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View Full Version : What is the current state of the Yeti?



Luv4WDW
12-29-2010, 11:32 AM
Can anybody tell me what the current state of the Yeti is on Expedition Everest? Or... what they plan on doing with it? :mickey:

Victor Kelly
12-29-2010, 11:40 AM
According to posts on several other boards, the Yeti will not be back in full show mode. Disney cites mechanical issues with the Yeti, due to the builder being out of business and several key parts always breaking.

I cannot confirm this, but it is just something I have heard.

While there this past september, the Yeti was parked, and only had a strobe flashing on it.

DisneyFr33k
12-29-2010, 11:45 AM
We had the priviledge of dining with an awesome imagineer this past October. We asked about the Yeti and he was able to let us know that there are plans to bring it back to it's original state. Yeah! :mickey:

Victor Kelly
12-29-2010, 12:11 PM
I would love to see it in full operational mode since I have never seen it before this past trip.

#1donaldfan
12-29-2010, 12:32 PM
What state....?? Florida right ?? sorry, I couldn't resist.....!!! We have loved that ride since day one, and while it continues to be great, I'd like to see it in full motion again, however don't know if I could stand the down time it's gonna take to get it right ....... just sayn'.....

mcjaco
12-29-2010, 01:29 PM
We had the priviledge of dining with an awesome imagineer this past October. We asked about the Yeti and he was able to let us know that there are plans to bring it back to it's original state. Yeah! :mickey:

I've been hearing that for four years.....:(

Strmchsr
12-29-2010, 01:55 PM
Currently "Disco Yeti" is what you get. I, too, have heard that they are exploring how to get the Yeti back to some movement. It seems they don't want to invest the money to ever restore the Yeti to full A mode, but they are working on a solution that will be a "B+" mode. Not full movement, but close. When that will happen is still up in their air because many people already make DAK a half-day park and shutting down the main attraction of the park for a few months to do this refurb would hurt park revenue, and they don't want to do that. So, they're debating on when to do it, if they should do it, etc.

CaptSmee
12-29-2010, 03:18 PM
All I know is he's big, loud, and flashy!

Gator
12-29-2010, 03:21 PM
So they can get that Pirate on the bridge to swing his hairy leg for forty years, but they can't get a big hairy arm to swipe at you for 4 years?

pirateyankee80
12-29-2010, 06:32 PM
We were privileged to ride ExE when the yeti was in full "swing".....awesome! We just got back from our vacation and after the first ride no one saw him at all :confused: It wasn't till our second ride that we saw him with the strobes....very disappointing:shake: Actually thought they toned him down because he used to be scary:scared:...Hope they fix him

DizneyRox
12-29-2010, 08:28 PM
So they can get that Pirate on the bridge to swing his hairy leg for forty years, but they can't get a big hairy arm to swipe at you for 4 years?
4 years? I don't think it lasted that long...

WDWdriver
12-29-2010, 09:57 PM
........they are exploring how to get the Yeti back to some movement. It seems they don't want to invest the money to ever restore the Yeti to full A mode, but they are working on a solution that will be a "B+" mode. Not full movement, but close.

This is pretty much what the CMs operating the ride have been told informally. However, there have been no "official" announcements to the cast regarding the extent of the repairs or a timetable.

Buttercup
12-29-2010, 10:17 PM
So they can get that Pirate on the bridge to swing his hairy leg for forty years, but they can't get a big hairy arm to swipe at you for 4 years?
Um, slightly different engineering principles there.
The hairy leg (which weighs considerably less) only has to do a simple left-right motion.

The Yeti has several more complicated movements than just simple left-right; it swoops and reaches and leans with several more joints than the pirate's knee. His entire body is only supported & attached to anything on one side. The weight of his body with all the movements and his heavy limbs leaning over the track were tearing him from his base.

Two totally separate situations I'm afraid.

dinahvixen
12-30-2010, 05:26 AM
I guess I don't know what I am missing, but I have never seen the Yeti, and EE is a perfectly great ride - so for my input, it doesn't matter that its not working b/c I haven't ever seen it in full glory.

javamama
01-07-2011, 03:43 PM
So if he doesn't work anymore, which I've seen him in action several times. Come up with a solution, maybe construct a new Yeti to take a swing at us...it's a big task but I'm sure if anyone can do it WDW can:mickey:

big blue and hairy
01-07-2011, 04:17 PM
I'm pretty sure the current state of the Yeti is....wait for it.... Florida! :eek2:

:sulley:

DizneyRox
01-07-2011, 08:59 PM
So if he doesn't work anymore, which I've seen him in action several times. Come up with a solution, maybe construct a new Yeti to take a swing at us...it's a big task but I'm sure if anyone can do it WDW can:mickey:
The company that said they could do it, went out of business. If Disney could do it, they probably would have in the first place. And so here we are now...

Mufasa
01-07-2011, 11:14 PM
The company that said they could do it, went out of business.

I really wish this myth would die. The Yeti was designed/built by Disney in-house and not by an outside company. While a lot of the figures in attractions these days are outsourced, complex figures like the Yeti, Mr. Potato Head at Toy Story Mania, or the latest Lincoln AA for DL continue to be produced in-house.

There's nothing wrong with the outsourcing of AA figures, particularly if it is done by firms where that is their primary specialty, like Garner Holt. Even when AA work is outsourced, it is closely overseen by WDI.

For years, Garner Holt was contracted for animatronic figures in use in entertainment projects like the parades and then when Haunted Mansion Holiday at DL came along, as that was a project that came through creative entertainment, the animatronics contract went to GH.

Meanwhile, at around the same time the Pooh attraction was being completed for DL and those figures were being done in-house at MAPO. The GH figures for HMH were more sophisticated, and much cheaper than the figures produced for Pooh. A couple years later, the Monsters Inc. redo of Superstar Limo came along, and GH was tasked with producing some of the AA figures (again in this case, an advanced figure like Roz at the finale was created in house)

Garner Holt is responsible for the AA figures for the upcoming Little Mermaid attraction.

Now, there is an advanced R&D prototype Yeti figure that Garner Holt has been working on (but this is not for any Disney project) but rather a pet project demonstration platform that involves advanced visual tracking and recognition and the ability to articulate things like sign language with the disabled or assist autistic children with social interaction to explore areas beyond theme park/entertainment venues where animatronics can be applied. There are similar projects GH has with the military to develop animatronics for use in training scenarios and simulation.

Mufasa
01-07-2011, 11:31 PM
It seems they don't want to invest the money to ever restore the Yeti to full A mode, but they are working on a solution that will be a "B+" mode.

I don't know if I'd say it is necessarily so much about directly investing money into a fix, because lets suppose that a decision was made to authorize a new, replacement Yeti from scratch.

Ignoring the amount of time needed for the physical swap, the steps of actually taking out and then installing a replacement figure actually wouldn't be terribly complicated but perhaps the big question to be pondered is would that actually address the problem at all?

SpecJoe Magic
01-09-2011, 07:51 PM
I guess I don't know what I am missing, but I have never seen the Yeti, and EE is a perfectly great ride - so for my input, it doesn't matter that its not working b/c I haven't ever seen it in full glory.

I agree. I saw it a few times when it was fully operational and it would be cool to see it operate like that again but I do not think it impacts the ride all that much. I believe the placement of the yeti was bad from the get go. The lack of viewing time never really allowed guests to appreciate its sophistication anyway. The money it would cost to fix it could be used more effectively elsewhere.

WDWdriver
01-09-2011, 09:25 PM
I really wish this myth would die. The Yeti was designed/built by Disney in-house and not by an outside company. While a lot of the figures in attractions these days are outsourced, complex figures like the Yeti, Mr. Potato Head at Toy Story Mania, or the latest Lincoln AA for DL continue to be produced in-house.

Mufasa comes through again. Thanks. I didn't know much about the Garner Holt involvement.

So, what do WDI and MAPO want to do about the yeti situation?

mcjaco
01-11-2011, 04:38 PM
I guess I don't know what I am missing, but I have never seen the Yeti, and EE is a perfectly great ride - so for my input, it doesn't matter that its not working b/c I haven't ever seen it in full glory.

You'd sing a different tne if you saw Yeti in full motion.

Unbelievable.

I've heard everything from getting an arm moving, to installing a projection screen with more animation while they repair the original. At one point, I was told there was a second under construction to replace this one, and then they'd have a back up just in case.

Partially, why I don't believe too much of what I hear from other "sources."

finaldynasty
01-11-2011, 07:28 PM
Watching the six pack of Disney videos today (snow day in Atlanta) and watching the functional Yeti made me miss the good old days...

Mogie
01-12-2011, 12:06 PM
Turns out that the Giant Yeti haunting Expedition Everest was a fake. There is no such thing as a Yeti.

Granny Jill A
01-12-2011, 02:12 PM
His current state is......

Cold and lonely.

Couldn't resist.
:goof:

He wasn't acting right when we rode it THREE TIMES IN A ROW - woo hooo! I will say we were going so fast, it was hard to note which parts weren't working properly.

WDWdriver
01-12-2011, 02:47 PM
Turns out that the Giant Yeti haunting Expedition Everest was a fake. There is no such thing as a Yeti.

Don't be too sure. ;)

PopPhan
01-12-2011, 03:38 PM
Don't be too sure. ;)

Yeah...You should have seen me after that Rogaine mishap...Thought it was the body wash....:-o

TheRustyScupper
01-12-2011, 03:59 PM
1) They can afford to fix the Yeti.
2) Thus, the Yeti is Yuck.