Disney’s Expedition Everest Return Date Finally Confirmed!

Fans of “Disco Yeti”, rejoice! We finally have an opening date for Expedition Everest at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is one of Disney World’s most popular roller coasters, offering iconic theming and thrilling turns. The attraction is, however, currently undergoing refurbishment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, focusing Guests’ attention on other experiences such as Kilimanjaro Safaris, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, and Avatar: Flight of Passage.

One of Disney’s Individual Lightning Lane experiences, Expedition Everest has been sorely missed since it closed for refurbishment on January 4, 2022. Disney recently extended the refurb of the Mount Everest roller coaster indefinitely, but now we have big news from Walt Disney World!

Previously, the Walt Disney World website for the attraction had claimed that Expedition Everest would be closed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom through mid-April, but that language was removed from the website on April 8. The news left Guests confused, and left the refurbishment timeframe open-ended.

Now, we know when Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain will be reopening to Guests at Walt Disney World, and it’s fast approaching! On the Disney World website, Disney has changed the language about Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Reservations, adding “Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (beginning April 16, 2022):

Soon, right? We can’t wait to head to Asia in Disney’s Animal Kingdom on April 16 and get to see the infamous Yeti and his collection of hair ties again.

At Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme parks, there is no structure taller than Expedition Everest. The Animal Kingdom attraction stands at 199.5 feet tall, only a little higher than the Tower of Terror at 199 feet and the iconic Cinderella Castle at 189 feet. Everest is not taller than 200 feet as Imagineers would have had to have placed an airplane safety beacon on top!

Expedition Everest’s Yeti is a twenty-five-foot-tall animatronic, that soon after the attraction debuted in 2006 was left in a motionless state, called “B Mode.” Disney Imagineers have installed strobe lights to give the Himalayan beast the illusion of movement, but Disney World Guests continue to wonder if the Yeti will ever be “fixed”. The strobe lighting has given Yeti’s adopted Disney Park nickname, “Disco Yeti”.

After August 7, 2022, we’re not sure if Expedition Everest, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Frozen Ever After, or Space Mountain will continue to be included on the Disney Gene+ service and not as an Individual Lightning Lane selection, but keep up to date with Disney Tips for further news.