You’re correct about the Summer of ‘07! I was there for my first WDW trip and saw the Yeti in all its glory in early July. I didn’t return until 2010 and by then, he was definitely in B-mode. I really hope they find a solution for this figure someday. It was truly a sight to behold.
I rode it the last week of August 2007. Being a huge fan of animatronics, and this being my first time on a coaster, I am fairly confident that the Yeti was inactive. It definitely would have been the highlight of the ride for me, yet I can still recall the other elements very clearly.
I have ridden Expedition Everest several times - and I STILL had no idea we're not suppose to be on Everest and we're trying to get there. Shows how much I pay attention! [or how poorly they explain that]
I also know when I went for the 50th - the ride was closed for maintenance [I believe that was 21 or 22] so here is hoping whatever they did fixed ...anything lol
@@travisvanalst4698when you KNOW that’s what it means then sure, but being on a massive mount with Everest in the name doesn’t make you stupid if you don’t understand it
@@travisvanalst4698- I’ve never ridden the ride myself, but I just thought the “Expedition” part of the name referred to your journey up Mt. Everest. Had no idea the ride doesn’t actually take place there.
Important to remember that the Yeti hasn't actually run in over a decade. If they want to make it run, they will have to rip it out and replace it with a Yeti that works and won't break, as well as all the modifications to the mountain that would be needed to accommodate that. So in summary, it's never getting fixed.
Yeah it doesn't make sense to fix something that's already broken from the start, but then it doesn't make sense to spend even more money to build another animatronic from the ground up either.
Not to mention Bobby Boy ain’t sparing the money for that, especially not when he can do a retheming of Splash Mountain that nobody wanted to begin with and apparently stir up some poltergeist activity on the demolition site in the process. 😏
@@vayacondios9184 The retheming of Splash Mountain at Disney World apparently had riled up a poltergeist or two since there were contractors who spoke to the press under the condition of anonymity about tools going missing and odd noises happening, not to mention the several accidents that occurred during the partial demolition and renovation work on the ride, none of them being serious thankfully.
@@vayacondios9184 based on the timeline, they’re referencing Bob Iger, the current CEO of Disney, but they could also be referencing Bob Chapek, who was once the head of Disney Parks and Resorts and then the company CEO before being replaced by Iger, who Chapek himself was supposed to replace (corporate drama). Chapek is largely criticized for cost-cutting that caused a drop in quality at the resorts. They are also referring to the retheme of Splash Mountain, a log flume ride based on Song of the South. It is currently being rethemed at both American Disney parks to be about the Princess and the Frog. Song of the South is based on an old, Disney movie you’ve never seen because first, it’s pretty racist (and not just by modern standards. The racism critique of it was well known when the ride was built) and second, and more importantly, it’s extremely bad and boring (I’ve actually seen it). Disney has effectively scrubbed the film from their records for both of these reasons. A lot of people are upset that the Splash Mountain retheme because of nostalgia (which I understand) and because they think it’s Disney giving in to “political correctness” (which I don’t). In reality… Disney probably just want to have one of their most popular rides themed to a property people have heard of for brand synergy and to sell more toys. I apologize if this is a little incoherent and rambly, I’m writing this on my phone, but hopefully that answers your question.
The Yeti will never be fixed. The ride still one of the most popular and highest trafficked rides in the park even with its major finale set piece being broken. As mentioned they would have to close it for over a year and it’s probably not worth it to the park. I wish I could have seen it in its intended operation! For me personally the strobe light is really disorienting and uncomfortable and despite having ridden multiple times over many years, I’ve never felt like I’ve really SEEN the yeti properly. I’d rather just have the lights turned all the way on so I can actually SEE the figure even if it’s not moving.
yes, they forgot to turn on the DISCO MUSIC when the lights come on. One thing I find hillarious, As the cars run by DISCO, the riders wave and yell DISCO YETI, pretty cool for a failed attraction
I think it’s cool that it just stands there. I know audio animatronics are disneys claim to fame but old fashion dummys I think are great too. They give that “classic theme park vibe” imo.
Lol. My wife didn't even see it when it was lit up in b mode. Not surprising it's probably undergoing some sort of maintenance. The ride was completely closed in April of this year.
i remember riding this last time i went to Disney World in 2010 when i was 9 years old… i saw an advertisement for it on the tv in our rental condo and was so excited all day to ride it!! then i had a meltdown about how bad the yeti scared me immediately after getting off 😂 i even remember feeling dread in the waiting queue and thinking “god this yeti is so dangerous look at all this proof of him killing people why is no one else freaking out” 💀
They did an amazing job designing this ride. I’ve only been on it once, but even standing in line was like being in another world. They really killed it with the Himalayan scenery.
They actually went to the Himalayas to determine the design. Many of the items used to decorate the queue were brought back from there and are original.
I remembered watching a documentary on Discovery that focus specifically on this yeti. The planning, the sophisticated technology going on this yeti. It was amazing, they sure boast a lot about it. Then I remember not long after the official opening an article that say the yeti is broken. 😅
Pretty head-shaking how Disney didn’t design repairs in mind in some of its attractions. The showgirls don’t move anymore, and there’s a crack in the Disneyland Haunted Mansion ballroom mirror that can’t be repaired unless they remove the entire mirror. How sad that Disco Yeti will not dance again. Thanks for the video! Seen it at least twice!
I can absolutely confirm that the yeti was in a mode in May 2007, which was my very first visit to Walt Disney World. When I returned for Presidents’ Day weekend in 2008, it was for sure in B mode because I had noticed that the yeti was not moving, and I thought maybe it was just temporarily broken as animatronics tend to have happen from time to time so my guess is that they shut it off sometime after the summer of 2007.
It’s funny to me how as a Floridian, I’m learning more about Disney World from a Brit than I ever did living less than an hour from it. My grandfather even worked there as a painter back in the day. I’ve never heard of these legends like the theft of Buzzy, the abandonment of Discovery Island, and the broken Yeti until I came across this channel. Granted I don’t go there anymore, and don’t talk to a lot of Disney enthusiasts, but still, I just expected to know a little more about it. It’s actually very interesting. The most I heard about was that child that got eaten by the alligator, which all of us rednecks that regularly swim in gator-infested waters have learned to watch out for. I remember as a kid being told to gtfo of the water when my older brother saw a gator go under nearby, that bastard was for sure going right for me. I wouldn’t make a video about that tho lmfao. As tragic as it is, it’s hard not to have a good laugh at a dead child’s expense. RIP little fella… they definitely should’ve had warning signs around the waters of the resort, and those signs should’ve read: “Don’t feed the gators”
this channel is so good because i'll be like "seduce me with your defunct disney wisdom" and it's always so fun, full of information, and just an easy listen.
I don't know about y'all, but I can see potential for a movie based on Expedition Everest. Give it a King Kong/Lost World vibe with ice age animals to go along with the Yeti. And if it's successful, Disney could use the money from the box office to fix the damn ride.
The Yeti is impressive, but Universal built two giant King Kongs in the late 80s and turned a soundstage into a night in New York City and had multiple shark animatronics living in a lagoon, so of course we can be critical of Disney for making an unreliable animatronic and then never fixing it
I got to ride this only a few months after it had opened and I remember that we immediately got right back in line after seeing how awesome the Yeti was. Since the coaster is at the very back corner of the park, not a lot of people had made they're way over to the ride so the line was relatively short. I think we could've ridden it 3 or 4 times within an hour or 2. I was at WDW last month and it was pretty sad to see the disco version especially since the strobing makes you almost miss him in the dark. I feel like they should just have fans blowing his fur and ditch the strobing light.
Regardless, this is still an epic ride. I went on it for the first time in February with one of my friends about 7 times and still remember it very fondly
What gets me is: 1) They say they can't get to it, but it looks like you could cut open the back of the mountain and get to it. Everything's scalable. 2) Disney prides themselves on these new fluid motion animatronics but they can't do the same thing here. They already have the technology, they just don't care. They'll build a half dozen new "lands" but can't fix one animatronic that is the climax of an E-ticket attraction.
I went on this ride with my family in December 2007, when we got off the ride there was a man at the front of the ride who was sat there not getting off. Turned out he lost consciousness due to his heart condition and ended up dying. The ride was closed for the rest of the day and re-opened the day after. I believe there is an article about it somewhere / on wikipedia if anyone would like to verify. Still was one of my favourite rides at Disneyworld overall
I rode it with my grandmother. The ride itself is super cool. It’s one of those rides where you don’t even really feel like you’re waiting for a ride because there’s so much to look at. I went in 2008 and I swear I saw the yeti. But I could be misremembering. I feel like I saw him twice during the ride, him tearing the track an them him reaching out.
I had 3 rides on EE recently and whilst an A-mode Yeti would be very nice, Disco Yeti is perfectly acceptable and as you alluded to, this has pretty much become the norm in peoples' expectations now. EE is still a fantastic coaster with some great theming. Thanks again for another great video.
I'm one of the lucky riders of this ride that actually got to see the yeti animatronic. I don't mind the disco yeti, but if you've seen the difference like I have, you certainly do miss it.
I went to disney world in 2015 and I didn’t go on Everest, but the rest of my family did, and I remember them telling me about how disappointing the Yeti was and how it didn’t even move after our guide book had hyped it up as the most advanced animatronic ever. It left me confused for years, until now! I finally know the lore!
This ride is the most adventurous theme imagination original idea for a ride I've seen and watched on POVs and on theme park channels for a good long time. I'm always fascinated with mountain adventure stories and climbing new heights and mountain sights in general. The Himalayas are just an iconic landmark for real and so was the Mattherhorn mountains and the Alps and of course the Appalachian mountains and the Black hills and the smokey mountains. Basically its a wonderment to just look up at the national landmark and curiosity just fills in the gaps and many things form in your mind. Now make a ride theme about a snowy peak and a violent yeti chasing you everywhere - chef's kiss just brilliant. But anyway in recent years the update the disney company has done is make a bluish light at the end showing the Yeti in full and on top the overpass you travel under to escape him and the mountain. That's always been terrifying, the monster hiding in the dark. Now he is fully seen like the Matterhorn yeti in spots of the ride
was just there for the first time .. ride was great .. after seeing this video it's regrettable the yeti isn't there .. but doesn't take away from the the fun my kids and I had riding it.
Disco was overbuilt, is way too heavy to be on a 45 foot high perch. You dont have to be an engineer to understand that that 45 foot metal perch will move (bend) when Disco swings his heavy arm and body. They are saying they will have to disassemble part of Expedition Everest Mountain to fix or repair Disco Yeti and down time is in the years, not months. My bet is Disco will be dancing until the ride closes. He is too heavy for the perch and will damage any repairs they can make again. Perhaps they can make a lighter version of Disco Yeti, hang him over the track with slight movement, or have the track area dark, black out and when you hear that loud Yeti growl, a light flashes on to find him right above the riders passing under him. Be better than him Discoing on the side lines, might as well have turned him off completely with no lights, out of sight, out of mind. Huge blunder di$ney, and they can't fix it. Dance away Disco.
With modern technology, it would be best to just replace the yeti with one pre-built outside of the mountain. So the only downtime would be removing the old heavy one with the new lighter one. You'd assume it'd be much more complex than that considering it's been like 20 years since this has been an issue, but we've seen in the past how companies take forever to make a simple fix
@@MrE_ -- Disco is trapped on his perch pretty well. I think they installed him when the top of the mountain was not yet built. If this is the case, they have to remove part of the top of the mountain to get Disco OUT of the mountain. Dont know what they were trying to prove putting a heavy piece of machinery in there like that. It could have been lighter and probably still working today. But it is all good for us cause now we have Disco YETI to dance for us But they didnt do a good job with the disco lights either, they seem to be in one spot just flashing. If you want to make it seem like he is moving, they need muliple strobe lights in different positions so when the strobes go off one by one, THEY MAKE THE SHADOWS MOVE SO MOVEMENT LOOKS REAL. is this really di$ney?? They know better than that.
I was able to see the Yeti in full mode early 2007 and then on my next trip to Animal Kingdom, which was January of 2008 I saw the Yeti in what everyone is calling in "Disco Mode" but on that day, I didn't even know about this being broken. I remember looking up as we passed under the Yeti trying to take in any details in the few seconds I got to see it, then thinking to myself "I don't remember this looking like that the last time I was on the ride." and "I don't think this moved at all." with seeing the flashing lights and fans positioned to blow the faux fur to simulate movement. More than 15 years for me.
I think it represents so much of what's going on with Disney now. Used to be great, used to excite, inspire, and surpass expeditions. Now, it's shut off broken features, the incredible engineering and brave design replaced with flashing lights. Soon to be removed entirely and replaced with a screen and projected image. High dollar cost, low rent experience.
They should make a new one, sell off this one or put it in a museum, and then swap them out so that it doesn't take month's to a year to dismantle, repair, and put it back on. It's about to be 2024, Surely they can make a better installment this time.
man, this is actually how i found out THE YETI EVEN EXISTS GDKHEJLWDHIDJO ive only had the pleasure to ride expedition everest once but all this years i thought “hmm they sure have a lot of memorabilia for a character we only see the shadow of on the ride”
I went to disney world for the first time in December of 2008 and this was the ride I was most excited for. I'm almost positive i remember seeing the Yeti move, but it's more likely that it was my child brain and the fog of time.
Probably a false memory, maybe. A few comments say it was in 2007 (the year it was debuted) that it was put into b mode It’s also possible they had the strobe lights in by then and it made it look like it moved
I have never cackled harder than I did at 8:40 - that caught me off guard lmao 😆 On another note, I've ridden this before and had no idea that's actually kind of terrifying that it's so heavy and just there above tons of people. 😧
I went on the ride this past January and honestly I saw it for a split second and with myself shaking and bouncing on the ride I barely saw it and I feel like I wouldn't have even noticed the animatronic move if it did.
I'm glad I saw the Yeti in its full animatronic glory in ~2006. I just rode it returning to WDW after 18 years, now with my kids, and I was a bit bummed by the static strobo-Yeti. Still a super fun ride, one of the best, and my kids loved it nonetheless. But I do remember the OG Yeti experience, and it was truly amazing 🙂
Im glad i got to ride it the first time i ever went to disney a few weeks after everest opened. I was like 10 and that yeti was honestly traumatizing lmao.
At some point in its opening years, either in 2006 or 2007, I got my first rides on Expedition Everest, and I was fortunate enough to ride it when the yeti was working. I wasn’t old enough to appreciate how advanced the animatronic was at the time, but I remember its swinging motion being terrifying. As sad as it is that the yeti hasn’t moved in the last 16 years, it was a sight to behold for its time.
In 2007/08 was in 7th grade when my school took a field trip to animal kingdom and rode everest for the first time, thankfully it was still workong properly. I definitely remember it moving.
I rode the ride in ...2010 ... ish. I think. I don't recall the exact year, but the yeti was not in operation. I don't even recall seeing him. I would think if he's too heavy, they could replace the animatronic with a convincing balloon that would move around just with air.
Honestly, though I’m sure it was really cool to see it move, the strobe effects are really effective in making you think it is moving. I had no idea during my trip in January 2019 until coming home and doing research that it didn’t move.
Yeah. Admittedly I never saw A-mode yeti, but I think it’s just fine. If you don’t know beforehand, you can’t tell anything is wrong. Still one of my favorite rides, disco yeti and all.
You could cover Tomb Raider: The Ride, from Kings Island. It had the same issue that it was so big and powerful that it was shaking itself apparent so they had to renovate the ride!
No excuse for not fixing this during pandemic. And a hundred other things that should have been done. - astonishing incompetence at Disney these days in every division.
I was just thinking that. They were given a long period of time with lower crowd numbers. Either a completely brain dead move, budget issues due to the pandemic, or an MUCH more serious issue then they’ve led on.
I don't know what it is but the concept of a giant yeti animatronic is terrifying to me maybe it's a bit of philasophobia or something I think the main thing is all that matted fur
I 1000% vividly remember that yeti moving when I was like 8 and I was born in 2002, maybe I just had a lucky day? He was definitely moving though. No strobe lights
I think one of the main reasons why they haven't tried to really find a solution is due to the attendance still being amazing despite their main attraction (The Yeti) not working. That's why. Nothing else. Yes, it's a "complex" issue and there are many I'm sure, but come on, you have not only years to find a solution, but you're the same company to spend 40 something billion dollars to buy FOX, but couldn't "spare any change" on a Yeti? Come on... Before the pandemic they had plenty of time AND money to figure it out. However, it might be the best, with how they do not seem to care about maintaining AAs well. Imagine if the Yeti had an Ursula moment and his head popped off and was dangling by wires, or actually fell completely somehow due to the frequent powerful movements. That's a big guy to have an typical AA malfunction.
I was lucky enough to see the Yeti in A mode, in 2001. I saw him again in B mode in 2012. I was really disappointed that he wasn’t working at that time, not realizing that he had been that way for years. I do hope they fix the problem some day, because Everest is my favorite ride in Animal Kingdom.
If it weren’t for the restrictions, preventing construction workers and technicians from working on park projects, and repairs at the pandemic would have been a perfect time to have worked on stuff like that like repairing the yeti
I remember when the ride opened and seeing the moving yeti!!! I was a kid and it sure was scary lol. Sucks it was too big and causing too many issues lol
Personally, if it were up to me, I'd just scarp it, the remote possibility that the giant, multi-ton robot yeti could collapse onto guest would be enough for me to have it go bye bye ._. Also i get scared easily so i want the giant, scary, robot yeti to just... go away... *forever...*
During the part of the ride where you see the yeti, my eyes are usually closed and I have my ears cupped soooo… didn’t even know the yeti was broken HAHA
The documentary I saw on expedition everest had this imaginer talking about the ride It was designed so that everything was independent from each other The mountain has it's structure The yeti had it's structure The track has it's structure They all operate independent of each other He touted this design as a unique process that disney had never done before Unfortunately because it was so new know one was aware that it would be impossible to work as intended because of the mass of the overall structure The yeti was so heavy it required it's own foundation Something that was not taken into account during construction I doesn't work it is never going to work the entire structure needs to completely redone and all tied back into one unit
I went in summer of 2007 (I was 6) and I definitely remember being upset at how lame the expedition Everest ride was, all the hype leading up to it and setting the mood only to get.... disco yeti, I think.... Honestly, I was 6 so my memory of it might not be the best, but I think I may remember flashing lights and generally a lot of effects and Yeti roaring, but I can't distinctly place the Yeti swiping at us! Crazy.
I swear I saw it moving in 2013. People on the ride were freaking out about it and being confused about their reactions. Perhaps it was a mistake? I could be misremembering but I swear I saw his arm swinging above me.
i’ve been on everest twice and both times when you are going backwards on the track i have a painful ass experience feeling all the air in my lungs get sucked out and not in the fun roller coaster way. it’s a fun and quick ride but the mini asthma attack i have isn’t
The footprint discovered by Josh Gates on during Destination Truth?? Now THAT'S an artifact. It's cool to recognize some of the things placed in here but of all things, that's a "real" footprint. "Real" as in it wasn't made for the museum or made for the park, but of course we're yet to understand if the Yeti is a real creature or not. It lays under this mysterious limbo/middleground of real and fake
For car guy pretty much this is the equivalent of building a super powerful car but having a transmission that will shatter like glass if you use it to much
The forced perspective they use on the mountain is pretty incredible. It looks massive compared to its actual size
Yep I was super ready to ride it watched tons of videos on it and when I got there I said hell no it was huge lol
At the park the wait time was low and it didn’t look so bad in videos but when I saw the huge mountain everyone in my family noped.
@aarondiebold same
At least they FINALLY stopped using footage of a functioning Yeti in promotional materials. They were using it well into the 2010s.
You’re correct about the Summer of ‘07! I was there for my first WDW trip and saw the Yeti in all its glory in early July. I didn’t return until 2010 and by then, he was definitely in B-mode. I really hope they find a solution for this figure someday. It was truly a sight to behold.
I like to think someday they will.
I was there in October of '07 and I feel like it was moving then too. I could be misremembering though, it was such a long time ago
@@SerenityLibs I never went there but I remember when I was a kid there was a big hype about the moving Yeti
i went in december of 07 but i never got to go on everest cos i was only 4 years old😭 i’ll ask my parents if they remember the yeti moving or not
I rode it the last week of August 2007. Being a huge fan of animatronics, and this being my first time on a coaster, I am fairly confident that the Yeti was inactive. It definitely would have been the highlight of the ride for me, yet I can still recall the other elements very clearly.
I have ridden Expedition Everest several times - and I STILL had no idea we're not suppose to be on Everest and we're trying to get there. Shows how much I pay attention! [or how poorly they explain that]
I also know when I went for the 50th - the ride was closed for maintenance [I believe that was 21 or 22] so here is hoping whatever they did fixed ...anything lol
I feel like the name itself describes that your on an expedition to it.
@@travisvanalst4698 or an expedition through it
@@travisvanalst4698when you KNOW that’s what it means then sure, but being on a massive mount with Everest in the name doesn’t make you stupid if you don’t understand it
@@travisvanalst4698- I’ve never ridden the ride myself, but I just thought the “Expedition” part of the name referred to your journey up Mt. Everest. Had no idea the ride doesn’t actually take place there.
Important to remember that the Yeti hasn't actually run in over a decade. If they want to make it run, they will have to rip it out and replace it with a Yeti that works and won't break, as well as all the modifications to the mountain that would be needed to accommodate that. So in summary, it's never getting fixed.
Yeah it doesn't make sense to fix something that's already broken from the start, but then it doesn't make sense to spend even more money to build another animatronic from the ground up either.
Not to mention Bobby Boy ain’t sparing the money for that, especially not when he can do a retheming of Splash Mountain that nobody wanted to begin with and apparently stir up some poltergeist activity on the demolition site in the process. 😏
@@Jolis_ParsecI know this is an old comment but what is this referring to?
@@vayacondios9184 The retheming of Splash Mountain at Disney World apparently had riled up a poltergeist or two since there were contractors who spoke to the press under the condition of anonymity about tools going missing and odd noises happening, not to mention the several accidents that occurred during the partial demolition and renovation work on the ride, none of them being serious thankfully.
@@vayacondios9184 based on the timeline, they’re referencing Bob Iger, the current CEO of Disney, but they could also be referencing Bob Chapek, who was once the head of Disney Parks and Resorts and then the company CEO before being replaced by Iger, who Chapek himself was supposed to replace (corporate drama). Chapek is largely criticized for cost-cutting that caused a drop in quality at the resorts.
They are also referring to the retheme of Splash Mountain, a log flume ride based on Song of the South. It is currently being rethemed at both American Disney parks to be about the Princess and the Frog. Song of the South is based on an old, Disney movie you’ve never seen because first, it’s pretty racist (and not just by modern standards. The racism critique of it was well known when the ride was built) and second, and more importantly, it’s extremely bad and boring (I’ve actually seen it). Disney has effectively scrubbed the film from their records for both of these reasons. A lot of people are upset that the Splash Mountain retheme because of nostalgia (which I understand) and because they think it’s Disney giving in to “political correctness” (which I don’t). In reality… Disney probably just want to have one of their most popular rides themed to a property people have heard of for brand synergy and to sell more toys.
I apologize if this is a little incoherent and rambly, I’m writing this on my phone, but hopefully that answers your question.
The Yeti will never be fixed. The ride still one of the most popular and highest trafficked rides in the park even with its major finale set piece being broken. As mentioned they would have to close it for over a year and it’s probably not worth it to the park. I wish I could have seen it in its intended operation! For me personally the strobe light is really disorienting and uncomfortable and despite having ridden multiple times over many years, I’ve never felt like I’ve really SEEN the yeti properly. I’d rather just have the lights turned all the way on so I can actually SEE the figure even if it’s not moving.
yes, they forgot to turn on the DISCO MUSIC when the lights come on. One thing I find hillarious, As the cars run by DISCO, the riders wave and yell DISCO YETI, pretty cool for a failed attraction
I got to see it moving when I was 7 it was sick af!
I think it’s cool that it just stands there. I know audio animatronics are disneys claim to fame but old fashion dummys I think are great too. They give that “classic theme park vibe” imo.
Also, it is still fucking terrifying even if it doesn’t movie!! Seriously, that thing is intimidating as hell
Was just there last week and he wasn’t even lit up, if you didn’t look for him you wouldn’t even know he was there. Kind of sad
Lol. My wife didn't even see it when it was lit up in b mode. Not surprising it's probably undergoing some sort of maintenance. The ride was completely closed in April of this year.
@@vegetaum Yeah, unfortunately for only refurbishments due to the rides age
I haven't seen it the last few times I rode. It's so dark and you go through that spot so quickly I always forget to even look.
i remember riding this last time i went to Disney World in 2010 when i was 9 years old… i saw an advertisement for it on the tv in our rental condo and was so excited all day to ride it!! then i had a meltdown about how bad the yeti scared me immediately after getting off 😂 i even remember feeling dread in the waiting queue and thinking “god this yeti is so dangerous look at all this proof of him killing people why is no one else freaking out” 💀
Its fascinating how illogical kids’ brains are. They can’t easily tell a fake set from a real tragedy
They did an amazing job designing this ride. I’ve only been on it once, but even standing in line was like being in another world. They really killed it with the Himalayan scenery.
They actually went to the Himalayas to determine the design. Many of the items used to decorate the queue were brought back from there and are original.
I remembered watching a documentary on Discovery that focus specifically on this yeti. The planning, the sophisticated technology going on this yeti. It was amazing, they sure boast a lot about it. Then I remember not long after the official opening an article that say the yeti is broken. 😅
😂😂😂😂
The Yeti was not cooperating.
Yeah I was around 10 when it came out. I remember it being a huge deal, and then… yeah. Poor thing broke
Pretty head-shaking how Disney didn’t design repairs in mind in some of its attractions. The showgirls don’t move anymore, and there’s a crack in the Disneyland Haunted Mansion ballroom mirror that can’t be repaired unless they remove the entire mirror. How sad that Disco Yeti will not dance again. Thanks for the video! Seen it at least twice!
I can absolutely confirm that the yeti was in a mode in May 2007, which was my very first visit to Walt Disney World. When I returned for Presidents’ Day weekend in 2008, it was for sure in B mode because I had noticed that the yeti was not moving, and I thought maybe it was just temporarily broken as animatronics tend to have happen from time to time so my guess is that they shut it off sometime after the summer of 2007.
It’s funny to me how as a Floridian, I’m learning more about Disney World from a Brit than I ever did living less than an hour from it. My grandfather even worked there as a painter back in the day. I’ve never heard of these legends like the theft of Buzzy, the abandonment of Discovery Island, and the broken Yeti until I came across this channel. Granted I don’t go there anymore, and don’t talk to a lot of Disney enthusiasts, but still, I just expected to know a little more about it. It’s actually very interesting.
The most I heard about was that child that got eaten by the alligator, which all of us rednecks that regularly swim in gator-infested waters have learned to watch out for. I remember as a kid being told to gtfo of the water when my older brother saw a gator go under nearby, that bastard was for sure going right for me. I wouldn’t make a video about that tho lmfao. As tragic as it is, it’s hard not to have a good laugh at a dead child’s expense. RIP little fella… they definitely should’ve had warning signs around the waters of the resort, and those signs should’ve read: “Don’t feed the gators”
Wait, what part of the kid getting eaten by a gator is funny? I'm not being sanctimonious. I wanna know, Is there a funny part?
this channel is so good because i'll be like "seduce me with your defunct disney wisdom" and it's always so fun, full of information, and just an easy listen.
I don't know about y'all, but I can see potential for a movie based on Expedition Everest. Give it a King Kong/Lost World vibe with ice age animals to go along with the Yeti. And if it's successful, Disney could use the money from the box office to fix the damn ride.
Lmao. The real expedition everest is the expedition to fix the damn ride
You deserve more views my friend
Literally. Gonna say I'm proud to be here before 1M subs.
@@sporadiceel6246 same
When I was younger, I never knew there was an actual yeti. I guess I closed my eyes for disco yeti out of fear. I look for him now though.
The Yeti is impressive, but Universal built two giant King Kongs in the late 80s and turned a soundstage into a night in New York City and had multiple shark animatronics living in a lagoon, so of course we can be critical of Disney for making an unreliable animatronic and then never fixing it
I got to ride this only a few months after it had opened and I remember that we immediately got right back in line after seeing how awesome the Yeti was. Since the coaster is at the very back corner of the park, not a lot of people had made they're way over to the ride so the line was relatively short. I think we could've ridden it 3 or 4 times within an hour or 2. I was at WDW last month and it was pretty sad to see the disco version especially since the strobing makes you almost miss him in the dark. I feel like they should just have fans blowing his fur and ditch the strobing light.
I still can’t believe I got to see A-mode yeti when I was a kid. Something I definitely won’t forget.
Regardless, this is still an epic ride. I went on it for the first time in February with one of my friends about 7 times and still remember it very fondly
What gets me is:
1) They say they can't get to it, but it looks like you could cut open the back of the mountain and get to it. Everything's scalable.
2) Disney prides themselves on these new fluid motion animatronics but they can't do the same thing here.
They already have the technology, they just don't care. They'll build a half dozen new "lands" but can't fix one animatronic that is the climax of an E-ticket attraction.
I went on this ride with my family in December 2007, when we got off the ride there was a man at the front of the ride who was sat there not getting off. Turned out he lost consciousness due to his heart condition and ended up dying. The ride was closed for the rest of the day and re-opened the day after. I believe there is an article about it somewhere / on wikipedia if anyone would like to verify. Still was one of my favourite rides at Disneyworld overall
Oh dear 🙁🙁🙁
I rode it with my grandmother. The ride itself is super cool. It’s one of those rides where you don’t even really feel like you’re waiting for a ride because there’s so much to look at. I went in 2008 and I swear I saw the yeti. But I could be misremembering. I feel like I saw him twice during the ride, him tearing the track an them him reaching out.
I went in 2019 and I swear I saw it too
@@rosykindbunny1313i did went in 2019 and i saw it too i got chills lool
I had 3 rides on EE recently and whilst an A-mode Yeti would be very nice, Disco Yeti is perfectly acceptable and as you alluded to, this has pretty much become the norm in peoples' expectations now. EE is still a fantastic coaster with some great theming. Thanks again for another great video.
This is a really well written and well executed video, I’m surprised it doesn’t have way more attention!
I went summer 2007, I was 11 and it definitely moved. I’ll never forget that animatronic
Great video. I also saw it move in summer 2007, I was 10 and rode it 3-4 times. It moved every time.
I'm one of the lucky riders of this ride that actually got to see the yeti animatronic. I don't mind the disco yeti, but if you've seen the difference like I have, you certainly do miss it.
I went to disney world in 2015 and I didn’t go on Everest, but the rest of my family did, and I remember them telling me about how disappointing the Yeti was and how it didn’t even move after our guide book had hyped it up as the most advanced animatronic ever. It left me confused for years, until now! I finally know the lore!
I was there in 2019 and I got to see it in it’s full glory, so I guess they still switch over to A mode once in a while
I saw it in 2019 too! I thought I was just misremembering!
@@rosykindbunny1313 I’m glad I’m not the only one!
@@Darth_Memus What's crazy is I don't see anything saying they turn it on once in a while. Maybe it's so crazy rare that we got super lucky?
That is incredibly odd
And that’s how… DISCO YETI WAS BORN
One of my fav rides from my first and to date only time at Disney world
2024 and the yeti is still in B mode
I'm glad i saw it in his full glory back in 2007 i was fun ride.
There’s another problem now, let’s say they get the concrete base fixed, the yeti hasn’t moved is 17 years it’s going to be seized up
This ride is the most adventurous theme imagination original idea for a ride I've seen and watched on POVs and on theme park channels for a good long time. I'm always fascinated with mountain adventure stories and climbing new heights and mountain sights in general. The Himalayas are just an iconic landmark for real and so was the Mattherhorn mountains and the Alps and of course the Appalachian mountains and the Black hills and the smokey mountains. Basically its a wonderment to just look up at the national landmark and curiosity just fills in the gaps and many things form in your mind. Now make a ride theme about a snowy peak and a violent yeti chasing you everywhere - chef's kiss just brilliant. But anyway in recent years the update the disney company has done is make a bluish light at the end showing the Yeti in full and on top the overpass you travel under to escape him and the mountain. That's always been terrifying, the monster hiding in the dark. Now he is fully seen like the Matterhorn yeti in spots of the ride
First and only trip to Disney World happened around 2007, part of a highschool trip. Was working then, most impressive part of the trip, honestly.
was just there for the first time .. ride was great .. after seeing this video it's regrettable the yeti isn't there .. but doesn't take away from the the fun my kids and I had riding it.
Disco was overbuilt, is way too heavy to be on a 45 foot high perch.
You dont have to be an engineer to understand that that 45 foot metal perch will move (bend) when Disco swings his heavy arm and body.
They are saying they will have to disassemble part of Expedition Everest Mountain to fix or repair Disco Yeti and down time is in the years, not months.
My bet is Disco will be dancing until the ride closes. He is too heavy for the perch and will damage any repairs they can make again.
Perhaps they can make a lighter version of Disco Yeti, hang him over the track with slight movement, or have the track area dark, black out and when you hear that loud Yeti growl, a light flashes on to find him right above the riders passing under him. Be better than him Discoing on the side lines, might as well have turned him off completely with no lights, out of sight, out of mind. Huge blunder di$ney, and they can't fix it. Dance away Disco.
Unfortunately man it looks like Disney is going to replace him with a screen effect, what a waste of an amazing animatronic truly.
With modern technology, it would be best to just replace the yeti with one pre-built outside of the mountain. So the only downtime would be removing the old heavy one with the new lighter one. You'd assume it'd be much more complex than that considering it's been like 20 years since this has been an issue, but we've seen in the past how companies take forever to make a simple fix
@@MrE_ -- Disco is trapped on his perch pretty well. I think they installed him when the top of the mountain was not yet built. If this is the case, they have to remove part of the top of the mountain to get Disco OUT of the mountain.
Dont know what they were trying to prove putting a heavy piece of machinery in there like that. It could have been lighter and probably still working today. But it is all good for us cause now we have Disco YETI to dance for us
But they didnt do a good job with the disco lights either, they seem to be in one spot just flashing.
If you want to make it seem like he is moving, they need muliple strobe lights in different positions so when the strobes go off one by one, THEY MAKE THE SHADOWS MOVE SO MOVEMENT LOOKS REAL. is this really di$ney?? They know better than that.
I was able to see the Yeti in full mode early 2007 and then on my next trip to Animal Kingdom, which was January of 2008 I saw the Yeti in what everyone is calling in "Disco Mode" but on that day, I didn't even know about this being broken. I remember looking up as we passed under the Yeti trying to take in any details in the few seconds I got to see it, then thinking to myself "I don't remember this looking like that the last time I was on the ride." and "I don't think this moved at all." with seeing the flashing lights and fans positioned to blow the faux fur to simulate movement. More than 15 years for me.
I remember when me and my family went in 2006 went it was opened that year. I’ll never forget seeing the yeti.
I seen the yeti back in 2007isb-2010? I’m 28 now the memories of it still give me chills lol
I think it represents so much of what's going on with Disney now. Used to be great, used to excite, inspire, and surpass expeditions. Now, it's shut off broken features, the incredible engineering and brave design replaced with flashing lights. Soon to be removed entirely and replaced with a screen and projected image.
High dollar cost, low rent experience.
They should make a new one, sell off this one or put it in a museum, and then swap them out so that it doesn't take month's to a year to dismantle, repair, and put it back on. It's about to be 2024, Surely they can make a better installment this time.
I wonder if they'd consider scaled down movement, maybe focusing on the face, to avoid some of the strobing light
this and the buzzy video were great! i'm so happy youtube put these on my feed, and i'm excited to see more from you now too! great work
man, this is actually how i found out THE YETI EVEN EXISTS GDKHEJLWDHIDJO ive only had the pleasure to ride expedition everest once but all this years i thought “hmm they sure have a lot of memorabilia for a character we only see the shadow of on the ride”
I went to disney world for the first time in December of 2008 and this was the ride I was most excited for. I'm almost positive i remember seeing the Yeti move, but it's more likely that it was my child brain and the fog of time.
Probably a false memory, maybe. A few comments say it was in 2007 (the year it was debuted) that it was put into b mode
It’s also possible they had the strobe lights in by then and it made it look like it moved
I have never cackled harder than I did at 8:40 - that caught me off guard lmao 😆
On another note, I've ridden this before and had no idea that's actually kind of terrifying that it's so heavy and just there above tons of people. 😧
I went on the ride this past January and honestly I saw it for a split second and with myself shaking and bouncing on the ride I barely saw it and I feel like I wouldn't have even noticed the animatronic move if it did.
I'm glad I saw the Yeti in its full animatronic glory in ~2006. I just rode it returning to WDW after 18 years, now with my kids, and I was a bit bummed by the static strobo-Yeti. Still a super fun ride, one of the best, and my kids loved it nonetheless. But I do remember the OG Yeti experience, and it was truly amazing 🙂
Im glad i got to ride it the first time i ever went to disney a few weeks after everest opened. I was like 10 and that yeti was honestly traumatizing lmao.
At some point in its opening years, either in 2006 or 2007, I got my first rides on Expedition Everest, and I was fortunate enough to ride it when the yeti was working. I wasn’t old enough to appreciate how advanced the animatronic was at the time, but I remember its swinging motion being terrifying. As sad as it is that the yeti hasn’t moved in the last 16 years, it was a sight to behold for its time.
In 2007/08 was in 7th grade when my school took a field trip to animal kingdom and rode everest for the first time, thankfully it was still workong properly. I definitely remember it moving.
I rode the ride in ...2010 ... ish. I think. I don't recall the exact year, but the yeti was not in operation. I don't even recall seeing him. I would think if he's too heavy, they could replace the animatronic with a convincing balloon that would move around just with air.
Honestly, though I’m sure it was really cool to see it move, the strobe effects are really effective in making you think it is moving. I had no idea during my trip in January 2019 until coming home and doing research that it didn’t move.
Yeah. Admittedly I never saw A-mode yeti, but I think it’s just fine. If you don’t know beforehand, you can’t tell anything is wrong. Still one of my favorite rides, disco yeti and all.
You could cover Tomb Raider: The Ride, from Kings Island. It had the same issue that it was so big and powerful that it was shaking itself apparent so they had to renovate the ride!
Yess I would love it if people talked about this more
As someone commented on another video, if Disney didn't attempt to fix this during the Lockdown then they never will..
No excuse for not fixing this during pandemic. And a hundred other things that should have been done. - astonishing incompetence at Disney these days in every division.
I was just thinking that. They were given a long period of time with lower crowd numbers. Either a completely brain dead move, budget issues due to the pandemic, or an MUCH more serious issue then they’ve led on.
Blame Iger
I think it’s a much more serious issue than what was let on. I don’t think it was completely incompetence.
I went to Disney right after the pandemic ended. Almost every ride I went on, aside from expedition everest had technical issues.
Diversity hiring
The last few times I went on the ride that part was so dark and quick I don't even remember seeing disco Yeti.
I love your content dude
You deserve so many views
I’m glad I got to see it’s full effect in 2006 after it’s inception. Such an amazing ride. Miss those days of wonder
I don't know what it is but the concept of a giant yeti animatronic is terrifying to me maybe it's a bit of philasophobia or something I think the main thing is all that matted fur
I think it would be pretty cool if scp 1529 was just chilling up there with the yeti
"And then they came along and fixed it, right?"
>Zoom in on Joe Rohde's face
I 1000% vividly remember that yeti moving when I was like 8 and I was born in 2002, maybe I just had a lucky day? He was definitely moving though. No strobe lights
i thought yall were exaggerating disco yeti until i learned its been broken for like SIXTEEN YEARS???
dang yeah, that does put it into perspective a bit
I think one of the main reasons why they haven't tried to really find a solution is due to the attendance still being amazing despite their main attraction (The Yeti) not working. That's why. Nothing else. Yes, it's a "complex" issue and there are many I'm sure, but come on, you have not only years to find a solution, but you're the same company to spend 40 something billion dollars to buy FOX, but couldn't "spare any change" on a Yeti? Come on... Before the pandemic they had plenty of time AND money to figure it out. However, it might be the best, with how they do not seem to care about maintaining AAs well. Imagine if the Yeti had an Ursula moment and his head popped off and was dangling by wires, or actually fell completely somehow due to the frequent powerful movements. That's a big guy to have an typical AA malfunction.
I was lucky enough to see the Yeti in A mode, in 2001. I saw him again in B mode in 2012. I was really disappointed that he wasn’t working at that time, not realizing that he had been that way for years. I do hope they fix the problem some day, because Everest is my favorite ride in Animal Kingdom.
What's this A and B mode mean?
@@Chris-vp1vs A mode the Yeti will move and swipe at you. Swing around on the beams. B mode he doesn’t move at all. He’s stationary.
@@siobahnhurley85 thanks
If it weren’t for the restrictions, preventing construction workers and technicians from working on park projects, and repairs at the pandemic would have been a perfect time to have worked on stuff like that like repairing the yeti
I remember when the ride opened and seeing the moving yeti!!! I was a kid and it sure was scary lol. Sucks it was too big and causing too many issues lol
I remember seeing that dragon in the sign and my hopes got So High
I'd remove The Yeti and put him somewhere that provides a more stable base.
Pretty pathetic that the Yeti was never properly repaired.
I would recommend riding this ride first, you never know when is going to be damage or out of service.
They cut the asteroid part out of the dinosaurs version of the ride. Not that lowered the intensity-by that much it was still pretty Dan scary.
I’ve never been to Disney world I could never afford it but it looks amazing, the Everest mountain is incredible looking
The Everest ride was ALOT of fun.
Personally, if it were up to me, I'd just scarp it, the remote possibility that the giant, multi-ton robot yeti could collapse onto guest would be enough for me to have it go bye bye ._.
Also i get scared easily so i want the giant, scary, robot yeti to just... go away... *forever...*
During the part of the ride where you see the yeti, my eyes are usually closed and I have my ears cupped soooo… didn’t even know the yeti was broken HAHA
I have a nickname for this yeti Florida Harold
I rode Expedition Everest in May 2007 when I was 15, and he was in A mode at that time.
flashing warning 6:32
I rode this in i wanna say 06 before it actually opened and was finished. Haven’t been back since
Meanwhile in Universal Studios Beijing they have a full body Indo rex that chases down your car in the Jurrasic Park ride 😂
The documentary I saw on expedition everest had this imaginer talking about the ride
It was designed so that everything was independent from each other
The mountain has it's structure
The yeti had it's structure
The track has it's structure
They all operate independent of each other
He touted this design as a unique process that disney had never done before
Unfortunately because it was so new know one was aware that it would be impossible to work as intended because of the mass of the overall structure
The yeti was so heavy it required it's own foundation
Something that was not taken into account during construction
I doesn't work it is never going to work the entire structure needs to completely redone and all tied back into one unit
this yeti has been in B mode for almost my entire life.
That’s so freaking cool
In Feb 2007 it was moving in A mode. I was 16 and remember pretty vividly a
Disney could just genetically engineer an actual massive yeti monster. More cost effective i’m sure.
Idc if they have to shut down the ride for 1+ years but they need to fix it
Nah bro we want disco yeti
I went in summer of 2007 (I was 6) and I definitely remember being upset at how lame the expedition Everest ride was, all the hype leading up to it and setting the mood only to get.... disco yeti, I think.... Honestly, I was 6 so my memory of it might not be the best, but I think I may remember flashing lights and generally a lot of effects and Yeti roaring, but I can't distinctly place the Yeti swiping at us! Crazy.
I sat in front most front row, and back most back row. And I didn't even see the yeti. And I was looking for it lol
I swear I saw it moving in 2013. People on the ride were freaking out about it and being confused about their reactions. Perhaps it was a mistake? I could be misremembering but I swear I saw his arm swinging above me.
i’ve been on everest twice and both times when you are going backwards on the track i have a painful ass experience feeling all the air in my lungs get sucked out and not in the fun roller coaster way. it’s a fun and quick ride but the mini asthma attack i have isn’t
The footprint discovered by Josh Gates on during Destination Truth?? Now THAT'S an artifact. It's cool to recognize some of the things placed in here but of all things, that's a "real" footprint.
"Real" as in it wasn't made for the museum or made for the park, but of course we're yet to understand if the Yeti is a real creature or not. It lays under this mysterious limbo/middleground of real and fake
I’m pretty sure we fully understand a Yeti is not a thing
@10:28 come on man... how do you miss 'as of yeti'?
Wasnt there similiar issues with the yeti in the matterhorn at the Anaheim California park? I thought it was broken too...
For car guy pretty much this is the equivalent of building a super powerful car but having a transmission that will shatter like glass if you use it to much