive by water… the Chakranadi River winds along the village’s edge and around a set of toppled temples and neighboring rainforest. Home of the Kali River Rapids, this tumultuous river journey (the first in Disney’s ride line-up) not only guides guests through the beauty and majesty of Asia, but through the too-true realities of deforestation that plagues the planet.
Maps of the kingdom throughout the land signify that this misty, royal village of Anandapur is only half the story, with the churning waters of the Chakranadi ever flowing from the heights of a nearby mountain range… And in 2006, that missing half of the story was finally told.
Continuing along fthrough Anandapur, distant chimes and ethereal chanting signal our arrival here at Serka Zong, a Tibetan village in the foothills of the Himalayas. As the altitude changes, so does the atmosphere. Prayer flags and windchimes flutter in the chilly breeze as metal signs and wooden structures look wholly impermanent. There’s a more mystical, otherworldly feeling here… spiritual… soft.
Serka Zong is a place of reverence and, maybe, fear.
And we may have evidence why. Throughout the land’s shops and restaurants, intricate wooden carvings, masks, murals, and shrines signify that this village stands in quiet reverence… a creature is represented time and time again, though never in quite the same form… Locals are certain that the frigid peaks of the legendary Forbidden Mountains looming over the village are home to a guardian spirit. Could this be the legendary Yeti said to guard the path to Everest itself?
There’s just one way to find out… Plastered among signs warning of the mythical creature’s presence deep within the snow-capped mountains, the entrance to Expedition Everest lies ahead… Do you dare make the journey?
Expedition: EVEREST
The village of Serka Zong is centuries old, but the most prominent structures here are the remains of the Royal Anandapur Tea Company. We can’t be sure when exactly they pulled out of the town, but the ramshackle structures from which they operated were quickly overtaken by tour companies cashing on the recent surge of tourists here in the Himalayan foothills. One particular group, Himalayan Escapes, is offering a one-of-a-kind tour they call EXPEDITION EVEREST.
It’s enough to draw us in, of course, despite the fluttering posters all around of locals desperately warning of sightings of the horrific Yeti, said to guard the sacred, untouched grounds of Everest where man dare not encroach. Who could bother to read those preachy warnings when those glowing snow-capped peaks dominate the skyline?
Himalayan Escapes – founded by the enterprising Norbu and Bob, if you take in the details – has a leg up on the competition, as only they have control of the old Darjeeling Ko Rail steam train route that once gathered tea leaves from the foothills, now offering speedy shuttle service to the Base Camp at the foot of Everest by way of a shortcut through the Forbidden Mountain.
The queue carries us through a “Yeti Museum” set up for us tourists, showcasing the incontrovertible proof collected over decades and decades of what this legendary beast may look like… if you believe that sort of thing. From footprints and stool samples to photos (many taken by Rohde), our tour takes us past local shrines and evidence of a so-called “lost expedition” that disappeared – supposedly at the Yeti’s hand – during a run through the Forbidden Mountain pass in 1982… the very shortcut we’re about to take.
A final word of advice from the curator of the Yeti Museum waits at the queue’s end: “You are about to enter the sacred domain of the Yeti, guardian and protector of the Forbidden mountain. Those who proceed with respect and reverence for the sanctity of the natural environment and its creations should have no fear. To all others – a warning: you risk the wrath of the Yeti. Prof. Pema Dorje, PhD, Curator, the Yeti Museum.“
An addendum beneath offers, “The opinions expressed by the curator of the Yeti Museum in no way reflect the views of the owners and operators of Himalayan Escapes, Tours, and Expeditions. Norbu and Bob, proprietors.”
Around the corner, we enter into the enclosed train shed just in time for an empty steam train to arrive. Covered in rusted rivets and loose panels, any hope of this bucket-of-bolts getting us to the Base Camp is slim. As it pulls into the station, steam bellows impressively from its engine. The ultra-long train can hold 34 passengers in 17 rows, and once all are on-board, it effortlessly glides out of the station. We’re on the way.
The train chugs through the bamboo and underbrush as peacocks sound around us before the engine engages with the first lift hill on the ride. As it effortlessly lifts the train up and over a grassy hill, the towering Forbidden Mountain comes into view, a glacial waterfall pouring off its western face.
Leaping along the uneven terrain, the train swings around and begins to climb a 100-foot-high lift hill. The train is pulled upward and through a temple perched on a rocky outcropping. As mystical sounds bellow through the temple, it becomes quickly apparent that candlelit shrines inside are all in honor of the Yeti, with an enormous high art mural of the creature reigning overhead… One thing is certain: the people of this world believe in the Yeti and revere and protect the Himalayas as its domain.
In a matter of seconds, the train has been lifted to the mountain’s height. As it crests the peak, the coaster picks up speed, now dipping into the snowy, icy trenches of the col. (During the ride’s early years, this portion of track was obscured by a thick, ever-present layer of fog that hid the track entirely from view, billowing off of the mountain’s height. It was discontinued when the fog allegedly interfered with the ride’s optical sensors, causing extensive downtime.) Dipping through an icy cavern, the train races forward up an inclined straightaway…
… No way.
Tattered prayer flags accentuate what may be one of the best one-off visuals on any Disney attraction: the gnarled, uprooted, torn tracks of the railway ahead ripped skyward. The train continues barreling forward, closer and closer to the end before slamming on the brakes. As the wind howls and a bird glides in the frozen air overhead, a distant roar seems to vibrate the air around us. It can’t be…
Our only hope now is to return to Anandapur. But before we can formulate a plan, the train releases, falling helplessly backwards into the cavern. Falling farther and farther through the icy darkness, the train helixes and twists as stomachs drop and riders scream. Finally, the train comes to a rest somewhere deep inside the peak… Our only source of light from behind, casting the silhouette of a train track on the jagged mountain wall ahead.
Then, the wall is overcome with the shadow of some… thing… some unspeakable creature… A massive primate of some kind leaps onto the track and, we see in its silhouette, grabs it, heaves, and tears it upward as if it were made of tissue paper. Hearing our train’s brakes release, the creature looks up. But before he can react, we’re off. The train launches uphill, racing forward toward a break in the mountain’s exterior.
The train plunges down a staggering 80-foot drop, twisting onto its side and racing around back toward the mountain. It leaps again through the darkness as the deafening cry of the Yeti surrounds the train from all sides. Twisting through the mountain’s core, the train again barrels out of an opening hidden in the rear of the mountain, diving into a massive, upward-spiraling helix. There’s only one way out now…
The coaster rights itself as it re-enters the Forbidden mountain in complete, pitch-black darkness. But ahead, a single source of light flashes and flickers… The train races into a massive rocky chamber and, ahead, the Yeti himself waits. Our encounter with the 25-foot figure is over in a second, his massive paw extended to within feet of our faces as he shrieks. At the very last second, the train pulls ahead, lurching to the side and emerging once more in the serene valley of Serka Zong.
We have survived our journey through the Forbidden Mountain in tact. To celebrate, watch this low-light point-of-view video from our friends at Attractions 360, giving perhaps the best idea of what it’s really like to ride Everest… even in the blackout moments:
Onward
Sure, we may have made it out of Everest by the skin of our teeth… but there’s more to this mammoth E-Ticket than meets the eye. On the last page, we’ll dissect the massive roller coaster to see how it works, then face the elephant in the room: one very large, very expensive, and very broken Audio Animatronics figure… We’ve got rare footage of the beast and all that you need to know. Read on…