Check out Jackie's vlogs at th-cam.com/users/SuperEnthusedfeatured and tell her I sent ya! Keep an eye out for me in them also. Follow me on Instagram at instagram.com/expeditionthemepark for behind the scenes looks and more. Do you think the Disco Yeti needs fixing? Let me know! I also know that the switch track on Everest cost more than the whole of 13 at Towers. I just wanted to show that clip 😁
@@ExpeditionThemePark I could tell you we’re struggling to not burst out laughing! Unfortunately, while you succeeded, I wasn’t so lucky! That “get your head in the game” just broke me!🤣🤣🤣
Honestly, thinking about it after *really* meeting the Society with Tokyo DisneySea, it's weird that this ride ISN'T connected to that metaplot... Bob would fit in very well with Mr. Hightower.
They *do* have them... just in the Asian parks overseas. It's incredibly frustrating because it feels like all of the overseas Disney Parks get these amazing non-IP rides (although their IP rides are pretty baller too, because they actually do something new and different with them), meanwhile we get stuck with all the IP attractions in the states because that's what Americans want, and Disney Park fans have histrionic meltdowns if even one *small* inconsequential thing is changed on their favorite rides, which sets off a torrent of entitled tears and blubbering about "r*ping/ruining my childhood". So, and nobody likes to hear this, we have no one to blame but our fellow fans for not getting anything new and different in the parks, because any time something is rumored, the cycle of petulant whining begins anew.
Expedition Everest stands as a testament to the idea that well thought-out attractions are what bring people in, not IP. A project that is creatively ambitious, marketed properly, is just as enticing, if not more so, than sticking a "brand" into a park wherever one might feel like. Everest stands as a sad reminder of the creativity allowed to flourish under the Eisner era (despite a lot of obvious problems like DCA though) and makes me wish that the company took that direction again. What makes the parks "Disney" to me, is the signature level of creativity and thought that used to go into their attractions. Iger and Chapek don't understand that the Disney signature is quality, and not cartoons.
To be fair, IP attractions have been around since the beginning of Disneyland when Walt was around. We just didn’t have that *many* IP attractions - there’s nothing wrong with an IP attraction, its creativity is still there.
@osofilms1319 The problem is, when was the last time they've done something original? Epcot has been infamously plagued with random IP rides that don't fit the park recently, and many classic rides have been replaced with just IP stuff, like Splash Mountain and, most recently, Dinosaur. IP rides aren't inherently an issue, Universal is basically just that, and it's great, but all of Disney's most iconic and best rides are not IP based and original, like journey into imagination, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, and Splash Mountain, but we haven't had anything like that in such a long time
I was a CP in 2005 and in 2006. I watched the Forbidden Mountain being built and was fortunate to experience it before the Yeti discovered disco. Even with the Yeti not moving like before it's still a wonderfully themed, storied, and well built attaction that's fun to ride and experience.
It’s because it’s very very difficult to reach the other side of the track to clean them off. And when it’s cheer season, they think it’s good luck to fling the hair ties onto the mountain and tie their ribbons to scenic elements in the line. And then it builds up and regular guests think it’s funny and they add their own hair tie. And it builds up. 😭
If it makes you feel any better Pandora sort of became what Beastly Kingdom was suppose to be. A flying roller coaster on a winged animal and a boat ride through a forest with mythical creatures.
Watching the yeti in the preview videos is honestly awe-inspiring. It's so large and well-animated that it looks like CG. What a shame that one of the coolest engineering marvels ever is in such a state.
Well at least someday they do want to work on this ride to fix the yeti, it’ll probably be awhile but once it’s done I think Disney won’t regret that decision to finally show off their best animatronic again
I’ve never been to Disney world, but I always assumed the mountain in this ride is Mount Everest because of the ride’s name. I guess it’s kind of like when people call Link Zelda.
Don't blame Joe. Blame Disney for not committing to fixing it. Just like any big company, the employees can only do what they've been given budget and approval to do.
It deserves to be fixed! I admit it probably never will due to the cost and massive undertaking, especially without Joe. But it is the saddest thing to see something so spectacular go to waste. It's like the difference between meeting your favorite movie star in person or seeing their likeness at a wax museum.
This became a true learning experience for Disney. Any other animatronic figure they have made after this has been able to be, either completely removed from it's station when it requires maintenance, or have some kind of reliable B mode to fill in while the animatronic is out of commission. Good example here is the figure of the Navi priestess in the Navi River Journey. If her animatronic is malfunctioning, she is removed and a screen projection of her goes up instead.
Ever see the irony in that both this and the Matterhorn are cases in which, despite being decades apart in technology, in order to fix a significant problem each have (the yeti here and the rough old track in the Matterhorn), they would have to effectively demolish them and rebuild them since they’re problematic elements are built into their support structures?
They legit have a term for it, in the context of the Imagineers - “blue sky (dreaming)” as in that phase of a project with no constraints, budgetary or otherwise, just imagination. It’s interesting to learn about some of the original plans for....a lot of things tbh. Even down to costumes, which is where I learned this tidbit lol
@@cyberleaderandy1 back of the Morocco pavilion in EPCOT. It was causing a lot of people to go back there for a photo of what was pretty clearly a cock and balls. The removal has made that area empty again. You can escape a packed park and have lunch in peace back there once again. A fair trade, given that it’s a park for families.
I remember besides Alien Encounter this was the only other attraction that made me nervous. Was a great ride though, the part where the track was ripped apart and you go backwards really surprised me.
I mean... that’s not exactly a fair comparison considering they would probably need to work in hazmat suits to prevent an outbreak among the workers stuck in such tight constraints.
It can’t be fixed. That big of an animatronic moving all day everyday is way too dangerous. Metal fatigue will cause it to collapse in no time. That’s the real reason they shut it down. They never had the intention to keep it running. It was just bait to draw in the gullible. It’s typical for Disney.
I’m not sure why you think they closed down during 2020... it’s not like they could have a full crew out there fixing it just because the park was closed.... lol
@@metropod i don't think the animatronic would require more than 2 or 3 guys to work on it at a time. Any more than that you're just making things more difficult on the workers.
We were visiting Disney at the end of March/beginning of April 2006, and visited Animal Kingdom on the 1st, fully expecting to not be able to ride it because it wasn't publicly open yet. But we got to ride it. And ride it again. And again. The crowds were low, the queue was empty, and I got to see the glory of the Yeti in A-mode 12 times that day. It truly was a sight to behold. We visited again in '08, and if you never got to see A-mode, B-mode might fool you into thinking it's moving, but it's a far cry from that lumbering monstrosity taking a swing at you as you swoosh past. Great video Sam!
Lucky Floridian here. I saw the Yeti in A mode. It was impressive, and yes, it feels like he swipes inches above your head.. I have been back over the years. although the Yeti is in perpetual disco mode, the theming of the entire EE experience is in my opinion second to none. The queue is one of my favorites. So much detail packed in there. Photos of the missing crew, artifacts architecture etc. Animal Kingdom is very underrated
It’s because Magic Kingdom just gets more visitors than Animal due to more “kids” rides. It’s definitely very underrated (and EE is top 2 rollercoasters in Disney in my heart) but the rest of the kingdom is just slow rides and giant zoos (which i do like) but younger kids definitely prefer Magic.
i was so happy to yell disco yeti when i went in 2018, i had finally gotten to ride this since the last time i went was 2004 when it was being built. was such a great ride
Scrolling through comments and I find a friend! God, I remember you sharing so much about that Disney trip, it doesn't even seem like it was that long ago!
@@ExpeditionThemePark Animatronics have gotten better, did you see any of the gigantic ones from Dinosaurs Alive at the cedar fair parks before hey left? If it's going to be that pivotal to the ride they can maintain it.
The indominus rex animatronic isn't attached to the foundation of the attraction.....Its really not the same thing, fixing the Yeti would require tearing down a significant chunk of the mountain itself because its attached to the foundation.....The did recently try something thinking it might fix the problem and when they tested it the hip of the Yeti broke
I was fortunate enough to ride it when the Yeti was still in A mode. It was amazing to see it really move even though you pass by it so quickly. I am not a fan of disco Yeti. I don’t really like strobe lights being used unless I’m at a rave, lol 😂. It’s past time for Disney to come up with either how to fix it or maybe replace it with another one that maybe isn’t as large. To me it feels like Disney is at a point where they feel comfortable enough just to keep status quo. They think that being Disney is what will keep people coming back no matter what they do or do not do. Universal Studios on the other hand is really stepping up their game. They’re putting it all out there. They start a project and finish it. Just in the past couple years they put in Hagrid‘s and now Velocicoaster. These coasters are offering something different than what that area in Florida has ever had to offer. I think the building of the second roller coaster started after Disney began construction on Tron. Universal Is now finished and people are starting to ride this new ride and Disney still doesn’t have a completion date for Tron. DisneyWorld is having a 50th anniversary in October with basically the only thing to show will be new paint on the rides and some plastic bunting on the castle and a new parade. Tron was supposed to be open for the 50th and I know there were other things planned. I realize the pandemic hit but Universal didn’t let that stop them. The Yeti still being broken is just another example of the lack of care and concern they have for their parks. I know some say, they put in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. You mean they put in Star Wars mall. That area feels like a shopping center. There is an absolutely amazing attraction there but that land feels like a mall. World of Pandora Is absolutely beautiful but the river ride is a shell of what that ride was supposed to be. It was supposed to be absolutely amazing instead we got OK. The other ride ain the land of course is fun and amazing but even that was not supposed to be the main attraction of Pandora. There was supposed to be another ride put in but of course Disney stopped that. Even Galaxy’s Edge is not what originally was supposed to be. It’s a good thing Disney lost Harry Potter to Universal because Disney would’ve never done it justice. Galaxies edge was also supposed to be interactive. Even right as the land was opening you can go back and look at promotion videos and read articles and such that tell you about how you were going be able to go into the land and interact with these different apps and do this and that and none of that is available. The credits that you earn on the Millennium Falcon were even going to be part of your interaction of what you could do there but that went by the wayside. If they would’ve had to put together the Wizarding World and wands and spells it would’ve never happened. Thank goodness it will be Universal Studios bringing Nintendo World into existence in Orlando.
I don't think it's a matter of math as much as it is a real-world engineering failure. The design of everything worked out just as planned, but the animatronic Yeti failed to work as they planned it. Unfortunately, these kinds of failures sometimes occur and they just can't be foreseen until they do.
@@rondadams 1) The Yeti didn't "fail", it was everything around it that wasn't properly reinforced to account for its movements. After all, they had plenty of time to test the animatronic in the Imagineering labs before actually installing it. 2) Said structural instability was caused by a glitch in Disney's modelling/engineering program, something that would've been caught if someone had double checked the math by hand.
Rode Everest for the first time when I was 9 years old and I can still remember seeing the yeti in A-mode today at age 23. Even though he’s been stuck in B-mode for the last 15 years, this is still easily one of the top 10 best rides at Disney World. Great video, man!
The pre opening promotional videos were epic. Do you remember the game that you could play any home before it opened? Another fantastic video as always Sam, thank you
I was lucky enough to have been on the ride when they were testing/previewing it in January 2006. I don't scary easily at all but I do recall it gave me a bit of a start since I didn't expect it to come so close... actually I'm not sure I even expected there to be any animatronics on the ride at all.
I remember as a young boy, getting to see the Yeti in actual motion and how terrified it made me. I went back maybe 5 yeara ago and was so disappointed.
Great job on this video, as always ! Thank you for once again delivering with an informative, entertaining, high quality video. It really is a blessing for us coasters and theme parks enthusiasts
Oh my gosh! The nahtazu commercial. I remember that commercial, and child me legit thought it was some real word that meant adventure or something. The pun went right over my head. Dang it, Disney! 😂
I rode this for the very first time a few months ago! I can say for my experience, the B-mode Disco Yeti doesn’t detract anything from the ride or experience in general! We already are going super fast anyway, and all the effects already give the big dude some life in my opinion! And while I hope one day the Yeti will be able to move once more, I don’t plan on skipping this ride anytime soon! Whenever I visit Animal Kingdom again, I will make sure to ride Expedition Everest, and make it a personal must-do attraction every time I go there!
I was lucky enough to get to ride it before it opened due to my dad working at the call center in Tampa. It was really amazing! And such a shame that the Yeti has not been restored to his glory of that day.
I’ve been really enjoying this channel for a while now and only recently started watching the superenthused channel which is awesome by the way. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that both creators were making appearances in the same videos, it was like seeing a familiar face when you were visiting another country! Thanks for the great content as usual.
DAK is Joe's baby, he carried the park All those High School Musical puns...you may not be the King of England but you ARE the King of Puns. I'm glad Disco Yeti was able to have some alone time while the park was closed. A yeti needs a break too.
I wish one day they made a good movie adaptation of the mount everest ride, possibly close it down to work on repairs, and then open it the same day as the movie opening as this huge massive return
This ride is a staple of my childhood I remember when it opened it is what inspired my love of the outdoors and adventure I was 5 when it opened and I still remember it at 20
This used to be my favorite Disney ride ever. I can't do strobe lights though and so I haven't been able to go on it in years. It absolutely breaks my heart.
Late to watching this but I appreciate all of the clips and research done for this. Such a neat watch and I enjoyed the never-ending High School Musical puns.
I don't think the family friendly Disney Corporation would dare do that in our ultra PC world I think they'd call it "The Nongenderspecific-alayas" lol
One day they will have to referb, the ride like they did with Thunder Mountain. They will have to take out the track and replace it. When they do that it will be the opportunity to fix the yeti. I am surprised they didn't work on it when Pandora was opened. Drawing people away to another attraction.
Great video with lots of details I haven't heard before. It's really sad that all the work that went into the incredible design of the attraction was ruined by the failure of the animatronic. I think I speak for many Disney fans when I say we would love to see the Yeti restored to its full glory or something similar, but after so many years and now the Joe is gone, none of us expect it.
I've been on this ride twice and both times missed seeing the Yeti. The first time was when I was little I don't remember how young I was, but my eyes were shut because I was scared of the dark, the second time was recent and I didn't look fast enough to see it. Also RIP Dinoland even though I didn't like it very much and only got to ride Primieval Whirl once on my first visit.
Disco Yeti was someones mad dream. He is too big, he is too heavy, the hydralics are too powerful. All that power throwing 20,000 lbs of dead weight on a 40 foot high perch has too much flex which is causing all the problems at the base. I have since heard there is something awry with Disco himself. And they said it was also expensive to fix. I don't know much about the latter, but I am pretty sure there is absolutely no cheap way to ever get Disco to leave the Disco area and start jumping at guests again with a growl. They will have to totally remanufacture the Disco Yeti perch all the way down to the concrete in the basement floor, and even then will it hold? Disco is 20,000 lbs being thrown about by the hydraulics. They would have to create a new tower to hopefully support Disco and his movements. Remember, Diso's perch does not touch any part of the building structure so it is supported all on it's own. Even if di$ney was not dead finacially, it does not seem possible that they will shut down that ride for a year or two in order to rebuild the perch tower for THIS disco yeti. As we have seen with other attractions, di$ney will shut down or remove items in an attraction rather than fix them, and reviving Disco would be like recreating from scratch and that includes costs, so don't expect Disco to stop Discoing, ever. SO........... as you are flying in the coaster car, up the hill and the disco lights start to flash, YELL OUT "DISCO YETI" and wave.
I mean we always watch your videos, they are amazing, but this one we had to comment because it is incredible!!! What an amazing way to honor Joe Rode for his impact in our Disney fan life. 🥰🥰🥰 Great, great, great video!!!
No joke I was all excited to see Disco Yeti for the first time when I went to WDW this spring break and I couldn’t even get a glimpse of him. Not sure if they had the strobe off even that day, or if I was just completely oblivious. 🤷🏼♀️
I was never able to see the yeti in full operation, but I still love Expedition Everest. On both of my visits to WDW we went to Animal Kingdom on the first day and I hit Expedition Everest early, so I've come to think of this coaster as the proper kickoff to a Disney visit.
I don’t like rollercoasters (or rather sudden drops), but I managed to push myself to go onto EE when I went with friends just after college. Still have my on ride photo and frame. I do love the detail in the queue.
Expedition Everest is prob my favourite attraction overall, worldwide, it's got such a good balance of thrills, journey, story, details, and fun! I agree that Disco Yeti is actually, honestly, not a big problem. It's certainly a shame but the massive problems to fix it would improve the overall experience by like 2%! Maybe when the ride hits closer to 20 years it'll go down for a significant overhaul and they'll take that opportunity to fix the yeti - it'd certainly get the headlines for its anniversary, grand re-opening etc!
This is absolute my favorite rollercoaster of all time. I used a fast pass so didn’t get any of the story and had no idea what to expect. DEFINITELY didn’t know there was a reverse section. Best experience ever.
Love this ride so much. Definitely my favourite Disney coaster. Wish they would do more of these non ip rides, they are alot better than most of the IP rides imo.
Wow thank you for all this information! One of my favorite rides that I love learning more about. Great video plus that high school musical moment made it better!
I was lucky enough to have ridden the ride with all of the original effects. The only one I can't remember is the train coming in with smoke around it, but I do remember coming to the top of the chain hill and there being smoke there, and then of course the Yeti moving I was in shock, it genuinely did feel like it was going to grab you. Though I was only 11 at the time I was fascinated with the ride, and do wish everyone could have seen it in all its glory, I wish Disney would fix all these effects rather then just turning them off like they've done with many rides in the past.
Ahhh! That's crazy!!! I didn't realize The Yeti in A mode only worked for such a short time! I rode it with my 81 year old grandfather (that's how old he was when we rode it together!). We rode it in A mode... Now my grandfather was a former marine and EVEN he was scared! It was soooo incredible! I have never jumped so much on a roller coaster I loved it! I literally hid behind him on the ride and then wrenched my neck 😂. It was such an incredible effect and it felt like the Yeti was really coming at you and could actually touch you! And now riding it since then everytime is so boring :/ it doesn't have the same effect at all.
I don’t know how I missed a few weeks of your vids but TH-cam hasn’t been showing them in my recommended as they usually do. I’m about to catch up on the last few!
i went on this a few months after it opened when the yeti was still working. after a few more trips, my family and i were like “i thought the yeti used to move?” long story short, we discovered “disco yeti” and the rest is history.
*Fun Disney Insider Fact:* the cast members working at the Animal Kingdom Lodge won't say JAMBO! like they do in the parks. They will say "dumela" which loosely means welcome home. The reason for this was due to a cast member yelling JAMBOO to an overweight lady in the gift shop and she was horribly offended thinking this was directed towards her weight. Hilarious. (I used to work at DAKL)
Check out Jackie's vlogs at th-cam.com/users/SuperEnthusedfeatured and tell her I sent ya! Keep an eye out for me in them also. Follow me on Instagram at instagram.com/expeditionthemepark for behind the scenes looks and more.
Do you think the Disco Yeti needs fixing? Let me know!
I also know that the switch track on Everest cost more than the whole of 13 at Towers. I just wanted to show that clip 😁
Ok cool 👌
can the next Expedition be on the defunct DisneyQuest at Disney Springs?
Can you imagine what animatronics are going to look like in 5 years? Go look at Boston Dynamics Dancing robots....
Love this,🤘💓
Can you do big thunder mountain next
I definitely wasn’t expecting that many High School Musical puns in an Expedition Everest video
haha you and me both...
@@ExpeditionThemePark
I could tell you we’re struggling to not burst out laughing! Unfortunately, while you succeeded, I wasn’t so lucky! That “get your head in the game” just broke me!🤣🤣🤣
I wish Disney would make more rides based on the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. It's the perfect setup for so many different styles of theming.
True!
@@ExpeditionThemePark i also wish they had an lore reason why the disney parks are there. Like they have with the Efteling
And movie-making! (wink!) =)
Honestly, thinking about it after *really* meeting the Society with Tokyo DisneySea, it's weird that this ride ISN'T connected to that metaplot... Bob would fit in very well with Mr. Hightower.
They *do* have them... just in the Asian parks overseas. It's incredibly frustrating because it feels like all of the overseas Disney Parks get these amazing non-IP rides (although their IP rides are pretty baller too, because they actually do something new and different with them), meanwhile we get stuck with all the IP attractions in the states because that's what Americans want, and Disney Park fans have histrionic meltdowns if even one *small* inconsequential thing is changed on their favorite rides, which sets off a torrent of entitled tears and blubbering about "r*ping/ruining my childhood". So, and nobody likes to hear this, we have no one to blame but our fellow fans for not getting anything new and different in the parks, because any time something is rumored, the cycle of petulant whining begins anew.
Expedition Everest stands as a testament to the idea that well thought-out attractions are what bring people in, not IP. A project that is creatively ambitious, marketed properly, is just as enticing, if not more so, than sticking a "brand" into a park wherever one might feel like. Everest stands as a sad reminder of the creativity allowed to flourish under the Eisner era (despite a lot of obvious problems like DCA though) and makes me wish that the company took that direction again. What makes the parks "Disney" to me, is the signature level of creativity and thought that used to go into their attractions. Iger and Chapek don't understand that the Disney signature is quality, and not cartoons.
To be fair, IP attractions have been around since the beginning of Disneyland when Walt was around. We just didn’t have that *many* IP attractions - there’s nothing wrong with an IP attraction, its creativity is still there.
@osofilms1319 The problem is, when was the last time they've done something original? Epcot has been infamously plagued with random IP rides that don't fit the park recently, and many classic rides have been replaced with just IP stuff, like Splash Mountain and, most recently, Dinosaur. IP rides aren't inherently an issue, Universal is basically just that, and it's great, but all of Disney's most iconic and best rides are not IP based and original, like journey into imagination, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, and Splash Mountain, but we haven't had anything like that in such a long time
I was a CP in 2005 and in 2006. I watched the Forbidden Mountain being built and was fortunate to experience it before the Yeti discovered disco. Even with the Yeti not moving like before it's still a wonderfully themed, storied, and well built attaction that's fun to ride and experience.
Agreed!
been 15 years since a non ip based attraction opened at disney world..... damn :(
It has sadly
@John Madden It pretty much means it's an original idea. Not based off of a movie etc....
Arguably, Disney seems to do some of their best work with non-ip based attractions.
And even longer since for Disneyland!? (California)
"surrounded by hair ties". no joke, the amount of scrunchies there is absurd
Right?!
it's hairband mountain!!
You ain't wrong
It’s because it’s very very difficult to reach the other side of the track to clean them off. And when it’s cheer season, they think it’s good luck to fling the hair ties onto the mountain and tie their ribbons to scenic elements in the line. And then it builds up and regular guests think it’s funny and they add their own hair tie. And it builds up. 😭
You had me at, Expedition... Expedition Everest
Haha righttt
Anyone else bitter about Beastly Kingdom being scrapped?
Well at least it somewhat made it over to Islands of adventure. As the Lost Continent and Merlinwood
@@Shockzone1495 Until Merlinwood was replaced and Lost Continent became basically Restaurants Only (Mythos is supposedly awesome but)
@@erikottosen6797 I mean if they had a choice to bring back the beastly Kingdom. they should put it over to epic universe.
If it makes you feel any better Pandora sort of became what Beastly Kingdom was suppose to be. A flying roller coaster on a winged animal and a boat ride through a forest with mythical creatures.
@@hasthehighground8560Maybe... still think Avatar is an overrated movie though.
Watching the yeti in the preview videos is honestly awe-inspiring. It's so large and well-animated that it looks like CG. What a shame that one of the coolest engineering marvels ever is in such a state.
It is very very impressive
I never went on that ride when it first came out because the commercial made that yeti so scary to me. :P
Well at least someday they do want to work on this ride to fix the yeti, it’ll probably be awhile but once it’s done I think Disney won’t regret that decision to finally show off their best animatronic again
“You were rubbish but I still miss you”
Iconic
Bring it back!
So true
Hey look they made a ride about the channel logo.
Hahaha exactly
I’ve never been to Disney world, but I always assumed the mountain in this ride is Mount Everest because of the ride’s name. I guess it’s kind of like when people call Link Zelda.
Exactly!
Link has no reply, get it?
I call him Zelda on purpose when I'm in a EB Games & the opportunity presents itself........... Always makes my day.
When Joe retired the first thing I thought was wtf man you made a promise !
Don't blame Joe. Blame Disney for not committing to fixing it. Just like any big company, the employees can only do what they've been given budget and approval to do.
It deserves to be fixed! I admit it probably never will due to the cost and massive undertaking, especially without Joe. But it is the saddest thing to see something so spectacular go to waste. It's like the difference between meeting your favorite movie star in person or seeing their likeness at a wax museum.
This became a true learning experience for Disney. Any other animatronic figure they have made after this has been able to be, either completely removed from it's station when it requires maintenance, or have some kind of reliable B mode to fill in while the animatronic is out of commission. Good example here is the figure of the Navi priestess in the Navi River Journey. If her animatronic is malfunctioning, she is removed and a screen projection of her goes up instead.
Ever see the irony in that both this and the Matterhorn are cases in which, despite being decades apart in technology, in order to fix a significant problem each have (the yeti here and the rough old track in the Matterhorn), they would have to effectively demolish them and rebuild them since they’re problematic elements are built into their support structures?
It’s amazing how a massive company as Disney has had to scrap so many things due to budget constraints.
Still a business sadly
They legit have a term for it, in the context of the Imagineers - “blue sky (dreaming)” as in that phase of a project with no constraints, budgetary or otherwise, just imagination.
It’s interesting to learn about some of the original plans for....a lot of things tbh.
Even down to costumes, which is where I learned this tidbit lol
They also screw things up totally for pc reasons with removing the "phallic" chimney at one park in case it upset anyone.
@@cyberleaderandy1 back of the Morocco pavilion in EPCOT. It was causing a lot of people to go back there for a photo of what was pretty clearly a cock and balls. The removal has made that area empty again. You can escape a packed park and have lunch in peace back there once again. A fair trade, given that it’s a park for families.
That Th13teen clip is like what Kermit said in the muppets: I think this is what you call a running joke
it is true.
I remember besides Alien Encounter this was the only other attraction that made me nervous. Was a great ride though, the part where the track was ripped apart and you go backwards really surprised me.
If they didn’t fix the Yeti during the 2020 closure, it’s probably safe to say it’s never getting fixed.
Exactly
I mean... that’s not exactly a fair comparison considering they would probably need to work in hazmat suits to prevent an outbreak among the workers stuck in such tight constraints.
It can’t be fixed. That big of an animatronic moving all day everyday is way too dangerous. Metal fatigue will cause it to collapse in no time. That’s the real reason they shut it down. They never had the intention to keep it running. It was just bait to draw in the gullible. It’s typical for Disney.
I’m not sure why you think they closed down during 2020... it’s not like they could have a full crew out there fixing it just because the park was closed.... lol
@@metropod i don't think the animatronic would require more than 2 or 3 guys to work on it at a time. Any more than that you're just making things more difficult on the workers.
We were visiting Disney at the end of March/beginning of April 2006, and visited Animal Kingdom on the 1st, fully expecting to not be able to ride it because it wasn't publicly open yet. But we got to ride it. And ride it again. And again. The crowds were low, the queue was empty, and I got to see the glory of the Yeti in A-mode 12 times that day. It truly was a sight to behold. We visited again in '08, and if you never got to see A-mode, B-mode might fool you into thinking it's moving, but it's a far cry from that lumbering monstrosity taking a swing at you as you swoosh past. Great video Sam!
thank you for watching! Jealous you got to see him in A mode so much
Lucky Floridian here. I saw the Yeti in A mode. It was impressive, and yes, it feels like he swipes inches above your head.. I have been back over the years. although the Yeti is in perpetual disco mode, the theming of the entire EE experience is in my opinion second to none. The queue is one of my favorites. So much detail packed in there. Photos of the missing crew, artifacts architecture etc. Animal Kingdom is very underrated
agreed!
It’s because Magic Kingdom just gets more visitors than Animal due to more “kids” rides. It’s definitely very underrated (and EE is top 2 rollercoasters in Disney in my heart) but the rest of the kingdom is just slow rides and giant zoos (which i do like) but younger kids definitely prefer Magic.
THE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL PART BROKE ME THANK YOUUUU
Ahahah you have no idea how proud I was. 😂
The cue line displays are AMAZING. I ended up there on an empty day and just walked around looking at the displays and set dec.
i was so happy to yell disco yeti when i went in 2018, i had finally gotten to ride this since the last time i went was 2004 when it was being built. was such a great ride
Glad you got to ride!!
Scrolling through comments and I find a friend! God, I remember you sharing so much about that Disney trip, it doesn't even seem like it was that long ago!
@@mothwings8795 yes correct you didnt @ me so i didnt see it lol
At 3:27 the park map says Harambe... Never forget rip Harambe we miss you
Harambe was born 1 year and 1 month after Animal Kingdom and its safaris opened. Inspiration much?
I hope the incredible new Indominus Rex animatronic at Universal Studios Hollywood doesn’t end up having the same fate as that of the Yeti.
Didn't think of that! Hope so
@@ExpeditionThemePark Animatronics have gotten better, did you see any of the gigantic ones from Dinosaurs Alive at the cedar fair parks before hey left? If it's going to be that pivotal to the ride they can maintain it.
The indominus rex animatronic isn't attached to the foundation of the attraction.....Its really not the same thing, fixing the Yeti would require tearing down a significant chunk of the mountain itself because its attached to the foundation.....The did recently try something thinking it might fix the problem and when they tested it the hip of the Yeti broke
@@lutherheggs451 probably because it had sat for so long. Its really undisneylike to screw up the design of a key part of the attraction that badly.
They really wanted to express they were ‘not a zoo’ I mean Nahtazu
‘At least not yet-i’ gotta love it 🤣
haha thank you
Joe Rohde: “Someday, I’ll fix the Yeti, I swear!”
*retires this year*
Expedition Everest has always has been one of my favorite rides ever
Me too.
“I’ll get you; and I’ll make it look like a bloody accident” This passed through my mind during the HSM Pun-A-palooza lol
I was fortunate enough to ride it when the Yeti was still in A mode. It was amazing to see it really move even though you pass by it so quickly. I am not a fan of disco Yeti. I don’t really like strobe lights being used unless I’m at a rave, lol 😂. It’s past time for Disney to come up with either how to fix it or maybe replace it with another one that maybe isn’t as large.
To me it feels like Disney is at a point where they feel comfortable enough just to keep status quo. They think that being Disney is what will keep people coming back no matter what they do or do not do.
Universal Studios on the other hand is really stepping up their game. They’re putting it all out there. They start a project and finish it. Just in the past couple years they put in Hagrid‘s and now Velocicoaster. These coasters are offering something different than what that area in Florida has ever had to offer. I think the building of the second roller coaster started after Disney began construction on Tron. Universal Is now finished and people are starting to ride this new ride and Disney still doesn’t have a completion date for Tron. DisneyWorld is having a 50th anniversary in October with basically the only thing to show will be new paint on the rides and some plastic bunting on the castle and a new parade. Tron was supposed to be open for the 50th and I know there were other things planned. I realize the pandemic hit but Universal didn’t let that stop them. The Yeti still being broken is just another example of the lack of care and concern they have for their parks. I know some say, they put in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. You mean they put in Star Wars mall. That area feels like a shopping center. There is an absolutely amazing attraction there but that land feels like a mall. World of Pandora Is absolutely beautiful but the river ride is a shell of what that ride was supposed to be. It was supposed to be absolutely amazing instead we got OK. The other ride ain the land of course is fun and amazing but even that was not supposed to be the main attraction of Pandora. There was supposed to be another ride put in but of course Disney stopped that. Even Galaxy’s Edge is not what originally was supposed to be. It’s a good thing Disney lost Harry Potter to Universal because Disney would’ve never done it justice. Galaxies edge was also supposed to be interactive. Even right as the land was opening you can go back and look at promotion videos and read articles and such that tell you about how you were going be able to go into the land and interact with these different apps and do this and that and none of that is available. The credits that you earn on the Millennium Falcon were even going to be part of your interaction of what you could do there but that went by the wayside. If they would’ve had to put together the Wizarding World and wands and spells it would’ve never happened. Thank goodness it will be Universal Studios bringing Nintendo World into existence in Orlando.
Luckily both resorts exist and keep making sure the other ups their game each time!
Top tier research and presentation. Relaxing to watch. Give this man a tv show already.
Thank you so much.
*Skeptical third-world kid:* "So you're telling me Disney couldn't afford to have someone double check their math?"
Haha
I don't think it's a matter of math as much as it is a real-world engineering failure. The design of everything worked out just as planned, but the animatronic Yeti failed to work as they planned it. Unfortunately, these kinds of failures sometimes occur and they just can't be foreseen until they do.
@@rondadams 1) The Yeti didn't "fail", it was everything around it that wasn't properly reinforced to account for its movements. After all, they had plenty of time to test the animatronic in the Imagineering labs before actually installing it.
2) Said structural instability was caused by a glitch in Disney's modelling/engineering program, something that would've been caught if someone had double checked the math by hand.
@@otaking3582 what’s your source for this?
Rode Everest for the first time when I was 9 years old and I can still remember seeing the yeti in A-mode today at age 23. Even though he’s been stuck in B-mode for the last 15 years, this is still easily one of the top 10 best rides at Disney World. Great video, man!
Thank you!
My son & I visited in October 2021 & were lucky to ride Expedition Everest 18 times throughout the day - we so fell in love with it!
The pre opening promotional videos were epic. Do you remember the game that you could play any home before it opened? Another fantastic video as always Sam, thank you
thanks for watching Mark! I did forget about the game also
I was lucky enough to have been on the ride when they were testing/previewing it in January 2006. I don't scary easily at all but I do recall it gave me a bit of a start since I didn't expect it to come so close... actually I'm not sure I even expected there to be any animatronics on the ride at all.
I remember as a young boy, getting to see the Yeti in actual motion and how terrified it made me. I went back maybe 5 yeara ago and was so disappointed.
Great job on this video, as always ! Thank you for once again delivering with an informative, entertaining, high quality video. It really is a blessing for us coasters and theme parks enthusiasts
my pleasure, thanks for watching
Oh my gosh! The nahtazu commercial. I remember that commercial, and child me legit thought it was some real word that meant adventure or something. The pun went right over my head. Dang it, Disney! 😂
I rode this for the very first time a few months ago! I can say for my experience, the B-mode Disco Yeti doesn’t detract anything from the ride or experience in general! We already are going super fast anyway, and all the effects already give the big dude some life in my opinion! And while I hope one day the Yeti will be able to move once more, I don’t plan on skipping this ride anytime soon! Whenever I visit Animal Kingdom again, I will make sure to ride Expedition Everest, and make it a personal must-do attraction every time I go there!
Loved this Expedition Expedition 🤪 I really like the insights into rides that you provide that most people wouldn’t even be aware of 👍🏻
I love how even on an expedition to Animal Kingdom, we still get to see that Thirteen clip. It always makes me giggle.
I was lucky enough to get to ride it before it opened due to my dad working at the call center in Tampa. It was really amazing! And such a shame that the Yeti has not been restored to his glory of that day.
'that ride was a bit timid' is now engrained in the channel
I’ve been really enjoying this channel for a while now and only recently started watching the superenthused channel which is awesome by the way.
Imagine my surprise when I noticed that both creators were making appearances in the same videos, it was like seeing a familiar face when you were visiting another country!
Thanks for the great content as usual.
Ahah she's my girlfriend 😆
2:22 God, I miss Joe Rohde! He’s what made Disney attractions fun!
DAK is Joe's baby, he carried the park
All those High School Musical puns...you may not be the King of England but you ARE the King of Puns. I'm glad Disco Yeti was able to have some alone time while the park was closed. A yeti needs a break too.
Yes!
NEVER cared for Rohde. Nowhere near as talented as they made him out to be imo.
I wish one day they made a good movie adaptation of the mount everest ride, possibly close it down to work on repairs, and then open it the same day as the movie opening as this huge massive return
This ride is a staple of my childhood I remember when it opened it is what inspired my love of the outdoors and adventure I was 5 when it opened and I still remember it at 20
This used to be my favorite Disney ride ever. I can't do strobe lights though and so I haven't been able to go on it in years. It absolutely breaks my heart.
This is so perfectly lined up with El Toro Ryan’s problematic coasters series I could cry
I’ve been waiting for this. And now it is finally here. Thanks so much.
Also RIP Yeti.
Hope you enjoy it
You've met your "Status Quo" during that HSM homage moment.
Dang the best comment.
Late to watching this but I appreciate all of the clips and research done for this. Such a neat watch and I enjoyed the never-ending High School Musical puns.
I'm surprised they don't have a big sign out front saying "Welcome to The Himalayas!".
I don't think the family friendly Disney Corporation would dare do that in our ultra PC world
I think they'd call it "The Nongenderspecific-alayas" lol
@@lordcaptainvonthrust3rd Haha.. good one.
One day they will have to referb, the ride like they did with Thunder Mountain. They will have to take out the track and replace it. When they do that it will be the opportunity to fix the yeti. I am surprised they didn't work on it when Pandora was opened. Drawing people away to another attraction.
Great video with lots of details I haven't heard before.
It's really sad that all the work that went into the incredible design of the attraction was ruined by the failure of the animatronic.
I think I speak for many Disney fans when I say we would love to see the Yeti restored to its full glory or something similar, but after so many years and now the Joe is gone, none of us expect it.
I've been on this ride twice and both times missed seeing the Yeti. The first time was when I was little I don't remember how young I was, but my eyes were shut because I was scared of the dark, the second time was recent and I didn't look fast enough to see it.
Also RIP Dinoland even though I didn't like it very much and only got to ride Primieval Whirl once on my first visit.
An expedition on an expedition can't wait for this one.
Thanks!
Disco Yeti was someones mad dream. He is too big, he is too heavy, the hydralics are too powerful.
All that power throwing 20,000 lbs of dead weight on a 40 foot high perch has too much flex which is causing all the problems at the base.
I have since heard there is something awry with Disco himself. And they said it was also expensive to fix.
I don't know much about the latter, but I am pretty sure there is absolutely no cheap way to ever get Disco to leave the Disco area and start jumping at guests again with a growl.
They will have to totally remanufacture the Disco Yeti perch all the way down to the concrete in the basement floor, and even then will it hold? Disco is 20,000 lbs being thrown about by the hydraulics. They would have to create a new tower to hopefully support Disco and his movements. Remember, Diso's perch does not touch any part of the building structure so it is supported all on it's own.
Even if di$ney was not dead finacially, it does not seem possible that they will shut down that ride for a year or two in order to rebuild the perch tower for THIS disco yeti. As we have seen with other attractions, di$ney will shut down or remove items in an attraction rather than fix them, and reviving Disco would be like recreating from scratch and that includes costs, so don't expect Disco to stop Discoing, ever.
SO........... as you are flying in the coaster car, up the hill and the disco lights start to flash, YELL OUT "DISCO YETI" and wave.
Regardless of disco yeti, riding this at night is one of the best rollercoaster experiences I’ve ever had, something about it, y’know,
at night is amazing
Always learn so much from your work. Awesome!
Thank you! Cheers!
What a great way to spend my Sunday morning learning all thing Expedition Everest! Who knew one ride could have such a long and interesting history!
Thank you so much for watching!
I mean we always watch your videos, they are amazing, but this one we had to comment because it is incredible!!! What an amazing way to honor Joe Rode for his impact in our Disney fan life. 🥰🥰🥰 Great, great, great video!!!
No joke I was all excited to see Disco Yeti for the first time when I went to WDW this spring break and I couldn’t even get a glimpse of him. Not sure if they had the strobe off even that day, or if I was just completely oblivious. 🤷🏼♀️
Haha yess
Great content. Love the channel.
thanks for watching
Will always be my favorite ride. On lunch in 2013 I would go snag egg rolls from the yak and yeti window and ride single rider.
Great video my man. As ever 👍🏼👍🏼
I was never able to see the yeti in full operation, but I still love Expedition Everest. On both of my visits to WDW we went to Animal Kingdom on the first day and I hit Expedition Everest early, so I've come to think of this coaster as the proper kickoff to a Disney visit.
I don’t like rollercoasters (or rather sudden drops), but I managed to push myself to go onto EE when I went with friends just after college. Still have my on ride photo and frame.
I do love the detail in the queue.
Glad you got to try it!
@@ExpeditionThemePark I couldn’t get over my flight-or-fight synapses for Splash Mountain (shutters) so I had to put my foot down and just do it.
Expedition Everest is prob my favourite attraction overall, worldwide, it's got such a good balance of thrills, journey, story, details, and fun! I agree that Disco Yeti is actually, honestly, not a big problem. It's certainly a shame but the massive problems to fix it would improve the overall experience by like 2%! Maybe when the ride hits closer to 20 years it'll go down for a significant overhaul and they'll take that opportunity to fix the yeti - it'd certainly get the headlines for its anniversary, grand re-opening etc!
Maybe one day but I can see why the dont want to close the ride for long
That was excellent. You know which part I'm talking about. Great work.
Thank you Caden!
This is absolute my favorite rollercoaster of all time. I used a fast pass so didn’t get any of the story and had no idea what to expect. DEFINITELY didn’t know there was a reverse section. Best experience ever.
Love this ride so much. Definitely my favourite Disney coaster. Wish they would do more of these non ip rides, they are alot better than most of the IP rides imo.
I hope so too!
I hope so too!
I can't wait for a live action movie for this ride
AK is the most perfect part to intergrate S.E.A. rides & characters!
Just rode in for the first time September 2021. Epic. Truly. And as someone who’s rarely tricked by effect visuals: the yeti looks like it’s moving.
Omg that yeti SCARED me so bad as a kid I had nightmares for weeks lol
"You were rubbish but I still miss you Primeval, But hey at least you can be taller than Primeval joke anyway"
Wow thank you for all this information! One of my favorite rides that I love learning more about. Great video plus that high school musical moment made it better!
haha glad you enjoyed it
It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden this but I love it
Time to ride agAin!
Came for the content, stayed for the puns, regret nothing!
yessss thank you!
I was lucky enough to have ridden the ride with all of the original effects. The only one I can't remember is the train coming in with smoke around it, but I do remember coming to the top of the chain hill and there being smoke there, and then of course the Yeti moving I was in shock, it genuinely did feel like it was going to grab you. Though I was only 11 at the time I was fascinated with the ride, and do wish everyone could have seen it in all its glory, I wish Disney would fix all these effects rather then just turning them off like they've done with many rides in the past.
Ahhh! That's crazy!!! I didn't realize The Yeti in A mode only worked for such a short time!
I rode it with my 81 year old grandfather (that's how old he was when we rode it together!). We rode it in A mode... Now my grandfather was a former marine and EVEN he was scared! It was soooo incredible! I have never jumped so much on a roller coaster I loved it! I literally hid behind him on the ride and then wrenched my neck 😂. It was such an incredible effect and it felt like the Yeti was really coming at you and could actually touch you! And now riding it since then everytime is so boring :/ it doesn't have the same effect at all.
great you got to ride it with him!
Those High School Music puns murdered me.
I, felt a physical arrow through my chest. Good show loved the episode.
Thank you hahaha
Im so happy to share this world with creative peoples like Joe. It's amazing what a man can do when he used is imagination like a tool.
I come home from a long ass day and find one of the best channels new videos. Fantastic
thank you for watching!
The best Expedition Theme Park episode of all time.
thank you!
I don’t know how I missed a few weeks of your vids but TH-cam hasn’t been showing them in my recommended as they usually do. I’m about to catch up on the last few!
Hope you enjoy!
@@ExpeditionThemePark always do!
You need more subs, your videos are so good and your voice is so pleasant to listen to.
haha thank you
i went on this a few months after it opened when the yeti was still working. after a few more trips, my family and i were like “i thought the yeti used to move?” long story short, we discovered “disco yeti” and the rest is history.
I’ve always wanted to ride this one. Does anyone remember the old flash game based on this ride?
I forgot about that!
@@ExpeditionThemePark I remember playing it for hours when I was much younger.
*Fun Disney Insider Fact:* the cast members working at the Animal Kingdom Lodge won't say JAMBO! like they do in the parks. They will say "dumela" which loosely means welcome home. The reason for this was due to a cast member yelling JAMBOO to an overweight lady in the gift shop and she was horribly offended thinking this was directed towards her weight. Hilarious. (I used to work at DAKL)
Still to this day my fav rollercoaster
Good grief! Even I couldn't come up with that many HSM puns XD
I had the very fortunate opportunity to ride this in 2006 and saw the Yeti work ONCE
Me too! I think aha