who rode EE lets talk

[Merlin]

I believe that they were also going for the 'real effect'.
People that have supposedly seen the yeti have mainly just seen a glimpse of it. Just like ghosts, or the Lock Ness monster, the yeti could be real, or fake. They wanted you to leave the ride still thinking if you really saw the yeti, or was it your imagination?. This also makes you want to ride the ride again.

Any time a feature is disappointing and less than stellar, you can always count on a hardcore Disney fanatic to argue that it was intentionally done that way in the name of "great storytelling".

 

[imagineersrock]

I heard a lot of people say that even the "A" show is a bit of a letdown, because there's been this huge buildup about an "encounter with the Yeti" and you really just go whizzing by him and catch a quick glimpse.

If you don't feel your encounter with the Yeti was long enough, I suggest going for a ride after sunset.

It was incredible- having the darkness combined with your eyes already being adjusted makes for a completely different experience!

 

[TimonRulz]

I'm going to get to ride it in July when I go, but its different than I originally thought. I guess the old articles about it that said "A face to muzzle encounter with the Yeti" brought the T-Rex from Universal to mind. He scared the crap out of me no matter how many times I rode it. lol.
Don't worry, I am not saying Universal is better or anything! You just got to see the T-Rex for a little longer and right before he got you, then you dropped. I guess I"ll just have to ride it a couple times and keep my eyes open! Now here, I'll diss Universal Studios to get back at my compliment. They didn't even add anything this year (or at least I haven't heard them adding stuff). I'm returning to Disney to see POTC and EE! Woo!!!
:sohappy:

 

[peter11435]

Any time a feature is disappointing and less than stellar, you can always count on a hardcore Disney fanatic to argue that it was intentionally done that way in the name of "great storytelling".

Only when it is true.

The backside of the mountain not being finished = less than stellar

Seeing the Yeti for just a few seconds = great storytelling

 

[bhg469]

Only when it is true.

The backside of the mountain not being finished = less than stellar

Seeing the Yeti for just a few seconds = great storytelling

I think you just proved his point...IMO

If the only flaw you can point out is that the backside of the mountain is incomplete then his statement is pretty valid...

 

[peter11435]

I think you just proved his point...IMO

If the only flaw you can point out is that the backside of the mountain is incomplete then his statement is pretty valid...

Not at all. My point was that there are things about the attraction (I just used the backside as an example) that are not perfect. However only seeing the Yeti for a few seconds is entirely part of the story.

 

[Merlin]

Not at all. My point was that there are things about the attraction (I just used the backside as an example) that are not perfect. However only seeing the Yeti for a few seconds is entirely part of the story.

Then that's not great storytelling. The story should be one that is also going to appeal to guests. Guests in general are going to feel jipped because of the incredibly brief sighting of the Yeti. They're not going to get off the ride and say, "Wow, that's just like in real life where people aren't sure if they saw the Yeti or not!".

 

[pintraderpayee]

EE Eeeek!

I will be at WDW two days after the official opening day, accompanied by 27 of my high school students (much scarier than any Yeti or Big Foot!). The fact that the Yeti can be seen only for a few seconds, is in keeping with the legend. The Yeti, as well as Big Foot, Nessie, and Roswell crash victims, are elusive, secretive creatures. I'm glad Disney has kept it that way.Pintraderpayee 6 weeks 6 days until yellow limo rolls (school bus )

 

[peter11435]

Then that's not great storytelling. The story should be one that is also going to appeal to guests. Guests in general are going to feel jipped because of the incredibly brief sighting of the Yeti. They're not going to get off the ride and say, "Wow, that's just like in real life where people aren't sure if they saw the Yeti or not!".

Wrong. After each of my 9 rides on EE I have never heard any guest anywhere around the area say they felt jipped. The fact is it is great storytelling. And most logical people can clearly see the reason for the short yeti encounter. How do you think they could have told the story of the legend of the Yeti and had a longer encounter with the Yeti.

 

[Monty]

Then that's not great storytelling. The story should be one that is also going to appeal to guests. Guests in general are going to feel jipped because of the incredibly brief sighting of the Yeti. They're not going to get off the ride and say, "Wow, that's just like in real life where people aren't sure if they saw the Yeti or not!".

I certainly didn't feel anything of the sort. I got off the ride my first time [having seen the "B" show] and thought it was great! The Yeti was there, I saw it and enjoyed it. When I went for the 11th ride and saw the "A" show for the first time, I enjoyed it even more than before. I never once felt that it was too short an exposure. I felt, as others have stated here, that it was a very good "tease" of the Yeti, just enough to be able to say I saw it, but not so much that the mystique was lost.

The story appeals to me. That it doesn't appeal to you doesn't make it less of a story. It may simply be a case that your expectations don't fit the mould of the Imagineers' target audience and mine do. There are ample examples of entertainment that appeals to some but not others. The facts, as I see them, are that every time I rode EE I never heard any of the complaints you're making from any riders. I heard exhilaration, joy and pleasure from riders. So I suspect that you are in the minority. Given that the majority appear to really enjoy the ride, then the Imagineers that built it struck the right balance. You can choose to look for negatives and if you find them dwell on them. I choose to experience the positives and revel in them.

 

[Neverwhere]

Then that's not great storytelling. The story should be one that is also going to appeal to guests. Guests in general are going to feel jipped because of the incredibly brief sighting of the Yeti. They're not going to get off the ride and say, "Wow, that's just like in real life where people aren't sure if they saw the Yeti or not!".

When I got off the ride during a preview last week, all I heard around me was "wow" and "that was awesome" and "the yeti was so cool"

I didn't really see/ hear anyone who felt jipped. Granted I didn't get the reactions of every person who rode, but the ones close by enough for me to hear.

People seemed to dig it. I did.

 

[bhg469]

Wrong. After each of my 9 rides on EE I have never heard any guest anywhere around the area say they felt jipped. The fact is it is great storytelling. And most logical people can clearly see the reason for the short yeti encounter. How do you think they could have told the story of the legend of the Yeti and had a longer encounter with the Yeti.

I can see why you would want to move by the end quickly it does really seem like a good move one WDIs part, but only 1 interaction? i could see 3-4 small glimpses at him, or her (who knows?) The projection could have been eliminated and done soo many different ways and every way would have been better, that is my biggest complaint and it always will be, it seems like they just didn't have a budget for that part of the ride.

 

[peter11435]

I can see why you would want to move by the end quickly it does really seem like a good move one WDIs part, but only 1 interaction? i could see 3-4 small glimpses at him, or her (who knows?) The projection could have been eliminated and done soo many different ways and every way would have been better, that is my biggest complaint and it always will be, it seems like they just didn't have a budget for that part of the ride.

People don't see the Yeti or "creatures" like it 3-4 times. They get a quick glimpse and thats it. The ride builds you up for the Yeti encounter. First in the queue you learn about the legend of the Yeti. This is continued through the first part of the ride. Next you come across evidence that the Yeti or something is there. After that you have your first real "sighting" of the Yeti. Although since it is only his shadow you start to doubt what you saw. Finally You see the real deal.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

I thought it was better than I was imagining it! I was nervous about the projection after hearing alot of people talking about how 'cheesy' it was, but I thought it was perfect, kind of showing you 'hey, the Yeti knows that you're here and he is royally ed off about it' and then whisking you away. The encounter with the Yeti at the end was just perfect. If we go on the idea that this is supposed to be like a 'real encounter' with the Yeti, your expedition car/train would continue on, not stop so we could gawk at the Yeti. It's just enough that you'd be like 'Oh, crap, the Yeti! I hope we can make it by before he gets us!' and then you're past him and safe.

We went on three times over two days, and on the second visit, we all felt that the Yeti was not lit the same way. We were worried that they were changing it. I'm so glad to hear that is it's 'B' show and even more glad that it has a 'B' show because then it will close less!!!

I also have to say that my favorite non-Yeti part of E:E is when you are going up that big hill. When you emerge from the covered area, if you look to the left you can see SSE and the BAH. They look so far away. It's breathtaking. It's also cool how they bring you AAAALLLLLLLLL the way up that hill, and then when you get to the 'big' drop, you're expecting to drop that much, and in reality it's nowhere near that much.

 

[Merlin]

I will be at WDW two days after the official opening day, accompanied by 27 of my high school students (much scarier than any Yeti or Big Foot!). The fact that the Yeti can be seen only for a few seconds, is in keeping with the legend. The Yeti, as well as Big Foot, Nessie, and Roswell crash victims, are elusive, secretive creatures. I'm glad Disney has kept it that way.Pintraderpayee 6 weeks 6 days until yellow limo rolls (school bus )

It may very well be "in keeping with the legend", however it's not great storytelling and it's a letdown, entertainment wise. Think of movies you've seen where there are ghosts, aliens, and other sorts of beings that typically are reported as being seen for only brief moments (Like Bigfoot, Loch Ness and others). Most people would feel ripped off if the movie were to do nothing but show only glimpses throughout. We want movies to give us experiences that we wouldn't get in real life, and we like our entertainment to give us the gratification that real life experiences sometimes deprive us of. It's the same with theme park attractions. To say that it's "great storytelling" is just making an excuse for Disney having cut corners on this attraction. If this were an attraction at Universal, I'm sure many people who are saying how "awesome" Everest is, would be slamming it right and left.

 

[Merlin]

When I got off the ride during a preview last week, all I heard around me was "wow" and "that was awesome" and "the yeti was so cool"

I didn't really see/ hear anyone who felt jipped. Granted I didn't get the reactions of every person who rode, but the ones close by enough for me to hear.

People seemed to dig it. I did.

I tend to believe that people who are saying, "the yeti was so cool", and using those exact words, are probably hardcore Disney fans who are going to be a bit biased anyway. I doubt your average guest is going to comment on how cool it was, and most are probably not even going to refer to it as the "yeti". I'd guess that the people you heard saying that are people who were in the know and have read all about how it's supposed to be such a sophisticated AA figure. So they went on the ride with their minds already made up that the yeti (and the rest of the ride for that matter) was awesome. People with no background knowledge (which represents the majority of WDW visitors) will only be able to rate the ride and the yeti on their own merits. Knowing the high expectations guests have these days regarding their entertainment, trust me....most will feel let down and disappointed.

 

[Merlin]

It's also cool how they bring you AAAALLLLLLLLL the way up that hill, and then when you get to the 'big' drop, you're expecting to drop that much, and in reality it's nowhere near that much.

Having this expectation would defy basic physics. The only way the drop would be as high as the initial lift hill would be if it either immediately dropped after reaching the peak, or if there was another equally high lift hill just before the drop.

 

[Monty]

It may very well be "in keeping with the legend", however it's not great storytelling and it's a letdown, entertainment wise. Thank of movies you've seen where there are ghosts, aliens, and other sorts of beings that typically are reported as being seen for only brief moments (Like Bigfoot, Loch Ness and others). Most people would feel ripped off if the movie were to do nothing but show only glimpses throughout. We want movies to give us experiences that we wouldn't get in real life, and we like our entertainment to give us the gratification that real life experiences sometimes deprive us of. It's the same with theme park attractions. To say that it's "great storytelling" is just making an excuse for Disney having cut corners on this attraction. If this were an attraction at Universal, I'm sure many people who are saying how "awesome" Everest is, would be slamming it right and left.

I'm eternally grateful that WDI built EE rather than you. I disagree with you across the board on the quality of the storytelling and overall impact of the experience. Fortunately, we all have the right to express our opinions, but at the end of the day it appears the majority agree with Disney. To be honest, if the ride were at Universal in its present form, it probably wouldn't be as successful because it is very much a "Disney" ride, not as much thrill as story.

 

[Merlin]

I certainly didn't feel anything of the sort. I got off the ride my first time [having seen the "B" show] and thought it was great! The Yeti was there, I saw it and enjoyed it. When I went for the 11th ride and saw the "A" show for the first time, I enjoyed it even more than before. I never once felt that it was too short an exposure. I felt, as others have stated here, that it was a very good "tease" of the Yeti, just enough to be able to say I saw it, but not so much that the mystique was lost.

Unfortunately, people don't want a "tease" these days in their entertainment. And they don't care that the mystique is lost. In fact, they're not going on the ride just to come away puzzled and wondering what they just saw. They're riding to get the "encounter" that Disney promises them they'll have.

The story appeals to me. That it doesn't appeal to you doesn't make it less of a story. It may simply be a case that your expectations don't fit the mould of the Imagineers' target audience and mine do. There are ample examples of entertainment that appeals to some but not others. The facts, as I see them, are that every time I rode EE I never heard any of the complaints you're making from any riders. I heard exhilaration, joy and pleasure from riders. So I suspect that you are in the minority. Given that the majority appear to really enjoy the ride, then the Imagineers that built it struck the right balance. You can choose to look for negatives and if you find them dwell on them. I choose to experience the positives and revel in them.

If the "story" appeals to you, that's great. My point is that I think the "story" is going to be lost on the vast majority of people. People (who aren't hardcore Disney fans and haven't read all about Everest since it was first in the planning stages) aren't going to get off this ride and say, "Oh I get it. It's supposed to just be a tease. We were just supposed to get a glimpse because that's how it would be in real life". Instead, most are going to say things like, "I thought you were supposed to see that snow creature on this ride. Instead, they showed us that cartoon right after we went backwards and then we went flying past a statue of it with a moving arm that looked like it was supposed to be grabbing us. What a rip!"

 

[MuRkErY]

It may very well be "in keeping with the legend", however it's not great storytelling and it's a letdown, entertainment wise. Thank of movies you've seen where there are ghosts, aliens, and other sorts of beings that typically are reported as being seen for only brief moments (Like Bigfoot, Loch Ness and others). Most people would feel ripped off if the movie were to do nothing but show only glimpses throughout. We want movies to give us experiences that we wouldn't get in real life, and we like our entertainment to give us the gratification that real life experiences sometimes deprive us of. It's the same with theme park attractions. To say that it's "great storytelling" is just making an excuse for Disney having cut corners on this attraction. If this were an attraction at Universal, I'm sure many people who are saying how "awesome" Everest is, would be slamming it right and left.

Actully less is often better on the subject of Film (And I believe Film applies to Disney as it is essentialy at it's core a Film experienced in reality).

Look at Alien for example, you hardly ever see the Alien in Alien, and it works perfectly, it builds tension, suspense, and is master film making on Ridley Scotts part.

Another example, but this time bad. Signs, the first 3 quarters of Signs were very good, you only saw very, and I mean very fleeting glimpse of the Aliens. Then the last quarter of the film completely ruined it, introducing the Alien in full light for a good 5-10 minutes, it was rubbish, and downgraded the film.

Just some simple rules from the Hitchcock school of Film Making, what you dont see is often more interesting than what you do. Something I believe EE captures brilliantly, and also fits in with the Legend of the Yeti.