Former Imagineer Joe Rohde says Disney plans to replace Expedition Everest’s broken Yeti instead of repairing it. Disney has promised to bring the Yeti back but hasn’t said how or when.
Joe Rohde, the Imagineer behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Expedition Everest, says Disney plans to swap out the ride’s famous broken Yeti for a new one.
Rohde made the comments on the Welcome Home Podcast in an interview that started making the rounds on Oct. 7. Disney hasn’t confirmed his version of the plan.
“If they could fix the Yeti, they would have fixed the Yeti,” Rohde said, according to Main Street Mouse.
What did Joe Rohde say about the Expedition Everest Yeti?
Rohde said Disney’s plan is to replace the figure. He was careful to say he doesn’t know the details.
“I only know that they believe they have found a solution,” he said. “I’m retired. Nobody owes me anything,” he added, as quoted by Disney Tourist Blog.
Rohde left Disney in January 2021 after about 40 years with the company. He was promoting his new book, Floating Mountains: The Art of Imagining the Impossible, during the interview.
You can watch the full interview below. The Yeti talk starts around the 5:20 mark.
What has Disney said about fixing the Yeti?
Disney made the promise official at D23 in August. The company said the Yeti “will be brought back to life.”
Thomas Mazloum, chairman of Disney Experiences, put it this way: “We’re bringing the Yeti back to life inside Expedition Everest.”
That’s where Disney’s details stop. There’s no closure date, no timeline and no word on whether the Yeti will be repaired or rebuilt.
Disney Tourist Blog reported that at D23, Disney told members of the media it planned to fix the current figure where it stands. That’s secondhand, and it doesn’t match what Rohde described. Until Disney says more, both versions are on the table.
Why did the Yeti stop working?
The Yeti broke almost as soon as the ride opened.
Expedition Everest opened at Animal Kingdom on April 7, 2006. Its Yeti stands about 25 feet tall, and when it was built it was Disney’s largest and most complex Audio-Animatronic.
The figure was supposed to lunge at riders as the train rushed past. But the structure supporting it failed within months, and Disney shut off the full motion.
Since then, the Yeti has run in what fans call “B mode.” A strobe light flashes on the motionless figure to fake movement. Fans have a nickname for it: Disco Yeti.
How big is Expedition Everest?
The mountain itself is 199.5 feet tall. That’s just under 200 feet, the height where federal aviation rules would call for a warning light on top.
Riders board a train in Serka Zong, a made-up Himalayan village, and head up the mountain. The track appears to be torn apart, the train stops, and then it races backward into the dark. The Yeti is waiting near the end of the ride.
Is Expedition Everest closing for the Yeti fix?
Not yet, as far as anyone has announced. Disney hasn’t posted a refurbishment date for Everest.
The Yeti is built into the mountain, and the original failure was in the structure that holds it up. Disney hasn’t said whether Everest will close for the work.
There’s already one change riders will notice. The ride’s Single Rider line ended on Sept. 21, Kenny the Pirate reported.
When will the Yeti be fixed?
Nobody outside Disney knows yet.
The D23 promise means it’s officially on the to-do list. Rohde’s comments suggest the plan is a full replacement. And the lack of a date suggests it isn’t happening in the next few weeks.
For now, the Yeti is still there, still flashing, and about 20 years into its strobe-light era. If you’re riding Everest this fall, wave at Disco Yeti while you can.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Welcome Home Podcast, Oct. 2026: Joe Rohde interview
The Walt Disney Company, Aug. 15, 2026: D23 promise to bring the Yeti back
Main Street Mouse, Oct. 7, 2026: Rohde quotes
WDW News Today, Oct. 7, 2026: Rohde quotes and book
Disney Tourist Blog, Oct. 8, 2026: Rohde comments, D23 repair report
Kenny the Pirate, Oct. 8, 2026: Thomas Mazloum quote, Single Rider change
Disney Food Blog, Aug. 17, 2026: Yeti size, history and B mode
WDWMagic, April 2011: Expedition Everest opening date
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