I’ve been checking out fan-favorite and new attractions at Walt Disney World for years, and there’s one I’ve actually never once seen working properly. That would be Expedition Everest, the delightful coaster (with a big twist) located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. For years, the ride has been plagued by the affectionately coined Disco Yeti, but Disney just gave us the update we’ve been waiting for: The park is fixing the Yeti.
Color me surprised. If you’ve been on Expedition Everest you know the Yeti is huge. It’s 25-feet tall, and when it was initially built it could move within a five foot range horizontally, and could even move more than a foot vertically. The gigantic animatronic broke shortly after the ride’s opening back in 2006, and in my time visiting the parks, it never really moved. Yet Disney announced Live at D23 the Yeti will be back and functioning.
Roaring with excitement over this update 🎢 We're bringing the Yeti back to life inside Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom 🌳 #D23 #WaltDisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/FHpe1rvqBhAugust 16, 2026
I honestly never believed there would be a day the Yeti would move again, particularly after the ride went through a refurb back in 2022 and the Yeti didn’t get fixed. For decades now, the quietly imposing former animatronic has sat proudly in a key scene on the ride, but it hasn’t moved an inch. Some years ago, Disney relit the monstrous creature so that there’s a strobe light effect that sort of makes it feel as if the creature is moving. Almost no one got the chance to really see the original animatronic in action, though, and it really felt like a long-forgotten dream.
It’s not just me. This has been a popular topic on the Internet for so long, though some fans had much more belief in the Yeti than I did. That’s mostly because it’s not an issue with the Yeti itself. The structure supporting the creature was giving away shortly after the original ride opened, which led to a complex set of issues with the ride. Fixing the Yeti has allegedly never had an easy solution.
Yet, many dared to dream. After the news broke at D23, frequent parkgoers shared their thoughts.
- #fixtheyeti yeahhhh baby!!!! After all these years of tweeting I never stopped believing. -@car_juank
- I'M JUST HAPPY WE'RE FINALLY, FINALLY FIXING THE YETI AT EVEREST -@Little_Alt_Girl
So, yes, a lot of similar comments to these were made and a slew of theme parkgoers really feel like some of the announcements, which also included the return of Figment to the parks and Spaceship Earth redo, are catering to things the fans have really wanted for a long time.
Although it’s worth noting not everyone believes the Yeti will actually be fixable. Many are worried this made for a splashy announcement, but wonder if Disney will be able to put its money where its mouth is.
- I think everything this year felt kind of realistic (except perhaps the Yeti, depending on the plan….and of course they might actually have to do this for different structural reasons? Who knows? :)) - @disneypicaday
- I like how they are investing in their popular attractions and refurbishing. Maintenance and refresh is critical especially for an old park like Disney. So ya bring back the Yeti. It shows that they care…. But let’s see if it happens -@whatifmultivers
- My only concern is Disney has been known in the past to announce something and then things change and the announcement is quietly shelved. (I.e. Mary Poppins). And this is my concern for Spaceship Earth and disco Yeti too. I'm hopeful but cautious. -@SharonHeartSwel
I, for one, really hope this is not hot air being blown around. Over the last few years, we’ve seen some remarkable animatronics coming down the pipeline, and with Epic Universe opening, the achievement that is Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment has doubtless put a little pressure on Disney to up its game. If that means the Yeti will soon move, I’m here for it.
Now, let's just fix that mass grave of hair ties.
