Expedition Everest questions!

[disneykidsince1970]

So.. since we are going w/o kids and we had a jam-packed year last year with every minute planned, we are taking a chillax approach for our "sisters" trip in 11 days (YAYY!!!!) ..

We've never done Expedition Everest... I am really not a wait in line person. It is prob the only reason that we will go to AK (maybe we'll do a walk-by of a few of the shows so I can strategize for when we go back with the kids).

So...

1 - Any suggestions on when is the best time to go?

2 - And.. While I used to LOVE Space Mountain, I recently realized that my 42 yo body isn't in love with it as much as it used to be - how does Expedition Everest compare?

Thanks!!
Carolyn

[BugeyedMuggy]

To compare SM to EE in my opinion I think SM seems to bounce you around alot. I am not a fan of this rollercoaster. I love EE. It is exciting and is alot better for my 51 year old body. I also like R&R. We usually get to AK at opening and either ride it first or get a FP. At least give it a try so you can at least check it off your list of being adventurious.

[MrPeetrie]

E:E is an extremely smooth rollercoaster. It's very well designed.

Also, despite not being a wait-in-line guy myself, this attraction has such an amazing queue, it's worth using standby at least once

Another suggestion would be to ride Kilimanjaro Safari first thing in the morning. And don't miss Dinosaur.

Have a great time.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

My son was able to ride this several times without waiting in line by going through the single rider entrance. If you don't mind sitting separately it might be a good way to do it and not spend time in line

[Fantasmic]

Best time to go on EE is first thing in the morning!

It's smoother than SM, but has gotten rougher recently. It pulls some quite strong G forces too

[Arielfan98]

My family typically gets FPs for EE. I think it is definitely worth a try, more smooth than SM. As others have mentioned if you opt out of FPs, I'd do single rider I do that at least 3x after the FPs are used up. Otherwise the normal line is long unless you get there first thing in the morning. But as always, the que line is a part of the Disney experience.

[Middle of the Map]

Best time to go on EE is first thing in the morning!

It's smoother than SM, but has gotten rougher recently. It pulls some quite strong G forces too

Agree! We rode it 4 times in a row without waiting. This was on a regular entry day, and we headed straight for the ride when the rope dropped. It is smoother than SM and fast.

Best ride IMHO.

[Terra]

I'm 42 as well and have a hard time now with SM because of my Fibromyalgia. I have to force myself when I take my sons.
EE is truly more smooth even though it seems to travel faster. The theme-ing is just amazing to us too.

I agree about the FP for it! Try it once!

[MNNHFLTX]

Best time to go on EE is first thing in the morning!

I agree with this too. I usually get there first thing at rope drop, grab a FP and then get right in the standby line. Sometimes you can do the standby line twice if it's not terribly busy. Then we head over to the Safari to catch the animals while they're active in the morning. After that it's usually time to go back to Expedition Everest for our FP return time. Well, that's the way it's worked in the past. Not sure how the FP times are affected by the new FP+ people.

I do think Expedition Everest is a smooth roller coaster. The roughest part is the stop at the end of the ride--it's very abrupt and jerky.

[thejens]

I do not even like scary roller coasters, but I love EE. I rode it twice in a row, first thing, in September and did not need to wait long. And yes the line is interesting. It is very smooth and even the scariest drop eases right into a curve so it is not as scary or jarring. I love SM also, but yes, that ride is jerky and dippy. I think you will love EE.

[DonaldDuckUSA]

I'd say EE is far more intense (it messes with my equilibrium more than SM), but I hurt more when I get off SM. Like everyone else said, it has grown increasingly rocky.

If you have motion sickness, you'll be more affected by EE.

If you don't like to be shook up or bumped around, SM will be harder to handle.

That being said, I ride each of them. :-)

[Cheshire_Girl]

I'm a coaster person-Love 'em...But I can't do SM anymore. It it just so jarring these days. Don't know if its the track or me getting old!
I love EE...Hit it everytime I get the chance. I always have great luck hitting AK about 2 hours before closing. We always seem to have time to get a snack ride EE and then catch a couple other rides before meandering out of the park still in time to beat the closing rush...

[paragon]

I have always loved coasters, any type. But with age, I have become less of a fan of SM, prefer to skip it entirely. I love EE
My suggestion, if you don't need to ride side by side, is use the SINGLE RIDER line. IWe use this a lot, it gets us through very quickly. Considering that you're going to be sitting 2x2 even as a group, the single rider is a great option if you don't mind splitting up. We also use this for RR. We were able to ride each one 3x in row

[gottaluvtink]

We head straight to EE and can ride it at least 4 times without any wait. After about the 4th time, I am ready to move on. One of our favorites though. Very smooth, and so much fun. Try to get a front seat, it is very cool when you reach the broken track. We just got lucky once and ended up there.

[mydisneygirls]

I'd say EE is far more intense (it messes with my equilibrium more than SM), but I hurt more when I get off SM. Like everyone else said, it has grown increasingly rocky.

If you have motion sickness, you'll be more affected by EE.

I agree about motion sickness. I liked EE but my sinuses didn't when the ride went backwards. That did it for me....sick as a dog and believe me, I wasn't happy. If it didn't go backwards, I'd ride it over and over. I have no problem at all with SM, if I right the track on the right side. The cast members will say both sides are exactly the same, but the left side jerks more than the right. On our most recent trip, a cast member actually did tell me I was correct!!!!

[DisneyDawgette]

EE is one of my favorites, and probably the only reason that we return to AK when we can (besides FotLK, of course)! It's a much easier ride than SM for sure!

And I second what another poster said about getting there at opening, grabbing a FP, and then hopping in standby. If you're anything like us, you'll be happy to ride it again!

[Disney Goof]

Go to Everest first thing in the morning, especially if there are EMH. We rode it about 12 times in a row for an hour starting at 8am. We stopped when the wait went to 20 mins, which happened shortly after 9am when the park officially opened.

We love it, and it is a family favorite. DS8, DD7 and DS5 love it and can't get enough.

Enjoy!!!

[Aurora]

I agree about motion sickness. I liked EE but my sinuses didn't when the ride went backwards. That did it for me....sick as a dog and believe me, I wasn't happy.

Yep, that was me, too. As I get older my inner ears keep telling me I can't ride these rides anymore. Have to go on them at least once, though!

IMHO, the Expedition Everest queue is the best line for any ride in all four WDW parks. You won't mind waiting in it; it's just chock-full of things to look at, read, and admire. Parts of it are nothing less than beautiful.

Have a great time!

[2Epcot]

Space Mountain at WDW has been been too bumpy for me for a long time. I stopped riding it over 6 years ago in FL. I do Space Mountain in CA and Hong Kong which are both much better.

Expedition Everest is a great attraction, and smooth. I like coasters, but I like my coasters to be smooth. I also agree that the well designed, and interesting queue makes it worth the wait, at least once. There are so many great things to look at that the Imagineers brought back, and created for the attraction.

[#1donaldfan]

EE is a great ride, very smooth and has an incredible queue. As said, if you go when the park first opens and just walk that way you will pretty much get right on it. Later in the day the wait times get terrible. ( I love SM, have since I was a kid, but I find it harder and harder to take....I always joke with my son about it now.....)