Walt Disney World Resort has revealed the addition of a new $100m attraction to its Animal Kingdom theme park in Florida.

The announcement coincided with the park's 5th anniversary celebrations.

Called Expedition Everest, the ride will be themed after the legend of the Yeti - sometimes referred to as the Abominable Snowman - said to guard the route through the Himalayas to Mount Everest.

Visitors will journey along an old mountain railway, which travels through bamboo forests, past waterfalls and along glacier fields, all the while climbing a 200ft mountain.

Suddenly the track ends and the train rushes backwards and forwards through mountain caverns and icy canyons, heading for a confrontation with the mysterious Yeti.

Expedition Everest - whose trains will climb about 100ft at the highest, navigate an 80ft drop and reach speeds of up to 50mph - will be located in the Asia section of the park.

Elsewhere in the Disney empire, Mission: SPACE is set to open in Epcot on 15 August this year.

Guests will travel on a simulated space adventure - created in association with former NASA advisors, astronauts and scientists - from lift-off to the sensations of travelling through outer space on a mission to Mars.

Travellers proceed from the dispatch area to the Ready Room and then take their seats in the spacecraft. On the flight, they will assume the roles of Commander, Pilot, Navigator or Engineer and have to undertake certain tasks to ensure a safe landing on the Red Planet.

Once the craft has landed, guests will be able to experience a number of interactive space experiences, including Space Race - to send the rocket back to Earth - and Space Base, a crawl space for junior astronauts to explore. Details: www.disneytravelonline.com