Do you think Disney will finally fix the Yeti after Universal opens their new King Kong ride?

[kap91]

It may have been discussed, but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion Disney will take down Everest just to fix the Yeti. They have made no official announcement and even with Avatarland, Animal Kingdom is sparse on attractions.

I'd be willing to bet with it running almost 10 years not working, Disney will be in no rush to fix it. At this point, almost no one even knows or remembers the Yeti is supposed to move. The rollercoaster works...why take it down for the 1% of us that know?

Sorry, I just know this is Disney's logic.

No this is this board's oft stated view on WDW logic. In general they DO know when things aren't the way they should be and intend to fix...but they're also extremely shrewd on the business side of things (to a fault at times). It takes a while to get things done when there's no pressing need and other more pressing concerns, but they do eventually happen.

 

[MKCP 1985]

It may have been discussed, but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion Disney will take down Everest just to fix the Yeti. They have made no official announcement and even with Avatarland, Animal Kingdom is sparse on attractions.

I'd be willing to bet with it running almost 10 years not working, Disney will be in no rush to fix it. At this point, almost no one even knows or remembers the Yeti is supposed to move. The rollercoaster works...why take it down for the 1% of us that know?

Sorry, I just know this is Disney's logic.

No this is this board's oft stated view on WDW logic. In general they DO know when things aren't the way they should be and intend to fix...but they're also extremely shrewd on the business side of things (to a fault at times). It takes a while to get things done when there's no pressing need and other more pressing concerns, but they do eventually happen.

@kap91, in what way are you disagreeing with @Chef Mickey 's statement? The feature has been broken for many years now. Disney has not rushed to restore it to working order. You both seem to be saying there will be no rush to make repairs even once Avatarland is open. For all anyone knows you are both right.

 

[kap91]

@kap91, in what way are you disagreeing with @Chef Mickey 's statement? The feature has been broken for many years now. Disney has not rushed to restore it to working order. You both seem to be saying there will be no rush to make repairs even once Avatarland is open. For all anyone knows you are both right.

Perhaps I misunderstood but it seemed like they were implying that it would never be fixed. While I'm saying it probably will within a year or two after avatar.

 

[Chef Mickey]

No this is this board's oft stated view on WDW logic. In general they DO know when things aren't the way they should be and intend to fix...but they're also extremely shrewd on the business side of things (to a fault at times). It takes a while to get things done when there's no pressing need and other more pressing concerns, but they do eventually happen.

Not sure what you're telling me here.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Perhaps I misunderstood but it seemed like they were implying that it would never be fixed. While I'm saying it probably will within a year or two after avatar.

My point is that they are not quick to fix things such as the Yeti and I don't believe Avatarland will really do anything to speed up their process of fixing it. I honestly doubt it's even in the plans at this point because almost no one has seen it actually work properly. You have to remember, the thing has been broken essentially since it opened. The ride in its current state is the only ride most people know.

I just don't see Disney execs anxiously awaiting the day Avatarland opens so they can finally fix the Yeti. They don't care now and I don't believe they'll ever care. It's simply been too long to care.

 

[danlb_2000]

The problem is that the Yeti isn't the weenie. The weenie, in my opinion, is that first big drop. That's what the Guest wants (and expects) to experience. The Yeti is just an added bonus that most might not even realize is broken. I'd love to see it working again though.

You can experience a drop on any roller coaster, the Yeti is what brought this ride up to the Disney standard.

 

[Chef Mickey]

You can experience a drop on any roller coaster, the Yeti is what brought this ride up to the Disney standard.

Could not like this opinion and view of the attraction more.

The difference at Disney are the extras, the theme, and overall experience. They clearly put in a TON of effort to build up the "mythical" yeti in the queue and even during the ride during the projection scene. The entire experience is building up to your grizzly encounter with the Yeti, but it falls completely flat if he doesn't work properly. I rode it in its working state. It was nothing short of incredible!

I can get a good adrenaline rush on any rollercoaster, but I come to Disney expecting the Disney difference. That's what they're selling and they failed to maintain that standard on Expedition Everest.

 

[raven]

It doesn't even have to be closed to be fixed.

It's about dollars.

From my understanding, and what I've been told my a maintenance supervisor at DAK, part of the building would need to be removed to replace certain parts of that effect.

 

[Berret]

Like I basically stated in my first reply in this thread, I would truly love to see the Yeti as it was meant to be. I love the ride and I think it would make it much better. But after ten years, does anyone really think Disney is going to fix it? People have continued to and still will ride it, so I don't think they'll ever have thoughts justifying turning away the ridership it has to fix that. Now, having said that, of course rides have to go through maintenance which is sometimes extensive. Perhaps if they were fixing other parts of the ride in such a case, they might do it. I don't know.

 

[MKCP 1985]

From my understanding, and what I've been told my a maintenance supervisor at DAK, part of the building would need to be removed to replace certain parts of that effect.

@marni1971 is on the record in the Everest effects thread saying regardless of what would need to be done, the ride would not have to shut down to repair the yeti. Who knows what it would take to fix the yeti, but there are some people who seem to speak with authority who say unequivocally that the ride would not have to shut down for the yeti to be repaired. Disney is no help on the subject - they don't even publicly acknowledge the animatronic is broken.

 

[Chernaboggles]

Well, probably not. At least not right now. They have Avatar land to finish and promote (because Avatar is an already passed fad they will have to get people interested again, should have just made it a compilation of landscapes/planets from Star Wars, at least that is always relevant).

Pretty sure James Cameron will be lending them a hand with that part. Last I heard, the Avatar sequel (one of several planned, I believe) is supposed to hit theaters sometime in 2017. I personally think Star Wars would be a better and more enduring choice, but I suspect Avatar land will not be lacking in hype.

 

[Berret]

Disney is no help on the subject - they don't even publicly acknowledge the animatronic is broken.

Of course not. Everything at Disney is always working as intended

 

[JoeCamel]

To the OP's question, NO it will have no effect on the decision making process at TDO and the Yeti will remain in B mode until all the hair falls off the suit from moth damage.

 

[AEfx]

Universal had an animated Giant King Kong before... it didn't seem to concern Disney very much.

Well, actually, I've always been led to believe that's why we got the attraction the way it was (intended to be) in the first place.

Originally the Yeti was going to be in the center of the mountain, instead of that big empty unthemed space. But it was felt that it would be too similar to Kong in that respect, so they ended up putting him in the "blink and you miss it" spot he is now in.

That could be totally wrong, I am sure someone like @marni1971 would know better than I do, but that was what I was led to believe once upon a time when this all began. Of course, Kong was already gone long before EE ever opened, but by then plans were too solidified (or no one cared enough to change, not sure).

I've always contended that one of the reasons they don't put money into it to fix it is that even in "A-mode" - it's just in such a poor spot, where you are accelerating and the wind is in your face, that most folks have squinted eyes anyway, and you fly past so quickly that it was difficult to see even when you know it was there. Folks have argued with me about that before, but I was there when it opened and I rode "A-mode" a number of times, and folks have built it up to be a lot greater than it actually was when it was working.

 

[AEfx]

You're right. It's not a weenie.

It's the grand finale.

EXACTLY. That's what I don't get about the Yeti apologists - while as I said previously, I think even in A-mode it's not as spectacular as folks imagine, or imagine they remember...but, the ENTIRE FREAKING EXPERIENCE builds up to meeting the Yeti. In that overblown queue there are hints, all building up through teases and the ride itself. ALl the merchandise is about surviving the Yeti, etc. - it's all about the Yeti. People that try to make it sound like a minor thing are drinking the Kool-aid big time, because the entire thing is built around that one concept.

Folks flock to the ride because it's a decent coaster and it's one of the only rides in AK. Although obviously the scale of the attractions are different, I think it's similar to the TSMM effect - it's not because the ride is so spectacular the lines are so long, it's because it's one of the only things to "do" if you are looking to ride a ride at a theme park you are spending the day at after spending thousands to be there (who'd'athunk).

 

[AEfx]

@marni1971 is on the record in the Everest effects thread saying regardless of what would need to be done, the ride would not have to shut down to repair the yeti. Who knows what it would take to fix the yeti, but there are some people who seem to speak with authority who say unequivocally that the ride would not have to shut down for the yeti to be repaired. Disney is no help on the subject - they don't even publicly acknowledge the animatronic is broken.

Yeah I'm pretty sure the "the whole building would have to come down" stuff was totally fan created (or possibly encouraged by some folks as justification to quell the fan community). It was debunked, to my satisfaction at least, awhile back.

 

[AEfx]

Perhaps I misunderstood but it seemed like they were implying that it would never be fixed. While I'm saying it probably will within a year or two after avatar.

What leads you to believe that, though?

Disney has practically erased the existence of anything other than Disco Yeti, it's been like this for a decade now. I'm pretty sure they filed that under "it was an experiment during testing that didn't make it into the final ride" at this point. The only place it's even known is Disney message boards and then you have the Disney Social Media Climbers who claim in such numbers that it doesn't matter because it's such an awesome ride anyway - so the only ones that really care are folks at boards like this where we don't serve the Kool-aid.

I just don't see Disney spending a few million minimum to fix something that very few folks even know is broken, as unfortunate as that may seem.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I believe that management and even most fans believe that it was over engineered for it's purpose.

But if you were in the back half of the train, it was a pretty good show piece.

 

[12_Ears_Dad]

I've seen many posts about this, and I have no idea what is wrong with the Yeti. I've never experienced the Yeti. Could someone please explain what is wrong with it, so when I ride Expedition for the first time I can lament... I mean how dare that Yeti not work, I must know the details!! DETAILS!! ( clears the sarcasm from his throat)

 

[Chernaboggles]

I've seen many posts about this, and I have no idea what is wrong with the Yeti. I've never experienced the Yeti. Could someone please explain what is wrong with it, so when I ride Expedition for the first time I can lament... I mean how dare that Yeti not work, I must know the details!! DETAILS!! ( clears the sarcasm from his throat)

Someone else will probably have a more detailed answer, but here's a quick one:

The Yeti is supposed to move, but it doesn't work anymore. Disney made a huge deal about how Yeti was the biggest and most complicated animatronic they'd ever done, and would be a showstopper feature to the ride. Unfortunately it only worked properly for a few months before it broke. When people talk about Yeti in "A Mode", they mean moving, fully functional Yeti. "B Mode" is stationary Yeti (aka "Disco Yeti", because they use strobe lights to make it look like it moves). It's been broken for years, because fixing or replacing it is presumably too difficult or expensive.

If you poke around on google or youtube you can probably find footage of what it was supposed to do vs. what it does now. There's a behind-the-scenes feature on the making of the ride that's actually pretty interesting.