everest overload

[mel]

I rode everest for the first time last week and I have to say I was disappointed. I dont know if it was the heat or the crowds or just the ride itself, but I get a bigger thrill out of other coaster rides at wdw. PS...Why was the yeti behind a screen?

[Mousemates]

I dont know if it was the heat or the crowds or just the ride itself, but I get a bigger thrill out of other coaster rides at wdw.

I think it must have been the heat and crowds too. :mickey: We love EE, however another option for your disappointment might be "the expectational buildup" in hearing about it so long and having to wait to ride it....and that this created an "anticipated thrill level" beyond what the imagineers could actually deliver. Or maybe you were just expecting more of a pure coaster experience (i.e. the GRiffin at BGEurope) than a coaster done disney style.

Whatever the cause, give it some time, ride again and maybe it will grow on you.

[ThanxForNoticin]

Disappointed with EE? We've ridden many times - NEVER disappointed. Love that attraction.... Hope you get to try it again in the future.

[disneymajik]

I'm a little surprise that you used the word disappointed as it is a good ride. I could see someone saying that that RRC might be more thrilling thought I might disagree.

As for the Yeti from what I've seen on the ride I do not believe that there is any screen in front of the Yeti.

[DizneyRox]

Rumors have it that maintenance is a nightmare on EE. Often many of the effects either don't work or have been turned off.

One effect is the final Yeti is stationary with a strobe flashing. I don't think you can confuse this with a screen, BUT, it does happen at one of the most intense portions of the ride and goes by in a flash. It's possible you are referring to the shadow projection of him tearing up the rails. That is just supposed to be a projection onto a screen, NOT behind a screen. It's to prep you for the next stop which is the ripped up track. After that you head backwards, etc.

I'm guessing you either blinked or closed your eyes (or were screaming too much) and missed the final encounter. I really don't think Disney would run the ride without that final Yeti in either A or B mode.

[mel]

no I didnt blink or miss it.. I rode it twice and both times the yeti was behind a screen.. looked like a shadow.. I usually like themed coaster rides very much.. I just didnt dig this ride... ( the people that work at the front of the que were pretty rude as well... overall not a good experience.. maybe it would be better in the winter...

[ParkMan]

I know what you mean. When we rode it the first time, we were "underwhelmed". Perhaps it was super inflated expectations or something like that, but we got done and said - "good ride, but we expected more".

I'm much more impressed by the theming and attention to detail than the actual ride.

The screen sounds weird. But if there is a Yeti problem, perhaps they just decided to run it anyways. What's worse, a Yeti covered by a screen or a shutdown anchor ride?

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Was it the scene where he tears up the tracks or at the end after going forwards again?

I believe they did add a screen at the end of the ride from when I rode it last months. And I remember getting off and just blinking like, "What the heck did they do my Yeti?!"

The problem is as it was said, maintenance. You could see a lot of the wires and operations behind the Yeti without it.

[GoBlueLacheta]

Well I doubt that E.E is half the maintence issue that Space Mountain is now-a-days but as far as pure thrill rides go , it took Disney World over 30 years to get a coaster with a drop thats 80 ft. , While the theming and storyline is terrific , youd think after awhile Disney would be able sneak 180 foot drop in one of there 199 ft. tall mountains.

[Young@Heart]

We love EE, but were lucky enough to ride it soon after it opened. If we had been waiting for 2 years to experience it, it may have been a let-down for us, who knows?

[Imagineer1981]

There are 2 spots for the Yeti. The first one is easily seen, he looks like a shadow (on a screen) and he tears up the tracks, all animated. Then right before the ending there is the 2nd Yeti, the giant animatronic. Unfortunately he breaks down alot and they use a strobe light to make him look like he is moving. The other thing that is missing is they don't run all the effects. The smoke machines in the mountain and also the steam from the train usually depend on the day

[GrumpyFan]

So, did you see the Yeti twice on the ride, or just once? The last time is the near encounter with the 50+ foot tall Yeti as he reaches down to grap the train right before the end of the ride. It almost sounds like the final scene was not working at all and the Yeti was in the dark. If so, this is worse than the "B mode" strobe effect.

We rode in early June and he was working in "A mode" where he roars and actually reaches out and tries to grab your train.

[Goes4FastPass]

Yeti - strobe?

We love this ride. Our top favorite of all WDW park attractions. Please don't tell me they've found a way to 'minus' it.

[Mackflava99]

Wow- everytime i rode it, i was very impressed-
Try it again, it may have just been the crowds and heat-

[grumpyguy]

i've never seen the "strobe mode"...
at this point,being a ee veteren i would be dissappointed for sure..
i think everest is an imagineering home run,
if anything i would like it to be a longer ride:thumbsup:

[Greenlawler]

I just might be one of the "lucky ones", but the last two times I have ridden EE it has had some problems. The first time the first Yeti encounter was not functioning and we were stranded on the ride for probably 10 minutes...no big deal, we got a fast pass as a reward :party: The second time I was stuck for 5 minutes and the big final Yeti was not working at all. Once again.....fast pass :party:!

I enjoy the ride other than the Yeti's hand scares the crud out of me everytime he is working....so I guess I actualy prefer him not to work.

[SurferStitch]

The last time I rode EE (May), the Yeti was in B mode. Looked pretty lame with the strobe lights on him. Also, the eagle didn't fly at the ripped up track at the top of the mountain like before.

I was pretty disappointed with my last ride. The first couple times last year were excellent, but I was underwhelmed this last time.

[GrumpyFan]

Yeti - strobe?


The Yeti Strobe or "B Mode", is when the Yeti monster has stopped working the way he's supposed too. According to an article on a supposed Disney insider's web-site, the Yeti breaks down a lot because he is really huge and requires a lot of energy to move as fast as he does. So, rather than shut down the ride when he stops working correctly, the computer controlling him simply shifts the monster into a threatening pose, then turns on strobe lights at the appropriate time to make him look scary.

There have been various reports of him going into "B mode" for extended periods of time (days/months), but lately most reports have him operating in the original, "A mode" where he reaches out and tries to grab the train when you pass by. I've seen him in both modes, and "B" is noticably different and not as thrilling.

[johnO]

it's a fantastic ride with quite a rush.

:thumbsup:

[bruin1344]

i liked ee a lot, ive been lucky to wait no more than 20 min to go on it, i get disappointed with rides the longer i wait in line for them, especially at 6 flags or universal studios

[mel]

I truly didnt see two yetis just the one behind the screen ... I do remember the strobe.. but no yeti...

[Dawnya]

We loved EE. I especially did. I love roller coasters, but most of them hurt my back and neck, but EE was so smooth. It was awesome!!

[GrumpyFan]

I truly didnt see two yetis just the one behind the screen ... I do remember the strobe.. but no yeti...

Scratching :scratch: my head... the second Yeti is over 50 feet tall! The only way he wouldn't be seen is if he wasn't illuminated at all. But, you said there were strobes, which does provide illumination. Unless you're referring to the picture taking strobes for when you descend the big hill after reversing back to going frontward. The second (non-animated) Yeti whose over 50 feet tall, should be encountered right before you exit the mountain for the final time and re-entering the station.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I think the OP might be confusing the two then.

The one where he tears up the track is a projection, not an actual animatronic.

The second one is near the end is like was said, HUGE. I think it might be behind a scrim now (a very very thin screen that only allows light to go in one direction, which is what they have at HM in the never-ending hallway). If they have the strobe lights running, it would make the screen more visible than if it wasn't.

[Faver]

I love EE!!! I've ridden quite a few times, but never saw the Yeti behind a screen... I'm sure that would take something from the experience...

[GrumpyFan]

I love EE!!! I've ridden quite a few times, but never saw the Yeti behind a screen... I'm sure that would take something from the experience...

No, no, no... it's just a thin, very transparent screen used for theatrical purposes. It should have a very minimal effect (if any) on being able to see the Yeti, unless there was no light whatsoever, then he might be invisible. They use them to help with light disbursement and add to the visual effect and they also side benefit of helping protect from objects that some (lesser intelligent) guests might decide to throw at the multimillion dollar attraction. If anything, a scrim would enhance the experience because it creates visual effects that would otherwise not be possible.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Right you are Grumpy.

But I will say, scrims are noticeable if they are relatively close.

The ones in the HM are far enough away that you don't see them. The ceiling in the stretch room is painted, and therefore, not as noticeable, plus it's the ceiling and most people look at the walls until the end. The one in the endless corridor is at the very end of the hallway, but standing about 10 feet from it, you can see it. Especially with the lights on.

Which is why I am thinking that might be what they are talking about for EE. With the lights, it might be noticeable, especially a strobe.

[homeschool mom]

We (self, 2 DDs and best friend) rode EE for the first time in May '07. We all loved it, even though it was a little less than what we expected. We expected more thrills. However, I think we rode it in B mode. I don't remember the 50 ft. Yeti moving and trying to grab the train. He was pretty stationary and I vaguely remember strobe lights. A friend had rode it months before us and he said the Yeti scared him to death. We thought he was a weenie after we rode it. :confused: Must be the Yeti tried to grab the train when he rode it. Bummer, we missed it. I hope it's running in A mode when we go in Sept. :thumbsup: It's a great coaster. :mickey:

[Tygger7]

On our last trip in May 2008, we rode EE at least 6 times and on every ride, all the effects, including the yeti grabbing towards the train, were fully functional. Actually, even when we rode it multiple times in 2006, we never experienced effects not working. Sounds like we're very lucky. :thumbsup:

I'm not a roller coaster person....I hate heights and huge drops, but I LOVE EE. Even my DH, who is a coaster fanatic, loves EE. There is so much to see in the ride que and on the ride itself.

On a side note: We went through the DVC presentation and received special fastpasses to use on 3 rides of our choice. We decided to use the first one for EE, and when we asked the FastPass CM how to use these, he said, "Oh, put those away and follow me." He then asked us if we'd like to see "behind the scenes", and took us into the EE control room. He & the CM in the room explained how things worked and how they monitor the trains....and how they handle guests that won't behave on the ride. :secret: Needless to say, we weren't allowed to take any pictures, but it really gave me an appreciation for everything that goes into this ride.

[dixielandings]

I have ridden EE several times, most recently in April of this year, and everything has always been fully functional. It bums me out to know that this brand new ride is having any kind of trouble at all!

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Not me.

The technology was really new and they haven't worked out all of the kinks yet.

It's the same for when Test Track first opened - they had so many problems with the computers because it was that advanced and the system couldn't keep up with it.

It just takes time. Especially when it's innovative technology.

[dolphinmickey9170]

I prefer to go on E:E at night. The view from the climb is awesome, but the Yeti in the dark is more spectacular. I would rather not ride in the daylight.

[garthbarth1]

We are going in Sept. and I hope the Yeti is working! We went last Sept and it must of been in "B" mode because I remember seeing the strobe lights but no big Yeti arm reaching out to grab us. DH remebers the same. I thought I was missing something bc when we got back friends of ours wanted to know what we thought of the Yeti trying to grab us and we had no clue what they were talking about.:confused: So happily I came here to do some research and found my answers to the missing Yeti Arm Sweep!

[Jasper]

This "letdown" feeling is quite common at many parks that have a strong following like WDW does and as others have already said a lot of it has to do with the pre-ride hype that goes along with a major attraction. The same also happens quite often with new resorts, especially the lower end ones.

My suggestion is to take most of these posts with a huge grain of salt and wait until you actually experience the attraction, resort, or whatever to form your own opinion.

[Vito]

Has anyone seen the Yeti in full operation ("A" mode) in the past few days? I heard a rumor (key word being rumor) on another forum that the Yeti was having serious problems and that the foundation for it had cracked. :eek:

[dephenn]

I look forward to going on EE, and now that I know that there are 2 versions, A and B things are making sense. The first year I went on the ride was in A mode the following year it was in B mode. When I got off after the B mode I felt like something was missing and now I know there was. With a little luck I'll get A mode. Thanks Grumpy and CJS.

[disneymom2000]

I went on it once and I doubt I will ride it again. It was a little rough for me. I like the smoother coasters even if they have loops and stuff.

[mel]

Just saw the yeti once.. behind a screen... the second yeti was no where to be seen... only strobes.. maybe I missed it?? (could be hiding behind not very nice cm's??):confused:

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Based on what you are saying, I'm thinking you didn't see him at all.

When did you see him??

After going backwards, but before going forwards again when he tears up the track?

OR

After going down the huge drop with the photo at the end of the tunnel before exiting?

Those are the only two places to see the Yeti.

[Vito]

Just a little bump - has anyone ridden lately to see if the Yeti is feeling limber?

[Fantasmic]

The Yeti is NOT 50ft tall, that's almost a quarter of the mountains height...
It is around 20ft tall. The KONG animatronic in Kongfrontation was well bigger than the EE Yeti, and he was only 39ft tall.

Incidently, they 3 or 4 times I rode EE last september, I never saw the bird! I seem to remember reading that it has been taken off?

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I've noticed the bird goes down pretty quickly so if you weren't in the front seats, you typically didn't see him. He disappears as you come around the corner but I don't really pay much attention.

[Cheloconnell]

I can't imagine someone disliking this ride. It is definitely my favorite of all the parks - it used to be RRC prior. Half the time I find myself laughing from having so much fun. It is definitely a better experience sitting in the front of the ride. I have sat in the back before and you lose half the ride that way and it can be disappointing. I will always wait the extra time for a front car. :mickey:

[dteed]

Sorry you did not like it but I love it.

[#1donaldfan]

I guess we've been very lucky ..... never had to wait more than 20 minutes, always sit up front, once we were the very first riders of the day.....while it's not a huge steel monster coaster from another park that I will not mention, it has a theme and much atmosphere with it.....that's what sets Disney apart and makes their rides GREAT !!!!

I love EE........:mickey:

[CaptSmee]

it's a fantastic ride with quite a rush.

:thumbsup:

Agreed!:thumbsup:

[MickeyChick]

I rode EE for the first time this past Saturday and I LOVED it. I only saw the animated, track-tearing Yeti.

The best part was that a member of the Dream Squad took us to the front of the line and got us the 8x10 photo. So cool.

[maxrebo77]

I love EE. Last year, by getting in the single rider line, I was able to ride twice in just a few minutes. Then I took about 15 minutes in the regular line so I could go through the whole line experience and see everything.:cloud9:
A Must Do for me
I know what you meen thouigh. There is a ride at Six Flags that I waited for and also one at US that were huge dissapointments.
I think it's the hype and then the waiting.
If you ride again with a fresh mind the dissapointment may go away.:)