Credit: Jeremy Thompson, FlickrWalt Disney World Resort has removed the final traces of the former operating procedures for Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Here’s what to know before your next visit to the fourth Central Florida Disney park.
Removal at Expedition Everest
Earlier this year, Walt Disney World Resort began testing a new boarding procedure at Expedition Everest. As guests queued for the roller coaster at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, cast members sorted them into two groups by the number of people in their party: evens and odds. Sorting groups this way allowed Disney cast members to board attraction trains much faster and ensure that every seat was full, reducing wait times.
For years, Disney cast members had filled empty seats on Expedition Everest with guests from the Single Rider line. As the test continued, it became clear that the Single Rider line was redundant, and cast members rarely needed to pull individuals to fill trains after sorting parties into evens and odds.
Following months of rumors, Walt Disney World Resort announced the permanent closure of the Expedition Everest Single Rider line in early September. The final day to join the solo queue was Sunday, September 20. Just days later, Disney removed the final traces of what was once one of the most popular time-saving hacks at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Latest Update From Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
On September 24, WDWNT reported that Walt Disney World Resort had removed the Single Rider line sign that once directed guests to the shuttered queue. The only sign remaining on the building advertises “souvenirs, film, postcards, and sweets” available next door at the Serka Zong Bazaar merchandise location.
At some point, Walt Disney World Resort also added a new safety video to the Expedition Everest queue.
The Future of the 20-Year-Old Attraction
This isn’t the last change coming for Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. At D23 Expo 2026, Walt Disney Imagineering announced plans to finally reactivate the iconic Yeti audio-animatronic inside the Forbidden Mountain. The monster used to swing down at riders, but it was deactivated and put into “B-Mode” in 2007 after Imagineers discovered that its repetitive motion was damaging the ride’s infrastructure.
Walt Disney World Resort has not announced when the Expedition Everest attraction will close to allow Imagineers to repair the Yeti.
What do you think about the new queue procedures for Expedition Everest? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments!
