When are you going to fix that yeti?

[Chester&Hester Enthusiast]

Some of y’all are wild. “Current Disney isn’t fixing this!” Yeah, and neither did past Disney. It’s been broken for twenty years. Acting like imagineers of the past would have had it fixed ignores the fact that they didn’t.

"Current" Disney and "past" Disney are the same thing in this context. Iger has been CEO since 2005.

 

[John park hopper]

Those of us who are older and saw the original will always be disappointed in the current state. Last year went with my then 7 year old grand son and he loved the ride--forced us to take him on it 3 times. We see things thru different eyes, if you do not know better it is not a disappointment.

And that is what Disney is counting on the current crop of guests don't know any better and Disney makes the $$$$.

 

[Purduevian]

No, that is not true. Every new person I have taken on the ride had to be told there was a yeti AA. You may think everyone sees the yeti because you spend your time on a Disney fan forum where everyone knows what to look for but I assure you, many casual guests who ride that ride miss the yeti entirely.

It's all anecdotal/conjecture.. but I find it hard to believe that most guests miss the giant yeti statue with a strobe light on it in a pitch black room (other than the yeti strobe). I'm sure some do... but it's literally the only thing to see for about half a second.

I'm sure some people miss it, but I would guess the percentage is quite low.

 

[Brer Panther]

Isn't the way maintinence is nowadays exactly the same as it was during the Paul Pressler years?

Tell me again why people are still giving Iger a free pass for things that they took Eisner to task for?

Why would they need to worry about maintenance on a prop for a roller coaster themed to India or something?

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the whole reason why Iger doesn't intend to fix it. He's probably bitter about them managing to get it greenlit before he took over and could reject it for (gasp) NOT BEING BASED ON AN IP.

I mean, Matterhorn is still the superior version.

Does Walt Disney World have the superior version of ANYTHING? It seems like everything there is dubbed the inferior version of Disneyland's.

Have you seen Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan at TDS?

The Peter Pan ride doesn't look that impressive. It's mostly just another simulator masquerading as a dark ride.

I always laugh at that scene in the Imagineering Story when Eisner argues that instead of giving people huge sums of money to allow for creativity, he instead found it much better to place creatives in a box (i.e. limited funds) to force them to become more “creative” in their design approach.

Personally, I have far more fun on attractions with clearly much smaller budgets like Buzz Lightyear than I do on recent rides that probably cost a fortune like Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

Quite frankly, I would rather have an "obviously diminished," but visible B-mode yeti, than the current situation, where he may as well be removed entirely.

I wouldn't put it past them to just remove it entirely. Probably replace it with a screen, too...

Iger has been CEO since 2005.

It feels like it's been an eternity. Would somebody please just show him the door already?

 

[Professortango1]

Does Walt Disney World have the superior version of ANYTHING? It seems like everything there is dubbed the inferior version of Disneyland's.

It now has the superior TOT. Superior RNRC. Superior Castle to Disneyland. Superior Soarin (FOP). Most would also probably agree that the MK Jungle Cruise is a touch better, especially with the 90's reduction due to Indiana Jones at Disneyland.

 

[Professortango1]

I’m 6’7” and 220 lbs

NOPE!

Yeah, but I wouldn't call 6'7 a common size to try and accommodate. If you can make a ride that comfortably sits people 5'2 ft to 6'2 ft and is okay for folks a few inches on either end; that's a win.

 

[HMF]

Isn't the way maintinence is nowadays exactly the same as it was during the Paul Pressler years?

Not exactly. Safety is to Disney's credit actually taken FAR more seriously than it was under Pressler. Show Quality-wise on the other hand they do have a very similar apathetic approach, however.

 

[HMF]

It now has the superior TOT.

It has always had the superior TOT but that is not a good justification for what happened to the DCA version though.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah, but I wouldn't call 6'7 a common size to try and accommodate. If you can make a ride that comfortably sits people 5'2 ft to 6'2 ft and is okay for folks a few inches on either end; that's a win.

…so what are you trying to say?

 

[doctornick]

As the person who made the claim, I stand by my statement. Current Disney is more engaged in improving/plussing rides than at any previous point during Iger's tenure. Still far from perfect and there is plenty to gripe about, but there has been some clear willingness to actually invest money into existing attractions to make them "better" and not just accept them as "good enough". e.g. BTMRR, Buzz, FAE, CoP. You could also argue CBJ, HM, and Ratatouille (though I know there is debates as to whether they are/would be "better" but it is nonetheless an investment and goal to make them more engaging).

Again, while I think there is virtually no chance that the Yeti is fixed anytime soon, it feels like it would be more plausible under the current operating environment that anytime else since it stopped moving. Maybe it could be considered soon after Tropical Americas opens if they feel they have the capacity to work on Everest though again I would consider it a substantial longshot.

 

[flyerjab]

As the person who made the claim, I stand by my statement. Current Disney is more engaged in improving/plussing rides than at any previous point during Iger's tenure. Still far from perfect and there is plenty to gripe about, but there has been some clear willingness to actually invest money into existing attractions to make them "better" and not just accept them as "good enough". e.g. BTMRR, Buzz, FAE, CoP. You could also argue CBJ, HM, and Ratatouille (though I know there is debates as to whether they are/would be "better" but it is nonetheless an investment and goal to make them more engaging).

Again, while I think there is virtually no chance that the Yeti is fixed anytime soon, it feels like it would be more plausible under the current operating environment that anytime else since it stopped moving. Maybe it could be considered soon after Tropical Americas opens if they feel they have the capacity to work on Everest though again I would consider it a substantial longshot.

I agree with you doc. Right now, regardless of the reason or timing or whatever, they are spending money to update attractions. And they don’t have to in many cases. Maybe BTMRR they had to do track replacement, but they did not need to change anything else on that ride. But the list is a good one thus far: CBJ, BTMRR, Buzz, FEA, Rat, TT (sponsor led). And of course you can add a repaint of the castle and the changes to CoP. There are even a few smaller things being done: Cool Ship replacement, Toy Story snack kiosk. These are all good things.

The yeti fix seems like a BIG one though. It just seems like if there was ever a chance for that one to happen it would be now or after Tropical Americas opens. Have they ever done a huge, months long reform of EE?

 

[larryz]

That is exactly the point people visiting now don't know any better and just accept this new down graded norm. they play right into Disney's greed

After all, they're just tourists...

 

[larryz]

Current Disney isn't fixing the yeti. If anything, we're much further away than we've ever been from it getting fixed because now they've had 15+ years of positive reinforcement to not fix the yeti. The merchandise still sells, they're willing to put it in ads, and any time it comes up fans jump to the ride's defense to assure people it's still a good ride with a broken yeti.

Agreed. Any company willing to degrade the theme park experience for those paying the standard cost of entrance to 10 hours of standing in lines for 2.8 dark rides, shows, QS food service, check-out in the stores, parades, even the bathrooms, isn't going to invest in improving anything that doesn't immediately increase guest revenue outlay.

 

[larryz]

I’m 6’7” and 220 lbs

NOPE!

Well, back when the Matterhorn was designed and built, you'd have been an exhibit at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum.

Or a center for the Washington Generals.

 

[Incomudro]

It's all anecdotal/conjecture.. but I find it hard to believe that most guests miss the giant yeti statue with a strobe light on it in a pitch black room (other than the yeti strobe). I'm sure some do... but it's literally the only thing to see for about half a second.

I'm sure some people miss it, but I would guess the percentage is quite low.

I missed it the first time I rode.
I don't know where I was looking, but I missed it.
One of my son's told me that he saw it on our ride, so I had to go back and look on our second ride.

 

[Professortango1]

It has always had the superior TOT but that is not a good justification for what happened to the DCA version though.

 

[CaptinEO]

I wish I got to experience this AA when it was functional. Glad to see the video got discussion going. Everest is such a massive well made ride and it is just crazy to me they haven't fixed or replaced the figure for a flahship ride at their biggest resort.

I do also wonder how much better the ride could be if you see the yeti more than once. Maybe when you are done going backwards as others suggested.

Even some simple animatronics with limited range of motion would do wonders.

Disney doesn't even have to fix the current yeti and can instead replace it with a modern all electric motor AA.

I know people will shrug this idea off since Disney is greedy and does not care, but I think it's important for us to always set high expectations and demand the best.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I missed it the first time I rode.
I don't know where I was looking, but I missed it.
One of my son's told me that he saw it on our ride, so I had to go back and look on our second ride.

Me too! Well not exactly, your son didn't tell me that he saw it, but I knew it was supposed to be there. And that was when it was working. I blinked or happened to be looking the other way at the time and missed it completely. Seriously, at any stage it was not more than a split second vision on a high speed coaster. I wish they had fixed it, but they decided not to and the idea that new people didn't even know it was moving. Apparently they didn't see that two + hour "Modern Marvels" program from years back where old Joe (Earlob to the knee), Rohde spent massive amount of time telling people how much of a unique and majestic creation that particular Yeti was.

Disney took the chance that most of the people that saw it originally or even knew it existed would eventually be dead then no one would be the wiser. They've ridden it out now for a lot of years and already, I'd guess, that the majority of guests at this point, haven't a clue about it. I always wondered how they could have talked about how difficult is was to create anything and make it work. Well, they didn't! However, just north of them Universal had created King Kong many years before that, a build that was way larger than the Yeti and made it work. But, I digress! Plus I'm not that far away from the big Animal Kingdom in the sky. Hopefully, if the gates break down before I get there that they will fix it.

 

[DisneyCane]

I wish I got to experience this AA when it was functional. Glad to see the video got discussion going. Everest is such a massive well made ride and it is just crazy to me they haven't fixed or replaced the figure for a flahship ride at their biggest resort.

I do also wonder how much better the ride could be if you see the yeti more than once. Maybe when you are done going backwards as others suggested.

Even some simple animatronics with limited range of motion would do wonders.

Disney doesn't even have to fix the current yeti and can instead replace it with a modern all electric motor AA.

I know people will shrug this idea off since Disney is greedy and does not care, but I think it's important for us to always set high expectations and demand the best.

I agree that another Yeti, even a limited motion AA, would add to the ride. The shadow projection is not great. First of all, it comes too late. You are supposed to be seeing the Yeti's shadow as he tears the track. The only thing is, that already happened which is why you went backwards and ended up where you see it.

I got to see the fully functional Yeti a few times. While it was cool, you are going by so fast that it doesn't make a huge difference being in permanent B mode. I saw the cloud effect at the top of the mountain one time. The steam train effect probably 10 times.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well, back when the Matterhorn was designed and built, you'd have been an exhibit at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum.

Or a center for the Washington Generals.

Hey…yinz try being chased around by the townspeople with pitchforks and torches all the time…ya jagoff