Expedition Everest is one of the most popular attractions in Disney World. The combination of the car almost going off the track to going backward makes for a thrilling ride. However, the animatronic Yeti has been broken for nearly 20 years. Because of this Disney will remove the Yeti permanently from the ride.
The Yeti is one of the most impressive animatronics ever made. Initially, when Expedition Everest opened, it swiped at the cars as they traveled by. However, there were huge structural concerns because of the magnitude of the yeti. Because of this, Disney quickly put it into B-mode. The Yeti animatronic remained, but it didn’t move. Instead, Disney added a strobe light effect. This led to the fitting nickname for him, “Disco Yeti”.
Every time Disney closes Expedition Everest for a refurbishment, the rumors swirl that Disco Yeti will be fixed and working again. However, time after time, that proves to not be the case. With each reopening, guests are disappointed that the yeti still doesn’t work. Disney has finally decided to kill off the Yeti for good.
Why is Disney Getting Rid of The Expedition Everest Yeti?
The reason Disney put the Yeti into B-mode in the first place was for structural integrity. When they built the Yeti, they didn’t anticipate the problems it would bring. The Yeti is 25 feet tall, making it one of the largest and most expensive animatronics ever made. The movement from this animatronic created massive wear and tear on the Expedition Everest ride structure.
Disney had a decision to make. Close the attraction for potentially a year or longer to fix the Yeti, or just turn it off and keep the attraction operational. So far in the almost 20 years since Expedition Everest opened, Disney has been unable to fix the Yeti during short refurbishments. It will take an extensive closure to fix the Yeti and they aren’t willing to do that.
What Will Replace the Broken Yeti Animatronic?
During the next Expedition Everest refurbishment, Disney will remove the Yeti animatronic permanently. This is unfortunate news because the yeti is so lifelike and intimidating. Disney will replace the yeti with a screen. It will look like the shaman from the Na’vi River journey when that goes into B-mode. See the picture below to get an idea of what the Yeti will look like.
The screen will allow the yeti to look like it is moving again. However, it will only be a projection, not an amazing animatronic like it once was. However, there is some good news. Disney removing the Yeti animatronic allows them to try and fix it. Maybe they can get it working again.
This will be the first time the animatronic is removed from Expedition Everest since its opening. Disney will be able to work on the yeti and fix the problems that it creates. They are likely going to start from scratch, use sophisticated engineering computer programs, and try to fix the yeti for good. There is no timing on this, but we don’t expect the Yeti to be fully operational for at least 2-3 years or more. Of course, none of this matters if Aninmal Kingdom closes.
What do you think of Disney removing the yeti animatronic from Expedition Everest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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