The Yeti: FIXED AT LAST!!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Goth, I am coining the new phrase for Intercot: DEFENDERS OF MEDIOCRITY lol..

Anyway, those managers who believe in mediocrity and that the guests are idiots and won't know the difference in the theme parks are starting to be demoted (Animal Kingdom's VP anyone???)... Change is coming.. May be a little slow moving, but, it is coming... Thank corporate for this... Kudos cannot go to Meg, Phil, Al and Rasulo.. The 4 Horsemen of the WDW Apocalypse...

[GothMickey]

Goth, I am coining the new phrase for Intercot: DEFENDERS OF MEDIOCRITY lol..

Be my guest. Afterall, I didn't make it up. LOL.

[Imagineer1981]

Really this justifies delay The main show element that was hyped for over a year and is the main focus of the attraction is broken and the hopes that most guests don't notice is justification? I think you are looking at this in the wrong way. Disney should be attempting to give every guest their "A Mode" show not cheaping out with a quick "B Mode" fix on any attraction. Now don't get me wrong I understand that "B Mode" in order to keep an attraction open while problems are solved is definately needed but it is not meant to run in a "B Mode" for almost 2 years. I mean looking at the way you are with guests not noticing things they are also not getting the full WOW! factor of the ride or the parks in general. Instead they are saying yeah Everest was a cool ride but nothing special, I can ride better coasters at 6 Flags. The story is everything on a ride like Everest, the entire experience is building up to your encounter with the fearsome Yeti. Sorry a statue with strobe lights isn't really that impressive. People are missing the Yeti more now in B Mode than they would in A Mode becaus ethere is no forward motion of the AA. The Motion automatically draws your eyes to it.

I agree with GothMickey your post shows exactly why the quality of the parks in general has been on the decline for years. I go ino the cutbacks but really not worth it. Just think about this what if all the Pirates on POTC stopped moving and they added some strobe lights to the ride would it be just as good? Nop-e and they know it! They shutdown the entire attraction if certain figures aren't functioning the main being the auctioneer. They will not open the ride and keep it closed until he is functioning properly. Why should Everest be any different?

I am not at all agreeing with the decision, just trying to give a possible perspective. I also think the should try for A mode all the time. I love Disney so much I get mad when I see gum on IASW

[Lizzy]

Ok, I've been gone from Intercot for a couple years, and haven't been to AK in just as many so someone please help my ignorance.

What is "B" mode? Please describe the difrences than when the ride first opened (because that is the last time I was on it)



If "B" mode is that bad I do hope they get it back to "A" as soon as possible. That used to be one of the things that I appreciated about Disney World in general (compared to going to other Orlando theme parks which are just as close for me) is that nothing stayed broken for very long. It was fixed that day if not by the next morning when the park opened. It's sad to see my favorite place in the world with declining standards.

[GrumpyFan]

The original "A" mode was with the Yeti moving and reaching out to grab at the passing trains. Apparently, more than a year ago, it was discovered, that the foundation on which the Yeti was placed on was being stressed in some way by the Yeti's normal movements. So, the operations/maintenance crew at AK devised a new mode ("B"), where the Yeti would be positioned into a menacing pose, then strobe lights would be used to give the impression of movement and it would not cause any more damage to the foundation.

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

The original "A" mode was with the Yeti moving and reaching out to grab at the passing trains. Apparently, more than a year ago, it was discovered, that the foundation on which the Yeti was placed on was being stressed in some way by the Yeti's normal movements. So, the operations/maintenance crew at AK devised a new mode ("B"), where the Yeti would be positioned into a menacing pose, then strobe lights would be used to give the impression of movement and it would not cause any more damage to the foundation.

Aren't these people supposed to have mechanical engineering degrees and have the ability to foresee this kind of stuff? I'd expect this kind of shoddy work from Airbus, not Disney.

[nicster]

Didn't know it was broke! I keep my eyes closed the whole time!!

[Lizzy]

The original "A" mode was with the Yeti moving and reaching out to grab at the passing trains. Apparently, more than a year ago, it was discovered, that the foundation on which the Yeti was placed on was being stressed in some way by the Yeti's normal movements. So, the operations/maintenance crew at AK devised a new mode ("B"), where the Yeti would be positioned into a menacing pose, then strobe lights would be used to give the impression of movement and it would not cause any more damage to the foundation.

Wow

Thanks for explaining it to me! The whole point of the ride is being "attacked" by the yeti, not a statue! Disney used to be the kings of making you experience things as if they were really happening. EE is not a Carnival Funhouse! I hope they figure out a solution soon to get the Yeti actually moving again.

[WDWdriver]

The "mediocrity" charge is easy to make when viewing the EE situation from a distance. Up close, I'm not seeing any justification for such a label. Everyone associated with the attraction is eager to return the yeti to operation, from the CMs running the ride, to the AK attractions managers, to WDW senior executives, to Joe Rhode and his Imagineering staff.

It might be helpful to re-state the enormity of the problem. The yeti is the largest theme park animatronic figure in the world, standing 22 feet tall and weighing more than 20,000 pounds. It stands on a foundation deep within the mountain, and was created as an integral part of an extremely complex construction project. Did you know that no part of the ride system comes in contact with any part of the mountain? And nowhere does the yeti structure come in contact with either the mountain or the ride. The three components had to be carefully integrated during the construction process.

Yes, the yeti has not been fully operational for a considerable time. There are problems with the foundation and with internal components of the yeti itself. Blame whoever you want to for that. But one can't find yeti replacement parts at Home Depot, and you can't just drive a crane up to the mountain and pluck the yeti out for repairs. Fixing the problem will be nearly as complex as the original construction.

Having said all that, I can reveal that a repair plan is in the works. The attraction will be closed for three days in October. After that the yeti will again be in motion. The arm will swipe at passing trains as before, but the upper body will not lean out as far as it did previously. This will avoid further stress and damage to the foundation, but will still provide a realistic encounter with an "A mode" yeti.

[GrumpyFan]

Aren't these people supposed to have mechanical engineering degrees and have the ability to foresee this kind of stuff? I'd expect this kind of shoddy work from Airbus, not Disney.

It's easy to armchair engineer and criticize, when you don't know all the facts. I don't have a degree in engineering, but from what I've seen and read, these kind of things happen sometimes and simply can't be avoided. I am a software developer, and I've learned that sometimes even the best and most thorough testing doesn't foresee every possible scenario that can arise in the real world. I would imagine they ran every possible test and computer model they had at the time, but it's quite possible that something changed that they didn't anticipate after they installed the Yeti.

Everest was/is a complex project, and with that complexity came new challenges that have never been dealt with. If it can be fixed, I'm sure they will try, if not, then it may just have to wait until a major refurb takes place. Based on some of the reports I've read, the full repair would require partial de-construction of the mountain, which would be quite costly and very time consuming. From the sound of things, they're making an attempt to make some sort of repair that will bring him back in a limited fashion without de-constructing the mountain. I applaud their efforts and hope that they're successful, otherwise, it could mean the end of EE. I know that sounds drastic, and I don't really see it happening, but it has happened before with a Disney attraction, if you're not familiar with it, look up the history of Disneyland's ill-fated Rocket Rods. Another was with WDWs 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. There were reports that the tank that the subs were in was in major dis-repair and would've needed lots of work to repair and this was at least part of the reason why the attraction was removed and the land filled in.

[Lizzy]

Thanks for the info Ron! I hope that all is well for it in October because I am taking my son in November and it is one of his favorite rides!

[disneyorvegas]

It's easy to armchair engineer and criticize, when you don't know all the facts. I don't have a degree in engineering, but from what I've seen and read, these kind of things happen sometimes and simply can't be avoided. I am a software developer, and I've learned that sometimes even the best and most thorough testing doesn't foresee every possible scenario that can arise in the real world. I would imagine they ran every possible test and computer model they had at the time, but it's quite possible that something changed that they didn't anticipate after they installed the Yeti.

Everest was/is a complex project, and with that complexity came new challenges that have never been dealt with. If it can be fixed, I'm sure they will try, if not, then it may just have to wait until a major refurb takes place. Based on some of the reports I've read, the full repair would require partial de-construction of the mountain, which would be quite costly and very time consuming. From the sound of things, they're making an attempt to make some sort of repair that will bring him back in a limited fashion without de-constructing the mountain. I applaud their efforts and hope that they're successful, otherwise, it could mean the end of EE. I know that sounds drastic, and I don't really see it happening, but it has happened before with a Disney attraction, if you're not familiar with it, look up the history of Disneyland's ill-fated Rocket Rods. Another was with WDWs 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. There were reports that the tank that the subs were in was in major dis-repair and would've needed lots of work to repair and this was at least part of the reason why the attraction was removed and the land filled in.

I know things like this are extremely challenging, everybody realizes that, but I am not for one second buying the "these kind of things happen". You're talking about developing a ride with a huge animatronic figure that could imperil the public were it not to function properly. You're talking about a significant design flaw. Animatronics move, duh, yet they couldn't anticipate the stress associated with that movement?? That doesn't bode well for the people passing underneath it. If that's the way this was designed, and missed, then you know what, shore up the foundation and leave it in B Mode so as not to reintroduce a risk that should have been foreseen.

[GrumpyFan]

I know things like this are extremely challenging, everybody realizes that, but I am not for one second buying the "these kind of things happen". You're talking about developing a ride with a huge animatronic figure that could imperil the public were it not to function properly. You're talking about a significant design flaw.

I hate to sound like I'm trying to defend Disney or the Imagineers here, because, I really don't care. What bothers me in this, is people who have no idea what went wrong making assumptions based on very little factual information. You're making an assumption that it was a design flaw, when you don't really know that for fact. It could've been caused by any number of things from a bad mix of concrete, to rebar that failed, to the ground shifting, who knows what else. The point is, very few of us here do know, or would probably understand (myself included), but I'm not going to be so quick to say, "they should've caught this and/or fixed it long ago", because I can admit, I don't have a clue what caused the failure, nor what's required to fix it and prevent it from re-occuring or stressing it to the point of catastrophic failure. I'm just hoping they can and will be able to fix it. And, I'm glad they haven't had to close it for an extended period of time to do so.

[disneyorvegas]

I hate to sound like I'm trying to defend Disney or the Imagineers here, because, I really don't care. What bothers me in this, is people who have no idea what went wrong making assumptions based on very little factual information. You're making an assumption that it was a design flaw, when you don't really know that for fact. It could've been caused by any number of things from a bad mix of concrete, to rebar that failed, to the ground shifting, who knows what else. The point is, very few of us here do know, or would probably understand (myself included), but I'm not going to be so quick to say, "they should've caught this and/or fixed it long ago", because I can admit, I don't have a clue what caused the failure, nor what's required to fix it and prevent it from re-occuring or stressing it to the point of catastrophic failure. I'm just hoping they can and will be able to fix it. And, I'm glad they haven't had to close it for an extended period of time to do so.

I understand where you're coming from, but this is too big for granting Disney the benefit of the doubt. I can guarantee you 99.9% that this does not involve bad concrete or rebar or anything like that, if it did the ride would have to be shut down, no questions asked. That would require a major outside investigation (see: Boston's Big Dig for example). I'll grant them the benefit of the doubt that they dealt with reputable contractors and standard concrete testing occured before it was poured and the rebar was scanned, etc. If it's ground shifting, then it reverts to a design flaw. Anything that heavy should be on a foundation driven deep into the ground and/or to bedrock and definitely designed to withstand ground shifting. IMO it's a design flaw, they did not design for the stressors involved on the foundation or the equipment AND they apparently did not plan the mtn. for the potential neccesity of a big fix. So now they're either hoping they can leave it as is (and people will almost literally look the other way) or they're having an enormously difficult (bordering on impossible) time designing a fix. Of course we would know the problem if only Disney would tell us, but I guess it's always better to keep the masses uninformed.

[WDWdriver]

...Anything that heavy should be on a foundation driven deep into the ground and/or to bedrock and definitely designed to withstand ground shifting.

Not to complicate the issue or anything, but most of Florida doesn't have bedrock. And if you dig too deeply through the limestone you are going to hit water.

Maybe that's part of the problem.

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

Not to complicate the issue or anything, but most of Florida doesn't have bedrock. And if you dig too deeply through the limestone you are going to hit water.

Maybe that's part of the problem.

If that's the case though, then it's not like they just started construction in Florida 2 years ago. They've been working there for some time and should know what they can and cannot do in terms of excavation.

If laying the foundation for the animatronic required deeper drilling than they were capable of going because of the high water table, then it should stand to reason that they SHOULDN'T have built a 20,000 pound animatronic on a shallower foundation merely because they couldn't lay it any deeper.

[disneyorvegas]

Not to complicate the issue or anything, but most of Florida doesn't have bedrock. And if you dig too deeply through the limestone you are going to hit water.

Maybe that's part of the problem.

I thought about that, however, that area was chosen by Walt for a reason and it's possible that it does have foundation friendly ground, especially considering all the construction that was planned for that area. Barring that, they would have likely used the weight of the mountain itself to act as a foundation/stabilizer for the Yeti. They could have spread a large pad and used that for stabilization. I'm sure it's foundation is stable, in fact perhaps that's what developed as the problem, it was so stable that the Yeti did not have a requisite amount of movement available to do what it was required to do and that is why is became inoperable. If you build a bridge you have to figure in sway, you can't make it completely rigid. At any rate, they have a huge problem, literally. At least now I know why at one time during the ride it was so dark you couldn't see anything and then the next time you were almost blinded by strobe lights! Very tricky Disney, good luck trying to fix it.

[antngoof89]

I hate to sound like I'm trying to defend Disney or the Imagineers here, because, I really don't care. What bothers me in this, is people who have no idea what went wrong making assumptions based on very little factual information. You're making an assumption that it was a design flaw, when you don't really know that for fact. It could've been caused by any number of things from a bad mix of concrete, to rebar that failed, to the ground shifting, who knows what else. The point is, very few of us here do know, or would probably understand (myself included), but I'm not going to be so quick to say, "they should've caught this and/or fixed it long ago", because I can admit, I don't have a clue what caused the failure, nor what's required to fix it and prevent it from re-occuring or stressing it to the point of catastrophic failure. I'm just hoping they can and will be able to fix it. And, I'm glad they haven't had to close it for an extended period of time to do so.

I without a doubt agree with that. Disney has been building parks for a few decades and has parks all over the world. I'm sure Disney doesn't even know what caused this problem, hence why it's taking so long to come up with a fix, or perhaps they're waiting until a scheduled refurb of the ride. In due time we'll all learn what it was, until then, why guess?

[GrumpyFan]

I'm sure Disney doesn't even know what caused this problem, hence why it's taking so long to come up with a fix, or perhaps they're waiting until a scheduled refurb of the ride. In due time we'll all learn what it was, until then, why guess?

I disagree. I would be willing to bet, they know what caused the problem. However, fixing it is a whole other issue. Because of the way the mountain is designed, they can't just pull the Yeti out, and then fix the problem.

If it's a foundation issue, I would venture to guess, that the mountain is okay because the weight is spread out over a large area. However, the Yeti, since it's on a separate foundation and resides independently within the mountain, is exerting a whole lot of force onto a much smaller foundation/pad, which may not have been engineered for such force. That's just a guess, but it seems reasonable.

[WDWdriver]

I'm sure Disney doesn't even know what caused this problem, hence why it's taking so long to come up with a fix, or perhaps they're waiting until a scheduled refurb of the ride.

As stated earlier in this thread, the problems have been identified, and a repair plan is in place. The attraction will be closed for three days in October while the yeti is restored to "A mode" operation.