EE Yeti

[GrumpyFan]

although i have seen the yeti i can honestly say that i was not impressed at all. i even found the ride to be boring.

Wow, really?!?! If EE isn't exciting to you, then what is? Surely, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mtn are boring too.

As coasters go, I found that EE has some of the best theming and story in any park Disney or not. The next closest might be RnR at DHS.

[joonyer]

. . . It really stinks that he's broken. From everything I've read, it's believed that the foundation he is on is cracked or broken and movement of the Yeti makes it worse. The only fix, apparently, involves a lot of rework to the mountain and it's foundation, as it would have to be torn out and re-done, which means it would also be down for a while.

It's sad too though that this has happened. The attraction was a real achievement for Imagineering when it was completed, now it's just a sad story of an imagineering project gone wrong. Not that I blame imagineering or anything. I think this is just one of those unforseen engineering problems that was a result of forces that were not anticipated. Hopefully, someday it will be fixed.

I have to disagree with this statement. Anticipating forces and stress in any construction project, whether a building or theme park attraction, is EXACTLY what professional engineers do for a living. The physical and mechanical forces exerted on a structure can in fact be foreseen and predicted by proper engineering principles, and the use of computer design makes doing this easier than ever before. These forces should have been foreseen and the design made to compensate for, if the engineering had been done properly. We are not talking about unexpected/outside forces here (hurricanes, earthquakes, airplanes crashing into buildings, etc.), we are talking about the forces exerted by the operation of the figure itself, something that should have been clearly been factored in to the design of the animatronic figure. They knew what it was going to be made of, how much it would weigh, how it would move, etc. and therefore the application of proper engineering principles would have revealed how to build it structurally sound enough to continue to operate rather than tear itself apart.
If the Yeti is coming apart and coming loose from its foundation, then this simply clear evidence of shoddy engineering and/or cut corners in construction. If the company that did the design, engineering and construction was still in existence, it would be liable for the repair and/or replacement costs.

[lockedoutlogic]

The only company with the long history in animatronics necessary to implement the yeti originally is WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING

but i wonder to myself....would they even have had the capability to do this anymore? Have they been gutted so much that they can't perform the creative tasks in-house?


It's tragic really....Everest - the ride that would put Animal Kingdom back on the map - is really just a middle of the road steel coaster

[DizneyRox]

Actually Disney does has the expertise to build a 200 ft mountain. They employ not only artist, but also engineers, lighting desinger, etc. Imagineers are from all fields and they really do design and figure out the engineering of most projects.

Since the yeti has been broken for close to a year, I would still argue they do not have that expertise otherwise it wouldn't be broken.

That, or they did in fact sub contract it out because they didn't have the expertise and neither did whoever they contracted with

I'm sure it was their concept, yada yada yada, but somebody screwed up on this one. Whoever it is/was Disney is now the one holding the bag, so it's up to them to solve it. We'll have to wait and see what we get as a fix. Maybe they can whip up a few cardboard cut-outs ala Winnie The Pooh and nobody will know the difference.

The only company with the long history in animatronics necessary to implement the yeti originally is WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING

Don't you mean WED?

Walt Disney Imagineering != WED (IMHO of course!)

[lockedoutlogic]

I agree with Jooyner....by the way

If engineers couldn't anticipate forces and stress.....we'd all be in a collapsed structure right now.....

That is the primary function of any engineer....to make sure it can hold together....first and foremost

[lockedoutlogic]

Don't you mean WED?

Walt Disney Imagineering != WED

yes....i take them as the same by any title

[spoonful of sugar]

Wow, really?!?! If EE isn't exciting to you, then what is? Surely, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mtn are boring too.

As coasters go, I found that EE has some of the best theming and story in any park Disney or not. The next closest might be RnR at DHS.

i just feel that disney hyped up the ride so much that i was expecting a lot more i guess. i remember watching the program on tv about ee and just thinking it was going to be so much better. rnr well that's a huge rush and i didn't not get that from ee. just my opinion though.

[GrumpyFan]

Sorry guys, but I disagree. Engineering isn't a perfect science. Sure, it should try to anticipate 100% of the conditions under which a project will operate or be built in. And, many times it comes very close to achieving that. But, there are numerous documented examples in history, where things changed after building, or things happened in a way that just couldn't have been foreseen.

That's not to say that I necessarily am giving the engineers who built this a pass, because i don't know all of the details that went into building this. I'm just saying that it's possible, things turned out differently than what they projected. They built a big and heavy attraction on soil that is sometimes prone to shifting or being soft. I would assume that they tested the soil quite thoroughly before they built EE and designed accordingly. If I had to guess as to what happened, I would say that their calculations were probably off, but it's also possible that the earth shifted or the foundation wasn't properly constructed or any number of other factors. Truth is, none of us really know, and to blame the imagineers is kind of reckless.

[GAN]

i just feel that disney hyped up the ride so much that i was expecting a lot more i guess. i remember watching the program on tv about ee and just thinking it was going to be so much better. rnr well that's a huge rush and i didn't not get that from ee. just my opinion though.

I think it's as good as they could get it while attempting to make a very wide range of riders happy. It's pretty evident that the philosophy is to develop rides that all groups will enjoy -together. I've seen ages from 5 - 75 on EE, and then some... it's pretty cool to look at a grandparent having as much fun on a ride as the grandchild. Even though RnR provides a good rush, most of that is because of the initial start and being in the dark -in reality those loops aren't too scary, and it's a quick ride. It's tough to balance thrills without losing riders.

[Gregandmel]

We were there in October and this was our very first trip to Animal Kingdom. EE was our first ride and we LOVED it! Apparantly, the Yeti must've been broken (or in B mode as someone said) because I sure don't remember the Yeti reaching for us! however, because we didn't know there was something else the Yeti was SUPPOSED to do, we still loved the ride! I thought it was cool to just SEE the Yeti with the stobe lights on. For those of us that didn't know better, it was still a great ride.

[joonyer]

Sorry guys, but I disagree. Engineering isn't a perfect science. Sure, it should try to anticipate 100% of the conditions under which a project will operate or be built in. And, many times it comes very close to achieving that. But, there are numerous documented examples in history, where things changed after building, or things happened in a way that just couldn't have been foreseen.

That's not to say that I necessarily am giving the engineers who built this a pass, because i don't know all of the details that went into building this. I'm just saying that it's possible, things turned out differently than what they projected. They built a big and heavy attraction on soil that is sometimes prone to shifting or being soft. I would assume that they tested the soil quite thoroughly before they built EE and designed accordingly. If I had to guess as to what happened, I would say that their calculations were probably off, but it's also possible that the earth shifted or the foundation wasn't properly constructed or any number of other factors. Truth is, none of us really know, and to blame the imagineers is kind of reckless.

If the sub-soil was soft or shifting, then the entire coaster/track would be at risk, which is not the case. I believe that it is only the foundation of the Yeti itself where that particular problem exists. And as far as the thing's arm coming off, well if you can't blame the designer, then nobody's at fault. An animatronic's figure's limb coming loose from it's body just from the motion it was designed to perform is clearly a design/engineering error. There is no other conclusion that can be reached. I don't know who did the design work, but they did it poorly. Surely they didn't design the thing to only work for 1 year.

[GrumpyFan]

If the sub-soil was soft or shifting, then the entire coaster/track would be at risk, which is not the case. I believe that it is only the foundation of the Yeti itself where that particular problem exists. And as far as the thing's arm coming off, well if you can't blame the designer, then nobody's at fault. An animatronic's figure's limb coming loose from it's body just from the motion it was designed to perform is clearly a design/engineering error. There is no other conclusion that can be reached. I don't know who did the design work, but they did it poorly. Surely they didn't design the thing to only work for 1 year.

I'm not sure about the arm coming off, this is the first I've heard of that particular issue. Again, though, without knowing ALL the details, it's not really fair to blame the engineers. It could've been designed properly and with the right foundations and implements, however, as many other projects have exeperienced, it could've been cut by someone in finance, or then CEO himself, Michael Eisner, as he was famous for doing. After all, he is the one who authorized Chester & Hester's.

Again though, without knowing ALL the details, I just don't think it's fair to place all the blame on the imagineers. Disney as a company messed this up, and for the sake of preserving the ride and a good show to their guests, need to fix it.

[JPL]

Well considering WDW's maintenance track record I would most likely blame them for the arm coming off. Remember these are precision machines that need proper care so cutting back in these areas will cause problems. And I would imagine the problems would be multiplied since the figure is so large and powerful. After hearin the imagineers who worked on SSE talk about how porrly the figures were maintained and that they had to scrap some figures because of it. I can imagine what the same neglect would do to a 25 foot tall figure with the thrust of a jet engine.

[joonyer]

It is true, as I mentioned, cutbacks in construction could have contributed to the problem, as well as maintenance issues. I was just trying to point out that those other issues aside, proper engineering would have meant that there shouldn't have been unforeseen problems with the Yeti's operation.
If it wasn't wasn't properly maintained, then someone should be fired for allowing an investment of that magnitude to be ruined.

[Ian]

This is a write-up from a reasonably reliable source on the yeti issues:


"...the [Expedition Everest] yeti has been in B-mode for weeks and months on end now, supposedly because the concrete fountain on which he is mounted has become irrevocably cracked.

The enormous Audio-Animatronic yeti at the end of Expedition Everest was deemed so important to the ride that a provision was made for when the robot broke; the creature would freeze in its spot, but strobe lights would create the illusion of movement, and the ride would not have to be shut down.

Reportedly, designers or construction laborers somehow didn't account for the repetition of such incredible forces, and now the figure cannot be used as designed. No word yet on what the permanent solution may be."

[DizneyRox]

... Reportedly, designers or construction laborers somehow didn't account for the repetition of such incredible forces, and now the figure cannot be used as designed.

That doesn't sit well. Sounds like deflection to try to cover up some mistakes. What are the construction laborers doing making decisions like these during construction. Which is my point, they weren't...

Sure there may have been some "shortcuts", but it was either built to specs or not. It should be easy enough to tell. There were many inspection made along to way to verify it was being built according to specs. It's should be easy to point the finger in this case... Who signed off on it?

[GrumpyFan]

That doesn't sit well. Sounds like deflection to try to cover up some mistakes. What are the construction laborers doing making decisions like these during construction. Which is my point, they weren't...

Sure there may have been some "shortcuts", but it was either built to specs or not. It should be easy enough to tell. There were many inspection made along to way to verify it was being built according to specs. It's should be easy to point the finger in this case... Who signed off on it?

Construction workers/laborers generally don't make decisions, especially not on a project of this magnitude. More likely, I would speculate the contractor may have cut corners to save a few bucks, or in this case, a few thousand or more.

No offense, but finger-pointing rarely does anything toward fixing the problem. Especially if those who did the work or were in charge are no longer around or in business. Which, unfortunately, happens a lot in construction. Sure, it can be helpful in identifying process failures, but often times in today's businesses, it's merely used as a political maneuver to get rid of the guilty parties, and promote others to a higher position, then business goes back to the usual.

Sorry, didn't mean to get on a
It's just that I'm a little sensitive to corporate politics and budget cutting when it leads to stupid mistakes that could've easily been avoided.

[lockedoutlogic]

Construction workers/laborers generally don't make decisions, especially not on a project of this magnitude. More likely, I would speculate the contractor may have cut corners to save a few bucks, or in this case, a few thousand or more.

No offense, but finger-pointing rarely does anything toward fixing the problem. Especially if those who did the work or were in charge are no longer around or in business. Which, unfortunately, happens a lot in construction. Sure, it can be helpful in identifying process failures, but often times in today's businesses, it's merely used as a political maneuver to get rid of the guilty parties, and promote others to a higher position, then business goes back to the usual.

Sorry, didn't mean to get on a
It's just that I'm a little sensitive to corporate politics and budget cutting when it leads to stupid mistakes that could've easily been avoided.

Grump,

You didn't read that last post right before responding....the poster was not blaming the construction workers.....

And secondly....and no offense here....but you about as far off base as you can be about the engineering/ design of the ride....

Things have gone wrong in the past? That's your argument? So you are saying that what? 1 in 10 go wrong? 1 in 50? 1 in 100?

Wrong, wrong, wrong.....try one in about a hundred thousand....or a million.....

And those mistakes...unlike the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (an all time screw up).....are rarely more than cracks in basement or slight misalignment.....

In something that features huge moving components....they are almost unheard of....because function and durability are the two things that MUST be achieved.

You seem to be snorting the pixie dust here a little.....

Somebody screwed up BIGTIME....whether its the subcontractor (likely)....or perhaps "artists" and "accountants" at WDI pushing something that really shouldn't have been built.....the damage is done....and it ultimately falls to the company selling the tickets....

Without the yeti.....Everest is a very average...moderate amusement ride. The show is gone.....and without the Yeti it absolutely kills any chance of a good "disney type show" that can make a 50 mph coaster with a 90 foot drop....both ridiculously meek by today's technology and thrill standards....into more than what it currently is....

Which is pretty much something at a Six Flags....

The pyramids were built 4500 years ago.....the parthenon 2500....

I think they coulda done a better job here.....don't you?

they should had pixar build it....

[Imagineer1981]

Without the yeti.....Everest is a very average...moderate amusement ride. The show is gone.....and without the Yeti it absolutely kills any chance of a good "disney type show" that can make a 50 mph coaster with a 90 foot drop....both ridiculously meek by today's technology and thrill standards....into more than what it currently is....

I disagree. I have still yet ride a rollercoaster that actually stops you twice with show elements. The broken track and then the shadow Yeti tearing up the track, 2 great show elements. Even when the Yeti was in A mode, tons of guest missed him and still loved the ride. You will not find that at a Six Flags. Even in B mode the Yeti is huge and an opposing figure, great effect

[GrumpyFan]

You didn't read that last post right before responding....the poster was not blaming the construction workers.....

Yes, I did! I wasn't blaming the construction workers either, merely pointing out the POSSIBILITY...

Things have gone wrong in the past? That's your argument? So you are saying that what? 1 in 10 go wrong? 1 in 50? 1 in 100?

Almost every major thrill ride has to be adjusted once it gets built/installed in the park (not just Disney, either). Why? Because of a multitude of things that can and do change...

Same thing happens sometimes on other major projects too... No, they're not common, and most go unnoticed, but they do happen, and occasionally one crops up that is major and costs the designer or construction company big bucks to fix.

You seem to be snorting the pixie dust here a little.....

Hmm... Nevermind...

Somebody screwed up BIGTIME....whether its the subcontractor (likely)....or perhaps "artists" and "accountants" at WDI pushing something that really shouldn't have been built.....the damage is done....and it ultimately falls to the company selling the tickets....

In all likelihood, you're probably right, somebody probably did screw up. But, note, I said PROBABLY. My whole point was it's kind of reckless to point fingers at ANYBODY without knowing all the details, which none of us here have.

There were hundreds if not thousands of people involved in the project and any one of them could've been the culprit, or even NONE of them. It's entirely possible that the problem is something that happened underneath the foundation (soil shift, water pocket, unknown fault) that nobody could've seen or anticipated. It happens, especially in Florida.

I think somewhere in the postings, someone was blaming imagineering for the issue, and my whole point was in defense of them since we don't really know. In all likelihood, yes, someone probably did screw up somewhere, and Disney needs to make it right and fix it.

The pyramids were built 4500 years ago.....the parthenon 2500....

I think they coulda done a better job here.....don't you?

You're joking, right?