The allure of Asia® Land is irresistible at the township of Anandapur, a community of crumbling stone temples, swinging gibbons, perfumed gardens, stalking tigers, and charming pagodas. The bustle and cacophony of village life are interspersed with gaily painted buses holding food concessions, bicycle carts crammed with bottles of Coca-Cola, overflowing rickshaws, trickling fountains, bare electric light bulbs strung across pathways, and prayer flags flapping in the breeze. A fantastic land in terms of authenticity and fascination, and it holds one of Disney’s best attractions, Expedition Everest®.
= Cara's Favorite
Disney’s best coaster combines with an innovative storyline and a queue so interesting you tend to forget the long wait. The premise is a trekking company base camp, the Himalayan Escapes Tours and Expeditions, overflowing with bunks and supplies, as well as a Yeti Museum filled with fascinating artifacts. Board the Anandapur Rail Service, your transportation for an expedition to the summit of a 199-foot mountain, ascending through bamboo forests, over teetering bridges, past waterfalls and glacier fields, then up to the snow-capped peak. The excitement truly begins when the train races forward, then careening wildly backward through icy caves and dark canyons until the crazy encounter with the hulking Yeti himself! A twisting, turning escape ending in an 80-foot plunge down the mountain is the exciting conclusion.
Four-minute ride. Minimum height: 44 inches. Single Rider attraction. Not recommended for expectant mothers or those with heart, back, or neck problems.
Wander the grounds of the Anandapur Royal Forest through the ruins of a crumbling palace where you’ll encounter spectacular wildlife beginning with a Komodo dragon (look hard because it’s in there somewhere). Next are Dracula-like flying foxes and Rodrigues fruit bats with 6-foot wingspans. Then the walk’s highlight—Bengal tigers roaming the grasslands surrounded by gentle deer and blackbuck antelope. This remarkable journey ends in the Asian bird sanctuary filled with the most exotic varieties imaginable.
Cara’s Tip: Take time to gaze at the marvelous details along the trail such as walls of fading murals, flapping Tibetan prayer flags, abandoned rickshaws, and authentic-looking pagodas.
Join Russell and his furry sidekick Dug on a unique birding experience with a close-up look at various species from around the globe—including the marabou stork flaunting a magnificent 10-foot wingspan. Prepare for breathtaking fun with these free-flying fowl, along with a few other surprises!