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Thursday, 1/26/06 Photos and Reports

***WARNING: SOME RIDE DETAILS/SPOILERS AHEAD ***
***WARNING: SOME RIDE DETAILS/SPOILERS AHEAD ***
***WARNING: SOME RIDE DETAILS/SPOILERS AHEAD ***

AllEarsNet.com's DebW, Debbie Koma, Andrea "Anita", Glo from Miami, and Linda Mac were on hand for the DVC Member/AP Passholder Previews

Here are their live updates --

	Jeannette and Ken Turner from NJ: "It lived up to the hype. The Yeti was great! It was really large. The special effects were really neat. The ride was real smooth and exciting, we really liked it!
Carol and Greg Miller from Tennessee: Carol -"I loved the ride and thought it was awesome." Greg -"...and I rode the ride twice, my first time and my last time."
	The Daly Family from Nebraska JoAnn: "The ride is very cool. There is an area where you go backwards in the dark and you don't know where you are going. In the end, the Yeti comes out at you... it's just fantastic!"

Deb Wills: Expedition Everest will certainly bring the crowds into Animal Kingdom. The ride is unique and it's truly Disney! From the moment you walk into the queue area, you are taken to another place. There is such an incredible amount of detail, you really need to just spend an hour in the queue! None of the photos I have seen do this area justice. It is remarkable. I felt like I was in a first-rate museum. If you have no desire to actually ride Expedition Everest, go through the queue area. You won't be sorry. The non-rider exit is as you approach the loading area. Instead of turning left into the actual loading zone, just tell the cast member you aren't riding and continue straight ahead.

3:00pm Deb Wills: I rode 4 times and finally had to head back to upload the reports. I interviewed a number of folks from all ages and everyone except one young girl loved the ride! I even talked to a couple young boys who were a little nervous at first, but then wanted to get right back on.

Thanks to all the AllEarsNet.com fans who stopped by to say hello! It was wonderful to meet all of you.

Here are the interviews from this morning! More to come later!

	Kevin Yee - Florida I thought the ride was great, it exceeded my expectations, everyone needs to come!
Debbie and Steve from Jacksonville "We love the ride, especially the front! It's the best view from the front."
	Melinda from Nashville, TN: "I've ridden 4 times now and I think it's absolutely incredible. I think it's the best ride Disney has done in a long time! Very smooth, lots of surprises, some twists and turns -- just great!"
The Jacobs Family from Florida Young Mr. Jacobs, 8 years old (bottom left): I loved the ride. Kathryn Jacobs (top left), 12 years old: Really cool, love the ride, I think it has lots of neat designs inside. Emily (bottom right): and I really didn't like the ride, too many drops, upset my stomach a little bit. I don't want to go on again. My eyes were closed most of the time, so I don't really know what it looked like.
	"We're Dana and Jeff Hesson from Atlanta, GA! I thought it was awesome! Great, well worth the wait!"

2:48 p.m. Linda Mac: Three times was enough for me! But I got some good photos, including the Yeti (see above!) and some of the pins (see below).

11:35 a.m. Linda Mac: I just went back on for a third time, and I had a FastPass, but now they have a Single Rider lane open. If you go to the standby line, they're handing out Single Rider passes, so I just walked right on! By the way, I found there is now a special entry into the Everest area from Dinoland -- I had been told earlier by guests that they couldn't get in from that direction.

Deb Wills runs into Lou Mongello, author of WDW Trivia

10:45 a.m. Deb Wills checks in again: Had my second ride. It's really great, but I wanted to let everyone know that if you have trouble with traveling backwards, you might have problems with this. You go backwards at a very high speed, with at least one curve. I know there's no loop in this ride, but it almost felt like there was a loop at the beginning. Also, as you approach the top of the mountain where the track is torn, if you look to your left you can see the Swan/Dolphin, and if you look to your right you'll get a good view of Animal Kingdom. But if you look right and down, you can wave to folks waiting below -- it's a good photo op area. As of right now, the line is very long, and it's getting very confusing -- I know they say Animal Kingdom is Nahtazu, but it's a zoo!

10 a.m. AllEarsNet.com Team Member Linda Mac reports: It's very busy, and they made me show my photo ID just to enter Asia. The ride itself is wild! I loved it!

9:50 a.m. AllEarsNet.com friend Tod just rode Expedition Everest and had these comments: "It was wonderful -- if you're a big roller coaster nut, it's probably not the greatest coaster ever, but it's a true Disney ride, with terrific theming. There is a LOT in the queue to keep you occupied while you wait -- what we saw of it was awesome. This coaster probably had steeper hills than any of the current Disney coasters, and quite a bit of it is in the dark. In fact, that going backwards in the dark was pretty cool. And when you see the full Yeti at the very end? Wow. I'm standing in the gift shop now and I'd say there's probably at least an hour wait to get the free pins -- it's really crowded."

9:42 a.m. Deb Wills: Waiting for my FastPass time. When I got my FastPass at 9:05 the return times were 9:50-10:50. Now at 9:45 the return times are 11 to noon. The lines here in the gift shop for the pins are insane -- crowds have definitely increased. The complimentary pin/lanyard set is the same for both Annual Passholders and DVC Members, but the pins you can purchase are different for the two groups. The DVC member pins cost $10.95 plus tax; not sure yet about the AP holder pins.

9:19 a.m. Deb Wills: The ride is awesome, very cool, incredible -- I don't know what else to say! The backwards portion is really rough, really fast, had my head pounding. Think Big Thunder Mountain for the new Millennium. Very smooth, but will be too much for some people. Definitely a thrill ride! Had to look up at end to see Animatronic Yeti. The view is unbelievable.

Deb Wills in the Everest test vehicle located near the gift shop

9:10 a.m. Deb Wills: Arrived at Mountain. Obtained FastPass, then went to wait in the Standby line. Cast Member asked me if I wanted to buy a special pin. When I said yes, he gave me a price tag type of thing to be presented at the gift shop at the ride's exit, where I could purchase the pin.Then I had to show my pass and ID again. My pass was scanned in a special FastPass-like machine, and I was given a "gift redemption coupon" to be redeemed later for the commemorative pin and lanyard. I've needed to show my ID a number of times, so be sure to bring yours if coming to the previews. The queue is really incredible -- the pictures don't do it justice. It's almost like being in a museum, with all the sculpture and artwork. It reminds me of Great Movie Ride's queue, before you reach the film montage, because of the glass cases set up.

9 a.m. Deb Wills: Cast Members finally let me in. Needed photo ID and Annual Pass before being allowed to enter into the Expedition Everest area.

8:30 a.m. Deb Wills: Waiting at the Oasis, looking at animals -- the wallabies are out.

8:10 a.m. Deb Wills: Waiting at gates early. Thought there might be a crowd. Hardly anyone else is here -- maybe 20 people.