Disney World Extends Closure of Fan-Favorite Animal Kingdom Ride

One of the most popular thrill rides in all of Walt Disney World has been closed for refurbishments for the last couple of months. Disney shut down the Expedition Everest roller coaster a couple of days into the new year in order to deliver some schedule refurbishments. Unfortunately, it looks like that closure is going to last even longer than Disney had initially planned. It will still be quite a while before Expedition Everest is open to the public again.

When Disney World first announced refurbishments for Expedition Everest, it revealed that the ride would be closed from January 4th to “mid-April.” The current Disney calendar goes through April 22nd, with Everest remaining closed for that entire time. According to Walt Disney World News Today, the closure has been extended through April 30th.

As of now, it will be late spring before guests can hop on Expedition Everest again, as the ride is closed until May. That date could obviously change as it gets closer. There’s always a chance refurbishments could be finished earlier than planned. Then again, there’s also the possibility of the closure being delayed again, should other issues arise. The current plan is to reopen in May.

Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a roller coaster that takes riders both forwards and backwards. The story of the ride revolves around a journey to Mount Everest, which is interrupted by a Yeti that breaks the tracks halfway through the ride. 

While some popular Disney rides exist in multiple Disney Parks across the world, Expedition Everest is only located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The ride can be found in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom. 

Opened in 2006, Expedition Everest is the tallest roller coaster at any Disney Park, as well as the tallest artificial mountain in all of Disney. The ride remains one of the most popular in Animal Kingdom, along with the safari and the Avatar-themed Flight of Passage.

Are you disappointed to see Expedition Everest closed for so long? Will this affect any of your Disney World plans? Let us know in the comments!