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Credit: DisneyWhen Walt Disney World Resort’s newest theme park — Animal Kingdom — opened in 1998, fans were blown away by just how close they could get to majestic animals like giraffes, zebras, and gorillas. They also loved how immersive the theme park was and how incredible the attractions were. And things at Animal Kingdom got even better when Pandora: The World of Avatar opened in 2017.
However, as much as many guests love Animal Kingdom, many still consider it a half-day park. Of course, it’s entirely possible that you might spend your whole day there if the lines are bad enough.
Related: Disney World Gets Green Light To Relocate Part of Animal Kingdom Theme Park
While there are many great things to see and do at Animal Kingdom, one of its earlier attractions remains one of the most popular.
As part of the theme park’s fifth-year celebration, Disney announced that a new roller coaster was coming. That roller coaster was Expedition Everest, which takes guests on a wild train ride through the Himalayan mountains, where they encounter the mythical and dangerous Yeti.
One of the attraction’s most amazing features was the Yeti’s ability to move and try to grab guests. It was the most complex animatronic Disney Imagineers had ever created. The ride is exhilarating, scary, and tons of fun.
Related: Thrill-Seekers Ultimate Guide to Disney’s Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest officially opened on April 7, 2006, and has become a pivotal must-do attraction on many people’s vacations.
Unfortunately, after just two years, the large Yeti feature stopped functioning, and it has remained broken ever since. However, with Disney’s renewed interest in fixing long-broken things, guests are hoping the Yeti might be part of that equation.
First, Imagineers fixed the moving cannon feature on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland Park, which had been broken for nearly six years. Then, they also fixed the dripping water feature at Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That feature had been missing from the attraction for more than two decades!
Related: Leaked: Disney World’s ‘Twilight Zone’ Ride To Be Changed After 25 Years
With all the changes being made after years of being neglected, it is easy to see why some people are hoping that Disney will figure out a way to bring the Yeti back to life.
First the Rise of the Resistance canons, then this, could the Yeti be next?
First the Rise of the Resistance canons, then this, could the Yeti be next? https://t.co/Zv0IjRlAXT
— Peter Sciretta (@PeterSciretta) February 16, 2025
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Unfortunately, fixing the Yeti would be an enormous undertaking, involving dismantling most of the ride.
Because the Yeti was so large and so heavy, its movements began affecting the roller coaster’s structural integrity. So, Disney could not have the Yeti continue to work without risking the attraction and the safety of the guests riding it.
However, fixing the Yeti is not completely impossible. Former Imagineer Joe Rohde told fans that many things would need to converge at the right time, including finance, operations, and marketing. He said that, sadly, there were solutions to the problem, but not opportunities to fix it.
Mr. Rohde was one of the chief architects of Animal Kingdom, and one of the brilliant minds behind Expedition Everest. Sadly, he left Disney in 2021, further dashing hopes that the Yeti will ever be fixed.
When it comes to Disney, we can never say never. So, a little piece of us will always hold out hope that one day, the Yeti will be back in all its glory!
Do you think Disney should prioritize fixing the Yeti on Expedition Everest? Should they just close the ride and do everything they can to restore the feature? Or is the attraction just as much fun without it?