EE Yeti

[GrumpyFan]

In addition to the letter writing and phone calls, an online petition has been set up.

Normal place, petition ID: HELPYETI

Not familiar with what the "Normal place" is. Please PM me with the link.

[DizneyRox]

Normal Place = world wide web dot petition online dot com

[lockedoutlogic]

I agree with what several have said....

The Yeti is the ride.....it isn't complete without it and they cannot push it as anything more than an average thrill without it....

The best example is Splash Mountain (which i believe to be the greatest ride constructed by disney...just ahead of Tower, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion)

Splash Mountain, when broken apart by components....isn't much

An average amusement park flune....combined with Disney cartoon theming....combined with fairly simplistic AA technology for the time it was created....

Yet together...it's spectacular.

Disney rides are more than they sum of their parts.....and Everest without the Yeti can't live up to that.

[BMan62]

Normal Place = world wide web dot petition online dot com

No can find HELPYETI at 'normal' place???

[Ian]

I have to be honest. I think folks are somewhat overstating the import of the yeti here.

I mean look ... the darn thing is visible for what? MAYBE 5 seconds?? Tops?? It hardly dictated my level of enjoyment of the attraction when it was working vs. non-working. Heck, it's not even like it's missing. It's still there. It's just not moving around.

My opinion has been and is that the thing was underwhelming to the nth degree anyway. I could never fathom why, in a million-billion years, they spent all this money to develop this fancy-schmancy audio-animatronic and then showed it to you while you were flying by at 25 miles an hour.

And yet, in the scene where you're sitting still and actually have a few moments to enjoy things, they used a stupid animated shadow??? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Me personally ... I love the ride yeti or no yeti. It's fun. Is it the greatest coaster on the planet? No. But it's still cool and that stupid yeti, in my opinion, had very little to do with it. I thought it was a big waste.

[Nascfan]

Does anyone know what Joe Rohde thinks of the situation? Hearing him talk about the attraction and his research on it and such, he sounded like a kid in a candy store.
I can't imagine he's too happy about his Yeti being in what could be permanent B mode.

[ojeilatan]

This breaks my heart. I would have no issue going without EE for an extended period of time if it meant the needed TLC was happening. But, I'm doubting this unless AK gets a new attraction soon.

I really hope the rehab is done. And, since they have to tear it out anyway, perhaps they can reposition the yeti for more face time? just a dream, probably.

[DizneyRox]

I have to be honest. I think folks are somewhat overstating the import of the yeti here.

I mean look ... the darn thing is visible for what? MAYBE 5 seconds?? Tops?? It hardly dictated my level of enjoyment of the attraction when it was working vs. non-working. Heck, it's not even like it's missing. It's still there. It's just not moving around.

My opinion has been and is that the thing was underwhelming to the nth degree anyway. I could never fathom why, in a million-billion years, they spent all this money to develop this fancy-schmancy audio-animatronic and then showed it to you while you were flying by at 25 miles an hour.

And yet, in the scene where you're sitting still and actually have a few moments to enjoy things, they used a stupid animated shadow??? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Me personally ... I love the ride yeti or no yeti. It's fun. Is it the greatest coaster on the planet? No. But it's still cool and that stupid yeti, in my opinion, had very little to do with it. I thought it was a big waste.

I somewhat agree... They did 4 shows on the whole yeti thing to hype it (that includes a lame Jeff Corwin show). When I first rode it, I expected that animatronic yeti to be a major part of the attraction. I was thinking something more along the lines of Kongfrontation over at Universal was what they were going to do with that beast. Instead we whiz by at break neck speeds without even an inkling of what's coming up to prepare.

Is it good? Sure it is, but you need to ride a couple times to actually see the thing. Even in A Mode, blink and you'll miss him.

Overrated? Sure it is, BUT without that, it's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

I'm not a huge coaster fan. I like them, but not enough to wait in a 2+ hour line for one (although Superman over at 6 Flags New England is pretty sweet!). Definitely not to view a shadow puppet on a cave wall.

[lockedoutlogic]

I have to be honest. I think folks are somewhat overstating the import of the yeti here.

I mean look ... the darn thing is visible for what? MAYBE 5 seconds?? Tops?? It hardly dictated my level of enjoyment of the attraction when it was working vs. non-working. Heck, it's not even like it's missing. It's still there. It's just not moving around.

My opinion has been and is that the thing was underwhelming to the nth degree anyway. I could never fathom why, in a million-billion years, they spent all this money to develop this fancy-schmancy audio-animatronic and then showed it to you while you were flying by at 25 miles an hour.

And yet, in the scene where you're sitting still and actually have a few moments to enjoy things, they used a stupid animated shadow??? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Me personally ... I love the ride yeti or no yeti. It's fun. Is it the greatest coaster on the planet? No. But it's still cool and that stupid yeti, in my opinion, had very little to do with it. I thought it was a big waste.

I agree with alot of your take....

I had originally thought that perhaps you would at least circle around the yeti....giving people a chance to take a good gawk at it.....

But overall it is underwhelming....and fun at the same time....

Really....it's Big Thunder Mountain on rocket fuel......not much more...

A good waste of a minute.....but sadly not some sort of saviour for the park....

Animal Kingdom needs more attractions of all forms and more animals to make it a destination park.....you know....the kind people think about when they get on and off the plane....

It is not that....and judging by the great example of MGM....may never be...

[DizneyRox]

No can find HELPYETI at 'normal' place???

It appears their search engine doesn't index the site too quick.

If you put /HELPYETI after the "normal" place, it goes there. What a miserable failure that online petition place is.

I've just updated my homepage to he right spot, makes everyone's life easier...

[GrumpyFan]

Disney rides are more than they sum of their parts.....and Everest without the Yeti can't live up to that.

I agree with everything you said there, except, I would change it just slightly and say - Everest without the Yeti operating in his full intended form can't live up to that. Otherwise, it's just a thrill ride whose story is incomplete.

What makes Disney rides so unique and spectacular compared to others is the story in them. If the storytellers (characters/animatronics) are broken, then the story doesn't really work.

[lockedoutlogic]

I agree with everything you said there, except, I would change it just slightly and say - Everest without the Yeti operating in his full intended form can't live up to that. Otherwise, it's just a thrill ride whose story is incomplete.

What makes Disney rides so unique and spectacular compared to others is the story in them. If the storytellers (characters/animatronics) are broken, then the story doesn't really work.

now we're practically shaking hands at camp david with Sadat.....

[Ian]

All of you who are espousing the "every attraction has to have a story" position should probably go read this article over at the Re-Imagineering blog.

The whole notion that every Disney ride is supposed to have a story is a big myth. That was an Eisner thing, not a Walt thing.

We don't really have a story, with a beginning, an end, or a plot. It's more a series of experiences building up to a climax. I call them experience rides. - Marc Davis, 1969

[GAN]

Listen, don't worry, the Yeti will be back up and running soon. I just wrote to Disney and asked for Iger to use part of the $13.9M bonus he received towards the repair cost. I'm sure he'll have no problem accommodating the request.

[Mousemates]

all of you who are espousing the "every attraction has to have a story" position should probably go read this article over at the Re-Imagineering blog.

The whole notion that every Disney ride is supposed to have a story is a big myth. That was an Eisner thing, not a Walt thing.


Quote:
We don't really have a story, with a beginning, an end, or a plot. It's more a series of experiences building up to a climax. I call them experience rides. - Marc Davis, 1969

I think this actually helps makes our point...the yeti is the climax...of the story, the experience ride or whatever one chooses to call it.

[cgriff]

Random thoughts:

"It's a terrible ride if the Yeti isn't in A mode"... What, the ride cars don't swoosh as fast, the hills don't climb as high, the turns don't pitch as steep, your stomach doesn't climb up into your throat in quite the same way if the Yeti's hairy right arm doesn't move a little bit as your car passes underneath it?

"No different than Big Thunder Mountain"... That claim should be considered unassailable courthouse proof that someone hasn't ridden the two rides.

"Worst roller coaster in the history of roller coasters"... Duuude, now we know who here owns stock in Seagrams/Universal.

Speaking of Universal... "Spiderman is better!"... "Mummy is 10x better!"... Please recall the numerous discussion threads with all of the whining, moaning and gnashing of teeth about the crumminess of rides always being based on movies... "Where's the originality?" ..."What a commercial sell-out!"... Ahem, Expedition Everest = No movie tie-in. Spiderman and The Mummy?????? That's two rides based on, what, six different movies!?!?!

"The Yeti isn't on-stage for long enough"... You know, I once thought that it would be great if there was a once-in-a-blue-moon C-mode version of the ride where the EE train cars would come to a stop for an unprecedented third time --right in front of the Yeti in the Yeti chamber --and the whoolly beast suddenly straightens up into a formal stance, grabs an imaginary lapel with his left hand and starts to recite the first few lines from the Gettysburgh Address... then your car suddenly starts moving again, hurtling out of the mountain...

I'm serious about that last one!

[DizneyRox]

I think this actually helps makes our point...the yeti is the climax...of the story, the experience ride or whatever one chooses to call it.

Walt referred to it as a weenie I beleive...

Not that I want to get into the whole Walt would turn over in his grave debate, etc. But, the Yeti is the draw for EE, says so all over the queue. To not see the yeti is a let down.

[cgriff]

To not see the yeti is a let down.

Zoom! -- Zip! -- Woosh! -- Gone! Half the people who rode EE on opening day didn't "see the yeti"! And that was when he was in A+++ mode!

[lockedoutlogic]

Random thoughts:

"It's a terrible ride if the Yeti isn't in A mode"... What, the ride cars don't swoosh as fast, the hills don't climb as high, the turns don't pitch as steep, your stomach doesn't climb up into your throat in quite the same way if the Yeti's hairy right arm doesn't move a little bit as your car passes underneath it?

"No different than Big Thunder Mountain"... That claim should be considered unassailable courthouse proof that someone hasn't ridden the two rides.

"Worst roller coaster in the history of roller coasters"... Duuude, now we know who here owns stock in Seagrams/Universal.

Speaking of Universal... "Spiderman is better!"... "Mummy is 10x better!"... Please recall the numerous discussion threads with all of the whining, moaning and gnashing of teeth about the crumminess of rides always being based on movies... "Where's the originality?" ..."What a commercial sell-out!"... Ahem, Expedition Everest = No movie tie-in. Spiderman and The Mummy?????? That's two rides based on, what, six different movies!?!?!

"The Yeti isn't on-stage for long enough"... You know, I once thought that it would be great if there was a once-in-a-blue-moon C-mode version of the ride where the EE train cars would come to a stop for an unprecedented third time --right in front of the Yeti in the Yeti chamber --and the whoolly beast suddenly straightens up into a formal stance, grabs an imaginary lapel with his left hand and starts to recite the first few lines from the Gettysburgh Address... then your car suddenly starts moving again, hurtling out of the mountain...

I'm serious about that last one!

Uh oh....we have another one on the dust.....

Everest without the story...is an average thrill ride. Perhaps you need to ride more than just Everest and Big Thunder....and you might see where the world outside the purple gates might be coming from...

What time do you clock in tomorrow?

[tjstrike]

I could care less if the Yeti moves, I still love the ride, but I guess you should get what you're promised and pay for. I think Disney feels the same way, otherwise it would be fixed by now.