Former Imagineer and Disney Legend Joe Rohde says Disney plans to replace, not fix, the Yeti at Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Rohde shared the news on the Welcome Home Podcast, when discussing his new book, Floating Mountains. Rohde’s comments differ from what Disney says about the Yeti fix it announced at D23, which they called a repair of the current figure. Here’s what Rohde said about the Yeti.
Joe Rohde on the Expedition Everest Yeti Replacement vs Fix
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- What Joe Rohde said about Disney replacing the Yeti
- How his comments compare with what Disney said earlier
The comments came while Rohde discussed a chapter in his book about being adaptable. The comments add a new wrinkle to a story that began at D23. There, Disney said it was bringing the Yeti back to life after years in its stationary, strobe-lit B-Mode. Fans have waited a long time to see the figure move again, and Rohde says a new figure is on the way.
What Rohde Says Disney Is Planning
Rohde says he wrote the book believing, as he always had, that Imagineers would keep searching for a solution. After the book was finished and went to print, he says he learned about the plans to address the yeti. In his words, “To be clear, they are going to replace the Yeti.”
On a fix versus a complete replacement, Rohde says, “if they could fix the Yeti, they would have fixed the Yeti.” Rohde is also clear about the limits of what he knows. He says he does not know what the new Yeti will do, only that “they believe they have found a solution.”
While Rohde is retired and not a part of the Yeti project publicly, he remains connected to projects at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At the recent D23 Expo in August, he appeared on stage at the Imagineering pavilion to discuss the upcoming Tropical Americas project and the Indiana Jones attraction.
Walt Disney World did not respond to Rohde’s comments or an inquiry seeking clarification on replacing versus fixing the current figure. Disney previously said that the current figure would be repaired, not replaced, and that it would be located in the same spot in the attraction.
Why Rohde Says the Yeti Has to Move
Rohde says the solution for the yeti, or any problem, does not have to be a redo of what came before. He describes the Yeti’s job in the story as proving the creature is alive. In his words, its purpose is “to establish that it is real and that it is alive.” To do that, he says, the figure needs to move, which he calls the core story point. The specifics of what the yeti does matter less to him. That said, the original figure was extremely bold in its movement and certainly was a wow moment for guests who were able to experience it before it broke down.
Rohde also explains why the process takes so long. He says a solution has to be affordable, fit a workable window of time, and avoid challenges that could hit the schedule, since a missed schedule means you cannot try again. All of that sits on top of the logistics of getting the old Yeti out and a new one in on a ride that has stayed very popular even with a Yeti that does not move.
Story So Far
- June 2020: Rohde said there were no easy or timely solutions yet for fixing the Yeti.
- June 2023: Rohde said repair solutions existed but had not lined up into a workable opportunity across operations, finance, and engineering.
- August 2026: Disney confirmed the Yeti fix at D23 and said the Yeti would be brought back to life.
- August 2026: Disney said the work would fix the current figure instead of installing a new one.
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