Yeti to be never fixed... solid evidence!

[menamechris]

No changes will be made until they make some serious leadership changes across the board ala the Cynthia Harris and Paul Pressler years at Disneyland. We are currently going through a similar era at WDW, with leaders in multiple positions who have never worked front line in a park before, likely do not visit the parks outside of work (if at all), and are only interested in keeping the bottom line in the black to ensure the largest possible bonus at the end of the year.

Unfortunately, unlike DLR, WDW does not have the dedicated, vocal, and extremely large fanbase to incite the change we want to see. So something else is going to have to be the catalyst.

I COMPLETELY agree with your post on all counts. As someone who has lived in Orlando my whole life, I am pretty ashamed of certain management leaders at WDW. Many of these people are FROM the Orlando area. You would think there would be a little more pride involved.... I understand not dumping limitless funds into the parks without concern for the overall business, but there does seem to be a definite disconnect.

 

[tikiman]

It has nothing to do with managment. Imagineering said there is no way to fix it without taking down the whole ride almost and they decided that would not ever happen to fix the Yeti. Just talling you what those who are incharge of it at WDI said.

 

[epcotWSC]

Walt was cremated.

LOL this should have been their whole response.

Dear Mr. xxx,

Walt was cremated.

Mr. xxx, thank you again for your honest and constructive feedback.

Wishing you a magical day,

Andrew Shepard
Guest Communication Services
Walt Disney World Resort

 

[menamechris]

It has nothing to do with managment. Imagineering said there is no way to fix it without taking down the whole ride almost and they decided that would not ever happen to fix the Yeti. Just talling you what those who are incharge of it at WDI said.

Ya, that's understood. I think the thread started to take a bit of a more broad discussion about maintenance priorities in general - not just the Yeti... I have heard exactly what you have heard, as well. I think that just does nothing more than probably promise us that Disney won't try to be that innovative again...

 

[juniorthomas]

So Andrew Shepard goes from American President to Guest Communication Services at Disney?

And I thought his speech was pretty good...

 

[IWant2GoNow]

I don't think the speed at all has changed, but it may seem like it as when it was in A mode you could see the Yeti quite a bit earlier than the way they have it now so it is more of a flash of light on him.

That is what people may be forgetting about A mode. You saw him swashing his hand over the train...my gosh was that awesome and yes, it made all the difference. I don't often fall for headchoppers on coasters. As much as I love them I just know I am safe but on my first ride on Everest I ducked in a reaction to the swinging claw.

YES! THIS! :sohappy:

I vividly remember my two A-Mode rides back in '06 and from the second we entered the last tunnel we could see the Yeti. I think a lot of people forget how much exposure it DID have in A-Mode.

 

[AEfx]

It's a giant monster right in front of you who comes inches away from clawing your head off. I've never heard anyone ask "Where was the Yeti?" coming off the ride.

I've never been on that ride.

The ride at the AK that I visit doesn't have that feature.

 

[disneyworld66]

Im guessing they will fix it at some point, there is just to much money in it to leave it broken. Lets hope they fix it soon.

 

[DancingPhoenix]

I've ridden this ride several times in the last two years and I remember just being thrilled before my first trip (that it was open). I looked at it constantly online, and was so excited for that yeti part.

When I went on it, there was no yeti at all. I was like "excuse me, did I get on the wrong ride?" While it's true that normal guests won't notice, those of us that are fanatics definitely do. I have since been LOOKING for the yeti, trying to find him at the end, but I never do... even with strobe lights.

I hope I see him eventually

 

[MansionGoer13z]

I quite like the ride itself, and I also think the back side looks fine (unless you're referring to how it used to look)...

Mr. Yeti is the only thing I've got a problem with.

This almost looks like a Scottish castle inhabited by a paralyzed creature.

 

[MansionGoer13z]

I've ridden this ride several times in the last two years and I remember just being thrilled before my first trip (that it was open). I looked at it constantly online, and was so excited for that yeti part.

When I went on it, there was no yeti at all. I was like "excuse me, did I get on the wrong ride?" While it's true that normal guests won't notice, those of us that are fanatics definitely do. I have since been LOOKING for the yeti, trying to find him at the end, but I never do... even with strobe lights.

I hope I see him eventually

Yeah its the same for me though with the strobe light effect and a breif glimpse of the yeti's eyes, I thought I was stroking out when I saw it that I had to ride it again to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

 

[fyn]

Some things are just too expensive to fix properly. It's likely this is one of them. It's disappointing to see everyone assuming that Disney doesn't want to fix the Yeti's movement. The people that designed the ride, the people that maintain the ride, the people that determine the budget available to fix the ride, there's no reason to think they all suck and don't want to see the Yeti working as it was designed. They have to make the very real trade off between spending (by all accounts) an astonishing amount of money fixing one (albeit prominent) show piece, or investing that money elsewhere (potentially in the same park?).

Mind you, this is all assuming they know exactly how to fix it. The Yeti is WDI's biggest and most ambitious AA (someone correct me if I'm wrong). It was poorly designed, and they clearly didn't think through all of the necessary maintenance/refurb scenarios before they built it. For all we know, they might not have enough confidence in their fix to warrant spending the funds to fix it.

I'd love to see the Yeti behave as he was originally envisioned, but more importantly, I hope TDO/WDI can come up with a solution that's both reliable, and cost effective. I'm sure they want that too. It just seems silly to me to be angry/bitter towards Disney about this.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

Some things are just too expensive to fix properly. It's likely this is one of them. It's disappointing to see everyone assuming that Disney doesn't want to fix the Yeti's movement. The people that designed the ride, the people that maintain the ride, the people that determine the budget available to fix the ride, there's no reason to think they all suck and don't want to see the Yeti working as it was designed. They have to make the very real trade off between spending (by all accounts) an astonishing amount of money fixing one (albeit prominent) show piece, or investing that money elsewhere (potentially in the same park?).

Mind you, this is all assuming they know exactly how to fix it. The Yeti is WDI's biggest and most ambitious AA (someone correct me if I'm wrong). It was poorly designed, and they clearly didn't think through all of the necessary maintenance/refurb scenarios before they built it. For all we know, they might not have enough confidence in their fix to warrant spending the funds to fix it.

I'd love to see the Yeti behave as he was originally envisioned, but more importantly, I hope TDO/WDI can come up with a solution that's both reliable, and cost effective. I'm sure they want that too. It just seems silly to me to be angry/bitter towards Disney about this.

I like your avatar, I bought mine the same Donald shirt.

Let me start by saying that this is going to sound like an irritated rant, but I promise you I'm not meaning it to sound as such.

I believe the length of time that they have had to research the difficulties with Fubar (my current name for the Yeti) and execute a plan to improve his condition is plenty enough reason to be perturbed at Disney.

Want to make the case that it might be too expensive of a fix?
They've had about 4 years to put money back, little by little, to save enough for a permanent fix for now.

Want to make the case that Guests still don't know the difference?
Then perhaps the Hitchhiking Ghosts should just stay as the current temporary projections. Because I'm sure new Guests won't know the difference there either. And to be honest, Fubar is a much more crucial show piece for E:E than the Hitchhiking Ghosts are for HM.

Want to make the case that it's not worth it because you're not exposed to the AA for very long?
Then I guess if the Queen turning into the witch in SWSA wasn't working it wouldn't be a big deal. (Wouldn't be now since it's closing soon anyway. :lol

Here's the deal. Disney will fix it when they get around to it, and this used to not be the case. If it had just recently broke, I could see why they hadn't jumped on it immediately. But it has been 4 long years since their crown jewel of AAs has been out of commission. Fubar is presented in shows about WDW, and in the hotel channel as a full motion AA and instead, leaves people bewildered as to why they didn't see him on the ride, or how to look for him. When you're not able to see something as large as Fubar, you know there's a problem.

People saying that the only way it will get fixed is if people don't ride it or don't go to DAK, are bonkers. If that's the case then CoP would be revamped, and JIYIwF wouldn't be what it is today. Letters, e-mails, comments on DPB, etc. won't do it either I'm afraid. This one is obviously going to be a "whenever we get to it" deal for Disney until they prove me otherwise. I've complained to Guest Services (but I only go MAYBE once a year), I've e-mailed, and hand-written, all with lackluster programmed responses back.

It's ridiculous and as much as I don't like condemning people to unemployment during this stage of our economy, I am jumping on the L train (L for Lee in this instance) and saying whoever is responsible should be canned. Whether that be one or a group of people, this has gone on long enough.

 

[fyn]

I believe the length of time that they have had to research the difficulties with Fubar (my current name for the Yeti) and execute a plan to improve his condition is plenty enough reason to be perturbed at Disney.

They did execute a plan. You might not like it, but they did.

Want to make the case that it might be too expensive of a fix?
They've had about 4 years to put money back, little by little, to save enough for a permanent fix for now.

Unfortunately that's not really how budget discussions go. If they're going to implement a fix, they need to commit to a specific amount of money for it. Sure, it could be over a number of years, but that doesn't matter. The company (read: all companies) view the total expenditure and determine whether or not it's worthwhile. This isn't the same as someone saving little by little for a vacation.

Want to make the case that Guests still don't know the difference?
Then perhaps the Hitchhiking Ghosts should just stay as the current temporary projections. Because I'm sure new Guests won't know the difference there either. And to be honest, Fubar is a much more crucial show piece for E:E than the Hitchhiking Ghosts are for HM.

Over time, unfortunately, average guests won't know the difference. Much like today's guests don't really know what SSE was pre-refurb, or The Seas pre-Nemo.

Saying guests won't know the difference, and settling for mediocrity are too different points. If fixing the Yeti cost as little as refurbing the hitchhiking ghosts, then I'm sure they'd fix it (if they even can). Disney took a huge risk building EE the way they did (clearly), so I don't think anyone can argue that they tend to settle for mediocrity. Nor do I think anyone could reasonably argue that the Yeti should be fixed at any cost.

Want to make the case that it's not worth it because you're not exposed to the AA for very long?
Then I guess if the Queen turning into the witch in SWSA wasn't working it wouldn't be a big deal. (Wouldn't be now since it's closing soon anyway. :lol

My only point was the cost of the fix, and I questioned whether they even have a fix that they're confident will work.

Here's the deal. Disney will fix it when they get around to it, and this used to not be the case. If it had just recently broke, I could see why they hadn't jumped on it immediately. But it has been 4 long years since their crown jewel of AAs has been out of commission. Fubar is presented in shows about WDW, and in the hotel channel as a full motion AA and instead, leaves people bewildered as to why they didn't see him on the ride, or how to look for him. When you're not able to see something as large as Fubar, you know there's a problem.

I don't think it's a matter of "when they get around to it." I think they've made the decision to not fix it. Period. Unless someone comes up with a more economical way to return it to its once vaunted status, that's likely not going to change.

It's ridiculous and as much as I don't like condemning people to unemployment during this stage of our economy, I am jumping on the L train (L for Lee in this instance) and saying whoever is responsible should be canned. Whether that be one or a group of people, this has gone on long enough.

You think someone should be fired for this? See, now I can't tell if you're being sarcastic. Perhaps, just perhaps if someone knew ahead of time that the Yeti would be unreliable, and elected either not to raise the issue in advance so it could be fixed before it was implemented, or decided to greenlight the project regardless of this information, then maybe that would be a reasonable thought. As far as I know, and I may be wrong, we don't have that information.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

They did execute a plan. You might not like it, but they did.

Yes, they did execute a plan, a very cheap and cost effective plan. Which I agree, is probably because the fix would take quite a bit of money. But I still believe the amount of time this quick fix has been in place is inexcusable. Which, I also know, to Disney means very little.

Unfortunately that's not really how budget discussions go. If they're going to implement a fix, they need to commit to a specific amount of money for it. Sure, it could be over a number of years, but that doesn't matter. The company (read: all companies) view the total expenditure and determine whether or not it's worthwhile. This isn't the same as someone saving little by little for a vacation.

I'm unaware with how the budget for this stuff goes so I appreciate the info here. I would hope that out of their annual profits a certain percentage goes towards rehabbing the parks. With DAK's decline, I would hope that they are maybe upping the percentage for that a bit. Maybe they'll reap some benefits with the new safari trek.

Over time, unfortunately, average guests won't know the difference. Much like today's guests don't really know what SSE was pre-refurb, or The Seas pre-Nemo.

Saying guests won't know the difference, and settling for mediocrity are too different points. If fixing the Yeti cost as little as refurbing the hitchhiking ghosts, then I'm sure they'd fix it (if they even can). Disney took a huge risk building EE the way they did (clearly), so I don't think anyone can argue that they tend to settle for mediocrity. Nor do I think anyone could reasonably argue that the Yeti should be fixed at any cost.

I guess my statement here was moreso reflecting the theming/story of the rides, not so much a cost standpoint. A lot of people don't feel the Yeti is all that important. But yes, if it were as cost effective and easy, we would have a working Yeti. And I'm with you, "at any cost" is a bit farfetched.

My only point was the cost of the fix, and I questioned whether they even have a fix that they're confident will work.

I know, like I said, I wasn't personally attacking what you wrote or anything and my post went a little longer that I originally thought. I guess in my mind Disney has a 100% fix but won't act on it because of money and no lack of riders.

I don't think it's a matter of "when they get around to it." I think they've made the decision to not fix it. Period. Unless someone comes up with a more economical way to return it to its once vaunted status, that's likely not going to change.

What sucks, and I know they would NEVER do this, is that they won't just come out and say it will never be fixed.

You think someone should be fired for this? See, now I can't tell if you're being sarcastic. Perhaps, just perhaps if someone knew ahead of time that the Yeti would be unreliable, and elected either not to raise the issue in advance so it could be fixed before it was implemented, or decided to greenlight the project regardless of this information, then maybe that would be a reasonable thought. As far as I know, and I may be wrong, we don't have that information.

I hate bringing the old stuff into play like how if one small thing was wrong with a ride they would shut it down and blah blah blah. Things have changed, so I don't stick by those same principles but this scenario is one of the times where Disney has shot themselves in the foot. They had a higher standard for so long and I'm not sure where it started but these things just aren't as important to Disney anymore. I don't think that Disney should be held accountable for accidents or every single possible thing that could and can go wrong, but for this one thing, it's a little disappointing and I can't believe DAK is falling apart so quickly. I love the themeing and can spend plenty of hours just watching the animals, but DAK is in the most need of love and they just keep ignoring it. Seems like someone in management should at least have a stern talking to, don't you think?

I think everyone here knows how I feel about this subject and I've given up for the most part. As you said, they probably have decided to not fix it. But until they tell me that is what is going on, I'm going to still be disappointed when I see the Yeti on the hotel channel swinging wildly at train cars while I know the ride is nothing like that at all.

Thanks for the convo though. It's nice to have a civilized chat after reading some of the arguing that goes on here.

 

[menamechris]

Unfortunately, I think I have to be added to the list of people who think Disney has decided not to fix it. I don't think it is even on their radar anymore. The number of guests who have seen it broken far outnumbers the guests who ever saw it working correctly. As was previously said, in four more years no one (but us few) will ever remember that there was an A mode for the ride.

 

[Timekeeper]

This is what CMs are currently being told during training:

The company that manufactured the yeti went bankrupt. That is why a repair is more difficult [expensive] than it might have otherwise been. :brick:

 

[fyn]

I think everyone here knows how I feel about this subject and I've given up for the most part. As you said, they probably have decided to not fix it. But until they tell me that is what is going on, I'm going to still be disappointed when I see the Yeti on the hotel channel swinging wildly at train cars while I know the ride is nothing like that at all.

Thanks for the convo though. It's nice to have a civilized chat after reading some of the arguing that goes on here.

It was a good discussion, thanks! It's a shame how rarely that happens in the News/Rumors section.

About your last point, the 'stern talking to', why wouldn't we assume this has happened? Disney is an incredibly successful company. Mistakes like this happen, and successful companies learn how to deal with them. Personally, I hope that whatever engineer didn't see this coming has had the chance to learn from it (given how groundbreaking it was) and is sharing that wisdom with the rest of WDI.

I think we all agree this is disappointing, but it is what it is. Whether or not you ascribe this to a trend of declining quality standards is up to you (you sort of inferred this), but I think that's a different discussion, hopefully not on the News/Rumors board.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

It was a good discussion, thanks! It's a shame how rarely that happens in the News/Rumors section.

About your last point, the 'stern talking to', why wouldn't we assume this has happened? Disney is an incredibly successful company. Mistakes like this happen, and successful companies learn how to deal with them. Personally, I hope that whatever engineer didn't see this coming has had the chance to learn from it (given how groundbreaking it was) and is sharing that wisdom with the rest of WDI.

I think we all agree this is disappointing, but it is what it is. Whether or not you ascribe this to a trend of declining quality standards is up to you (you sort of inferred this), but I think that's a different discussion, hopefully not on the News/Rumors board.

True, I guess the "talking to" could have already happened.

I only ascribe that trend to DAK at the moment. The sprucing up of MK has been AMAZING as well as all of the add-ons as far as queue work goes around the park. And even Epcot has received some of this upkeep with the powerwashing of the monorail beams and so on. I just hope DAK is next in this respect.

Where's the "praying hands" smiley when you need it? :lol:

 

[MichWolv]

You think someone should be fired for this? See, now I can't tell if you're being sarcastic. Perhaps, just perhaps if someone knew ahead of time that the Yeti would be unreliable, and elected either not to raise the issue in advance so it could be fixed before it was implemented, or decided to greenlight the project regardless of this information, then maybe that would be a reasonable thought. As far as I know, and I may be wrong, we don't have that information.

I think it's quite possible that someone should be fired, even if it wasn't the situation you lay out. Assume that the powers that be looked to the lead engineeer on the yeti and said "Will this hold up over time?" The lead engineer used his knowledge and experience and was confident that it would work as intended over the long haul, and had no concerns about reliability. He turns out now to have very very wrong. Seems like firing him for simply being bad at his job would be well within the realm of reasonable responses. One needn't be negligent, fraudulent, lazy, or or guilty of withholding information to be in a job he/she isn't qualified for.