Fix the Yeti petition

[wumbology]

I would recommend you take a look at another magical online place about WDW, but then again maybe not.

This has been discussed to exhaustion over there. The ride would not have to be closed. The yeti is its own separate structure, and there is a gargantuan door in the back of the mountain that allows for access to the yeti. The ride wouldn't have to be closed. The only problem is that TDO doesn't want to pay the money to repair the yeti, which is completely rediculous.

And I encourage everyone to sign the petition.

After spending a few months on MiceChat, this doesn't surprise me. Especially when, when you think about it, the Yeti is not that vital. It is to us fans, who pay attention to the story and the elements of the experience. Whenever I ask one of my friends about their experience on Everest they say they didn't even know there was a real Yeti figure.

[TheDisneyInquisitor]

While most people might not care... its certainty vital to the story... considering the entire queue and almost all advertising for the attraction focuses on the yeti.

After spending a few months on MiceChat, this doesn't surprise me. Especially when, when you think about it, the Yeti is not that vital. It is to us fans, who pay attention to the story and the elements of the experience. Whenever I ask one of my friends about their experience on Everest they say they didn't even know there was a real Yeti figure.

[nicoleloveswalt]

Jack Spence's blog on AllEars had this ...

'I mentioned earlier that the yeti stands on his own foundation. In addition to this, the track and mountains also stand on their own, separate foundations and do not touch one another. The designers endeavored to put six inches of space between the track and the mountain. This was necessary to insure that the vibration of the trains rumbling through the mountain and the swaying of the track did not shake, crack, and damage the mountain’s structure. Unfortunately, the yeti’s intense movement proved to be too much for its foundation and it cracked sometime ago. Because of this, the yeti has been switched from Mode “A” operation (movement) to Mode “B” operation (stationary with strobe lights and fans). It’s my understanding that the damage is great enough that repairs will need to wait until the attraction is closed for rehab.'

I don't believe the ride has ever been closed for an extensive rehab. I suppose that's why no changes have been made.

[icepenguin77]

signed!

[pineapplewhipaddict]

Disney doesn't volunteer to go public about something that they are neglecting or are doing wrong.

At Disneyland for the Indiana Jones attraction, there was this awesome falling lava/rock effect in the main show room...the effect was achieved with an ice machine and then adding a dye to the ice. Unfortunately, the machine rusted and stopped working, and for some reason WDI did not plan for the machine to possibly need fixing...in order to make the effect work again, the roof of the show building would have to be removed to make replacements and repairs...so obviously that's not happening.

But yes, even WDI can miss certain things.


But I think the Yeti should definitely be fixed. It is a centerpiece to the attraction, an absolutely amazing AA...it should be performing.

Hah, maybe if Disney had finally bit the bullet and built Beastly Kingdom, they wouldn't be so freaked out to close such a big attraction to do a refurb.

[Airamerica]

By all accounts it is not an easy problem to fix, as many people have said already! What confuses me, is why people think Disney would just leave it 'broken' or in B mode?

I mean this is a huge deal - Everest is a signature ride, people know that the Yeti should be active but it's not. I know Disney are cutting budgets but this isn't the kind of thing they'd decided to neglect, if there was a 'quick solution'... They'd have done it by now.

The answer is that it's a major problem, that will mean significant downtime to resolve. Sometime we need to think a bit deeper about these issues before setting up a petition!!!!

[Semiquaver]

Disney doesn't volunteer to go public about something that they are neglecting or are doing wrong.

At Disneyland for the Indiana Jones attraction, there was this awesome falling lava/rock effect in the main show room...the effect was achieved with an ice machine and then adding a dye to the ice. Unfortunately, the machine rusted and stopped working, and for some reason WDI did not plan for the machine to possibly need fixing...in order to make the effect work again, the roof of the show building would have to be removed to make replacements and repairs...so obviously that's not happening.

But yes, even WDI can miss certain things.


But I think the Yeti should definitely be fixed. It is a centerpiece to the attraction, an absolutely amazing AA...it should be performing.

Hah, maybe if Disney had finally bit the bullet and built Beastly Kingdom, they wouldn't be so freaked out to close such a big attraction to do a refurb.

First, I'm pretty sure the Indy ice machines had a problem with the ice not melting fast enough, so large piles of it formed on the "lava." As a result the idea was axed rather than have more money thrown at it, the machines turned off, and then they rusted before the idea could be revisited.

I do hope Disney learned from that and other maintenance on the yeti has been kept up. It'd be terrible if it locked up and became completely immobile due to corrosion or some other petty thing.

Second, another time this was discussed, I remember that someone who sounded reasonably in-the-know said that WDI was blaming the folks who brought in the concrete. The wrong type of concrete was poured and discovered much later or something similar. Could have been nothing more than a bunch of finger pointing, though

The Imagineers at the D23 expo didn't want to talk about it...

[Maverick]

its going to take $$$ which even the mouse is watching how it spends these days

[disneyfann121]

After spending a few months on MiceChat, this doesn't surprise me. Especially when, when you think about it, the Yeti is not that vital. It is to us fans, who pay attention to the story and the elements of the experience. Whenever I ask one of my friends about their experience on Everest they say they didn't even know there was a real Yeti figure.

If you've only "seen" the B mode, of course you won't know, because it's practically invisible.
For those of us who have actually seen the Yeti in A mode, it makes a big difference.
Unfortunately, Disney's attitude toward petitions seems to be depressingly corporate. I also signed a petition to bring back the Hat Box Ghost, and fat lot of good that did.

[disneyfann121]

Hah, maybe if Disney had finally bit the bullet and built Beastly Kingdom, they wouldn't be so freaked out to close such a big attraction to do a refurb.

Exactly. Their stinginess is leading to yet more stinginess. How inspiring for the fans...

[Dinoman96]

Exactly. Their stinginess is leading to yet more stinginess. How inspiring for the fans...

"Sorry, right now we're too busy remaking rides and lands. Enjoy the princesses and Pod racing though"

[TheDisneyInquisitor]

Exactly. Their stinginess is leading to yet more stinginess. How inspiring for the fans...

Umm.. I definitely wouldn't call them stingy. Remember that this is the same resort that will be doing a total demolition of Toontown (and Dumbo), and creating, basically an entirely new Fantasyland. They are adding to Tower of Terror. Then of course there is the money spent on clearing the land for Flamingo Crossing (and a few new Downtown Disney stores), doing all the work on the new restaurants around World Showcase and all the constant refurb work that is going on around the "World" (including the new Star Tours and the recent refurb of Space Mountain).

They aren't being cheap, the budget right now does not allot for the Yeti being fixed. When the budget is available, and we get to a point (attendance-wise), where they can close Everest for a while without creating 3 hour lines at Kilimanjaro Safaris... it will get done.

[Magenta Panther]

its going to take $$$ which even the mouse is watching how it spends these days

Except when it comes to buying other people's characters. See, this is what steams me the most - obviously rides and other attractions at the parks need additional investment, but the money needed is spent elsewhere, on junk like Michael Eisner's Muppet trophy hunt and on a bunch of superheroes - because it's a savvy business decision to buy known properties instead of risking creating your own. Or so goes conventional bean-counter wisdom. That Yeti ride is a disgrace. You all know very well that Walt would have spent anything needed to fix it. Instead, it languishes and becomes a joke. Pitiful, just pitiful.

[Magenta Panther]

Umm.. I definitely wouldn't call them stingy. Remember that this is the same resort that will be doing a total demolition of Toontown (and Dumbo), and creating, basically an entirely new Fantasyland. They are adding to Tower of Terror.

They're adding to the Tower of Terror? That's news to me. What are they doing, exactly?

Remember that this is the same resort that will be doing a total demolition of Toontown (and Dumbo), and creating, basically an entirely new Fantasyland.

Meh. I saw the designs. I was rather impressed at first, but then when I thought about it, much of it is just a stunt for more Princess merchandising. There's very little there to amuse an adult.

[nicoleloveswalt]

A lot of people absolutely would not go to Animal Kingdom were Everest closed. Even more would turn up and lodge loads of complaints when they find that it's closed. The only logical plan to me would be to wait for another E-ticket at Animal Kingdom before attempting any lengthy closures of EE. The last thing they need right now (with Universal about to launch Potter) is one of their major, get-guests-to-the-parks attractions down right now. They've put themselves in an unfortunate situation having Everest and Kilimanjaro being the only E-tickets (let's face it, Dinosaur no longer brings crowds) but they can't damage things further by closing one of them.