Expedition Everest combines the thrill of a roller coaster, the scare of one of Disney's most advanced audio-animatronics to date and the atmosphere of the Himalayas. In short, it's a recipe for a heartpounding thrill ride experience. And, it's one of my favorites.

Expedition Everest poses the question: What would happen to those who would dare disturb the lair of a fierce Yeti? Set aboard a mine train bound for the lair of the beast, the Yeti is none too pleased when he discovers that his home has been invaded by none other than you.

Expedition Everest combines a fast coaster with dips, backward racing and a dive into the darkness that is the Yeti's home.

On various message boards, I've seen this question asked: "Do you think I can ride Expedition Everest? How bad is it?"

This is such a tough question to answer because, honestly, you never know how you will react to it until you're in the middle of it.

Let's get this out of the way though: You should always heed the warning signs posted before a ride such as Expedition Everest. If you have a heart condition, serious back trouble or you are currently pregnant, Expedition Everest is NOT for you. I'm always constantly amazed at how many women I see post on message boards asking if they can ride a ride such as this one while being pregnant. The answer is a big fat NO. Honestly, is a three minute (if even that long) ride worth it? Again - no.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I'll try to go ahead and do my best to address the question for those who don't suffer from the problems or conditions above.

• The ride features a backward race through darkness. If you have issues with pitch black darkness or not being able to see where you're going, you might have issues with Everest.

• The video featured on this page is a good representation of the ride. However, as someone who watched the video before riding the ride, I have to tell you that - of course - the video is nothing compared to the bigger-than-life scope of the ride once you're in the car. It feels faster, the drops feel steeper, the darkness is disconcerting and that Yeti is much more impressive in real life than on video. Much more.
• One portion of the ride, as you can see from the video, gives the illusion that the train is going to run off the tracks and over the mountain. If you've ever had a fear of such a thing happening to you, Everest might not be for you.

• Of all the things that jolted me the most, it was the Yeti. In reality, it looks as if his hand is extremely close to you and he's large. Very large. Be aware of this before going in if you're one of these people who gets so into the moment that it's hard to separate reality from fantasy.

Overall, if you have no problems with rides such as Universal Islands of Adventure's Hulk coaster or Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror, you'll probably be okay. Enjoy!