The Sad Case Of The Florida Yeti

Florida is home to more than just Skunk Apes. The state has its own Yeti, too, and even though it may not stink like a Skunk Ape, its history certainly does. In fact, your chance of glimpsing the creature has become less likely than seeing the real thing.

Here's a brief summary of the character's abominable history:

Ten years ago the Walt Disney Company sent its designers to the Himalayas to research a new thrill ride that would be literally "built around" the Abominable Snowman. It opened in 2006 as "Expedition Everest" in the company's Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando.

The roller coaster ride was engineered on tracks that wrapped around a replica Mt. Everest, which itself was constructed around the gigantic 22-foot-tall animatronic Yeti, the largest robotic character the company had ever produced.

There was a problem, though. The Yeti was supposed to reach down toward the passing tourists and just miss their vehicle as they escaped to the end of their journey. But the force of the monster's thrusting arm was so enormous that shortly after the ride opened, a crack developed in the figure's base that posed an immediate danger of collapse should the figure be operated again without repairing the damage.

That was easier said than done, however. Because the creature's size required that the ride be built around it, the entire mountain would have to be dismantled at a cost of millions of dollars and many months of downtime.

Disney opted instead to simply turn off the main lights in the Yeti's lair and install a strobe that flashed to simulate movement in the stationary figure, causing it to be nicknamed "Disco Yeti."

Unfortunately, though, the lighting doesn't even strobe effectively anymore. Now the figure is barely perceptible, and most riders barely notice a hint of orange fur above them as they pass beneath the creature.

That is all very unfortunate, because travelers passing through both the regular and "Fast Pass" lines see hundreds of fascinating real and replica artifacts collected or recreated by Disney researchers—including statues, footprint castings, and other memorabilia—all of which were intended to prime riders for their ultimate encounter with the impressive creation.

The Yeti itself was based on actual reports and legendary descriptions, and it has a more "authentic" reddish appearance than one would expect looking at all the white-fur Yetis featured in the ride's gift shop. Presumably the darker Yeti would confuse tourists conditioned to expect a white "Abominable Snowman" by depictions in popular culture. (American tourists in particular see a brown Yeti and think of something closer to home.)

Disney's Yeti is impressive enough that it's a shame it can't simply be enjoyed as a still figure. Is it really better to keep it hidden than to just show it to us for a few moments, immobile though it may be? If you must, hinge its mouth, or make its eyes open and close...anything to make you think it's worth showing to us again. It's too amazing to let it just lurk in the shadows...we already have Yetis that do that!