Joe Rhode on Everest

[dakben]

Hey there everyone. We just got back from a fabulous 8-day trip to Walt Disney World. Our first night (Saturday, Oct 15) we were are the Party for the Senses and I happened to run into Joe Rhode. We talked for a few minutes, especially about Expeedition: Everest.

The most impressive thing about our conversation was how excited HE was about it. He said that the yeti was starting to be put together in Orlando and that it is MASSIVE. I aksed him about smell, and he seemed aloof...said it might be too expensive at first (I thought that odd....perhaps it was the wine affecting one of us)--but that he really wanted to include smell. He mentioned that all the lore of the yeti references the smell.

The other thing he mentioned is that a team is going back to Tibet next week. He said that while the ride itself will be cool, he's most excited about the queue and the whole area around the ride.

Finally. He did say that he was expecting to get internal people on the ride within a month....and maybe, just maybe some guest previews around the first of the year, maybe Christmas. He was hopeful for that, but not sure.

It was really great to chat with him about Everest. Can't wait to ride it.

 

[Connor002]

*giggles*

I thought this might have been a pun when I clicked on it. Joe "rode" on Everest. Get it? Anyone? :lookaroun

 

[Thrawn]

Some of that info doesn't match up with what he told Rob and Scott the night before. Strange.

Namely:
- The status of the Yeti. The night before it wasn't ready to be put together yet, you're saying different.
- The timeframe for getting people to ride. He told them December for limited internal testing. Though thats not much of a difference.

The "cost" factor for the smell seems strange, since they are going for realism here.

And it doesn't surprise me that he is most excited about the theming than the ride. Thats his job. I'm actually glad that excites him more.

Edit: I'm not calling you a liar or anything, I just thought it strange that we have some conflicting info when people talked to him two days in a row.

 

[dakben]

Perhaps I can clarify about the status of the Yeti. Joe said to me that it had been completed in CA, disassembled, shipped, and was starting to be put together. Dunno if he changed his story or not, but that's the info I got from him.

The cost thing for the smell surprised me as well. But he seemed very intent on getting it in there.

 

[1disneydood]

Ooooo ooo that smell.

 

[CTXRover]

Thanks for the info dakben.

I think its entirely possible people could get slightly different impressions of the same thing from one person at 2 different times. Joe Rhode from the very beginning has said he would like to have this open by late December 2005. He was quoted as saying this when the ride was announced. So if construction schedules aren't far behind from where they should be, it stands to reason that is still what he would like to see happen, although realistically he may also realize that may not be entirely possible...hence the two different impressions of when the ride could open for soft openings.

The difference between what Joe told Scott and Rob vs what he told dakben about the Yeti is practically nothing. What was consistent is that the Yeti is on site, not yet put together, but obviously ready for them to start. The Yeti was built in CA and then disassembled, so I'm not sure how one could technically say its not ready to be put back together at any given time.


As for the smell, cost does seem like a strange reason to not put it in, although I'm sure if they deem it necessary to complete the encounter with the Yeti it will be there. Afterall, wasn't this decision on what a Yeti smells like Micheal Eisner's last great project

 

[KHockett]

March opening

My husband and I are going back to WDW in late March. On a number of Disney planning websites, they say Everest opening Spring 2006. Any ideas on whether that gives us a chance to ride it? When you talk about soft openings, does that mean that guests are able to ride before the official opening on a regular basis or is it random?

 

[Thrawn]

The target date they current have for EE has nothing to do with December.

The rest of your post I'd agree with. I had one post confused with another. Someone posted the other day saying that the Yeti was still in boxes (wasn't the Scott and Rob thread).

 

[Thrawn]

My husband and I are going back to WDW in late March. On a number of Disney planning websites, they say Everest opening Spring 2006. Any ideas on whether that gives us a chance to ride it? When you talk about soft openings, does that mean that guests are able to ride before the official opening on a regular basis or is it random?

It should have soft openings in March.

Soft openings, by Disney's terminology, are previews before the ride officially opens. They try to run it as much as possible during soft openings. However, there is no guarantee that it will be open all day or any days of soft openings.

 

[KHockett]

Thanks!

Thanks Thrawn. I appreciate the info. Do you just have to lurk around the ride during soft openings or is it listed in the park guide?

 

[Thrawn]

Thanks Thrawn. I appreciate the info. Do you just have to lurk around the ride during soft openings or is it listed in the park guide?

If its officially "soft open" then the ride will be open during normal park hours and you can just walk right on at any time.

 

[MickeyTigg]

Very interesting indeed....though I am a bit suspicious about Joe Rohde being spotted in bars yapping about EE. It's not like the ride needs anymore hype...most if not all of of Disney geeks have been salivating with anticipation.

The skeptic in me wonders what's behind all the "see Joe Rohde in a bar...hear him talk about Expedition Everest".

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

The skeptic in me wonders what's behind all the "see Joe Rohde in a bar...hear him talk about Expedition Everest".

Hey, if you were working on such a big project you'd need a drink or 2 also, and after a few I wouldn't be suprised if he let one or 2 things about EE slip . . .

Or maybe I'm kidding .

Yensid "your-mom-makes-the-best-chocolate-fondue" tlaw1969

 

[Craig & Lisa]

Some of that info doesn't match up with what he told Rob and Scott the night before. Strange.

Namely:
- The status of the Yeti. The night before it wasn't ready to be put together yet, you're saying different.
- The timeframe for getting people to ride. He told them December for limited internal testing. Though thats not much of a difference.

The "cost" factor for the smell seems strange, since they are going for realism here.

And it doesn't surprise me that he is most excited about the theming than the ride. Thats his job. I'm actually glad that excites him more.

Edit: I'm not calling you a liar or anything, I just thought it strange that we have some conflicting info when people talked to him two days in a row.

Your last comment was good, but, just as the price of any given product can change daily, so can info or decisions on any project, heck how many times have Disney exects changed their minds on things?

 

[unkadug]

I remember when they were previewing Stitch , they would let in handfuls of people at a time (very clandestine) for test and adjust.

Is there even a remote chance of that with EE? (I know that there would be no test and adjust with the ride system, but maybe for the AA, etc.)

 

[mkt]

Rohde said that the Yeti is in pieces... in pieces could mean in boxes as well, since I highly doubt that A- Disney wants the Yeti exposed to the elements, and B- I doubt there's 1 box big enough to fit the Yeti in

 

[imamouse]

*giggles*

I thought this might have been a pun when I clicked on it. Joe "rode" on Everest. Get it? Anyone? :lookaroun

Not to rain on your parade, but his name is spelled Rohde and pronounced "roadie", not "rode".

But I agree that it would have been a good play on words had it been 'rode'.

 

[Master Yoda]

Rohde said that the Yeti is in pieces... in pieces could mean in boxes as well, since I highly doubt that A- Disney wants the Yeti exposed to the elements, and B- I doubt there's 1 box big enough to fit the Yeti in

I would love to see these boxes. Knowing the imagineer's sense of humor the yeti is probably in a bunch of boxes labeled "not yeti parts".

 

[Sergeant Tibbs]

*giggles*

I thought this might have been a pun when I clicked on it. Joe "rode" on Everest. Get it? Anyone? :lookaroun

:lol: I thought that was funny guess we're the only ones:lookaroun

 

[Sergeant Tibbs]

*giggles*
*double post*