The Height of Thrill Rides: Expedition Everest, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL

When I met Walt Disney as a kid in Disneyland, he had a glint in his eye. As the genius behind America’s first commercially successful theme park, Walt knew that families wanted all kinds of entertainment — slow rides geared towards the youngest travelers and fast roller coasters to attract teens or parents.

Because The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World never had a Matterhorn Bobsled-type ride, you will soon get the taste of mountain air, an authentic Himalayan village, a high-altitude, high-speed train, a scary “Yeti” — or Abominable Snowman — an 80-foot drop and a hair-raising roller coaster when the Expedition Everest attraction opens on April 7th. But you can ride it now, if you’re 44 inches or taller, as the Walt Disney Imagineering team tests the tracks to work out any bugs and spruce up the 6.2-acre attraction.

[Read more at CNNtravel.com.]