Working Yeti

[Goofyernmost]

I don't know... just someone corrected me on here once. And others have been corrected too. I'm not 100% sure of the logic, I can't remember.
You've put doubt in my mind now!

That was my intent! Just because it growls does not necessarily mean it's female! Did I say that right ladies?

 

[EagleScout610]

Yup, the Yeti is working. Rode Everest last Sunday (August 31st) and all three of us saw the Yeti back in operation. Will be at AK next month so will double check, just in case the three of us were seeing things.

Actually, I was @ WDW with my friend on Labor Day and I didn't ride EE at 1st, because my sister forced me to go to "Dino Rama"(which I think should've been the area taken out for Avatar), when I asked my friend how EE was, and he said "Well, I think I saw the yeti move". when he said that, I jumped in line for EE, which was only 15 min w/ FP. Yes, I also saw the yeti going. He wasn't in full A Mode, more like "A Minus Mode". All I saw was his left arm going down. Did anyone else see any more motion, or is he just lowering his arm? Shall we now call him "Yoga Yeti?LOL

 

[bethymouse]

Yoga Yeti LOL @ADMachine

 

[dreynolds1982]

He wasn't in full A Mode, more like "A Minus Mode".

I thought I remember reading somewhere not to long ago that they were doing a slight bit of movement with the Yeti in addition to the strobe effect. As you said, just moving the arm up and down. I could be wrong however and can't remember where I read that.

I do hope that once Avatarland opens up and gives DAK another e-ticket to divert traffic that they will shut down EE and fix the Yeti once and for all. I did get to ride EE numerous times when it first opened (I was a Marketing CM at the time) so got to see plenty of A-mode Yeti. While it has certainly been built up in everyone's mind since they moved to b-mode, it was very cool. The swooping/grabbing and dipping down of the character never failed to startle me as every time it seemed like that giant arm was actually going to hit you.

Maybe when they do eventually fix it they can even upgrade it. Would love some trim brakes in that big room to slow the train down, some more dramatic movement/lighting on the Yeti, etc to build tension.

 

[EagleScout610]

I thought I remember reading somewhere not to long ago that they were doing a slight bit of movement with the Yeti in addition to the strobe effect. As you said, just moving the arm up and down. I could be wrong however and can't remember where I read that.

I do hope that once Avatarland opens up and gives DAK another e-ticket to divert traffic that they will shut down EE and fix the Yeti once and for all. I did get to ride EE numerous times when it first opened (I was a Marketing CM at the time) so got to see plenty of A-mode Yeti. While it has certainly been built up in everyone's mind since they moved to b-mode, it was very cool. The swooping/grabbing and dipping down of the character never failed to startle me as every time it seemed like that giant arm was actually going to hit you.

Maybe when they do eventually fix it they can even upgrade it. Would love some trim brakes in that big room to slow the train down, some more dramatic movement/lighting on the Yeti, etc to build tension.

I agree 100%, I'd LOVE to see full A mode again. I've rode E:E 3 times, once in 2007( Yeti A Mode, and in the summer of 2011(Yeti B Mode ).When I rode Labor Day, his strobe was off, the arm was going down, I think he was also leaning a tiny bit and there was very little show lighting on the yeti. Hey, some motion is better than B- Mode and "Disco yeti". I did film the yeti, but his motion wasn't very clear (he's barely visible, just his eyes and his claw are shown), so yeah, its not going to be shared, sorry.

 

[Figments Friend]

From The Discovery Channel Special Building a Thrill Ride: Expedition Everest..Jump to 4:26 To see his movement.

Thank you for sharing this clip.
I had not seen this particular episode covering EE and the coverage of the Yeti being programmed at WDI was impressive and interesting.
Amazing that DC was allowed in to film those segments, but then again, the best marketing tactic was always showing the public such tantalizing peaks of 'works in progress'.

It is a shame indeed that ol' furry no longer moves as he should in the Attraction.
Equally agree with others that it is a shame you only see him for so short a time period considering how impressive a figure he is when moving.
A stunning AA, but effectively kind of wasted since you cannot see him for any real length of time within the context of the ride..but that is likely the AA fan in me showing itself.

 

[Figments Friend]

I'm probably alone on this, but I always found the Yeti to be far more impressive on those TV specials. It was always disappointing to me that you only caught a glimpse of it on the ride. Seemed like such a waste of an amazing figure.

Completely agree regarding how little time you get to actually see the creature.
I understand the need to keep him somewhat hidden and a sudden surprise within the context of the Attractions story, but for such a amazing mechanical wonder it should have been better showcased.
As it is, Guests riding by who blink totally miss it.

For such a impressive figure, it would have been nice to see him better.
In the context of the ride, he sometimes gives the impression of being nothing more then a expensive 'prop' in some respects.

 

[Glasgow]

Although the operation of the yeti doesn't affect the actual ride experience that much (IMO), this to be one of the all time greatest fails at WDW. You can't fix one of your largest, most complex and generally publicized animatronics and park icons? I'm not crying about it but that's pretty poor when you think about it. Would love to have been a fly on the wall when the design team met with Disney execs saying that it can't be fixed ..

 

[Bairstow]

Although the operation of the yeti doesn't affect the actual ride experience that much (IMO), this to be one of the all time greatest fails at WDW. You can't fix one of your largest, most complex and generally publicized animatronics and park icons? I'm not crying about it but that's pretty poor when you think about it. Would love to have been a fly on the wall when the design team met with Disney execs saying that it can't be fixed ..

What REALLY made me angry is that they continued to show footage of the working in robot condition in promo videos and advertisements, years and years after it had stopped working.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

I don't see Disney investing money into fixing the yeti anytime soon. You pass by so quickly that you barely see him and most guests are fooled by the strobe light anyways. WDW has slowly become notoriously known for doing things on the cheap, so I don't see the big suits up top green lighting a costly project to tear apart part of the attraction to fix the yeti. It's a popular attraction in a park that lacks attractions and the average guest has no clue about disco yeti. Maybe when Pandora opens, but I'd imagine they want EE running then too so the new land and rides aren't totally overrun by guests. Need things to do so people aren't in one place.

 

[EagleScout610]

Thank you for sharing this clip.
I had not seen this particular episode covering EE and the coverage of the Yeti being programmed at WDI was impressive and interesting.
Amazing that DC was allowed in to film those segments, but then again, the best marketing tactic was always showing the public such tantalizing peaks of 'works in progress'.

It is a shame indeed that ol' furry no longer moves as he should in the Attraction.
Equally agree with others that it is a shame you only see him for so short a time period considering how impressive a figure he is when moving.
A stunning AA, but effectively kind of wasted since you cannot see him for any real length of time within the context of the ride..but that is likely the AA fan in me showing itself.

Ol Furry? Well, thats an interesting name for him, but I call him "Hairy Larry", and my sister calls him "The Ugly Monkey"

 

[FettFan]

Ol Furry? Well, thats an interesting name for him, but I call him "Harry Larry", and my sister calls him "The Ugly Monkey"

The Irate Ape.

 

[epcotisbest]

Ol Furry? Well, thats an interesting name for him, but I call him "Harry Larry", and my sister calls him "The Ugly Monkey"

His name is Mo.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Have we established that "A-minus mode" actually exists, or is it just the strobe lights doing their job?

 

[EagleScout610]

Have we established that "A-minus mode" actually exists, or is it just the strobe lights doing their job?

Yep, A minus mode really exists. This is when there is extremely little motion and even less lighting

 

[Wrangler-Rick]

His name is Mo.

More like Slow Mo!!!

 

[copcarguyp71]

It stopped around mid 2007.

" THAT long ago???"

 

[HakunaMatata89]

all i got is my memories of soft opening when it worked, that beast was a true moving terror

 

[Mr Anderson]

Wouldn't it only be available on VHS?

It opened in 2006 so no. We were well into the digital age by then.

 

[Goofyernmost]

^ There was a thread on here not too long ago about that. The "legend of the working yeti animatronic" has created much hyperbole on the internet, and its my belief that if it were to ever work again, the response would be "Oh! Well that was cool...... now what do we focus our complaint efforts on?"

What you see in those early POV videos is literally how you saw it on the ride. A good glimpse for less than 2 seconds, and that's if you knew where to look. It was cool... but it didn't really make the ride more fun or anything.

I'm not saying the Yeti isn't moving, since I haven't been there since April....
...BUT the strobe light fools people all the time.
That's why they use it.
I'd say we've had at least one false alarm every month on WDWMagic since they turned off the robot in 2003.

And there you have, in just a few words why Disney hesitates to spend a load of money on it when the vast majority don't even know it isn't working. I know, I know... well it was supposed to work so it should. Ask this, what if they had never planned it to be moving and just put up a big old statue with strobe lights and fans blowing on it? But it was working, would that be a bad show or would it have been considered a successful one. I don't have inside information, but, I'm pretty sure that Disney didn't plan it to become a possible hazard to the public, therefore had to tone it down. I'm sure that they didn't think what happened with Mission: Space was going to have that big an affect on physical problems to the point that they had to scale down part of that as well. It happened and they adjusted, they didn't rebuild the ride just to make a few people happy. They are not likely to do it now. I might be wrong, but, I sure wouldn't want to put my retirement account on the line betting that it will.

It's not really that it's been forgotten or that they don't want to fix it. The yeti broke his own foundation and his foundation is entertwined with the structure of the coaster and the mountain itself. He basically was so life like and so incredibly fluid in his movements that the rigid structure beneath him cracked. To fix it would require the ride to be shutdown for quite some time because they'll essentially have to rebuild each part that connects in that area, coaster foundation/track included.

My personal thought is that they'll wait for Avatarland to open so they have a place to funnel guests and then shutdown Everest for a few months to get the work done. The way I look at it... I'm grateful they had enough forethought to build a "B" mode. LOL

I'm afraid that the theory of the foundation problem has been fairly well dismissed by some respected members of this board. @marni1971 being a prime example. He has stated the even if it were the to be fixed it shouldn't require the ride to be shutdown at all. I have been sufficiently persuaded by those statements as well as what makes sense in the business world, that it is purely economics at the base of the decision to just flash it into action.