Originally Posted By dshyates I'll try it again: <a href="http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hilll/archive/2009/02/06/test.aspx" target="_blank">http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/...est.aspx</a>
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<It's those antibiotics that's zapping your strength. >> Nah. It was a weekend that went by like it never existed, followed being up very early for an 8:45 meeting (I don't think it's a secret I am a Spirit of the night). And now I am tethered to a computer/phone for the rest of the day and have had no food yet and am in an ornery mood.
Originally Posted By dshyates "and am in an ornery mood.' <-----Runs to get popcorn and coke. This is gonna be good!?!
Originally Posted By MPierce >> And now I am tethered to a computer/phone for the rest of the day and have had no food yet and am in an ornery mood << Surely you have an emergency pizza delivery phone number close at hand!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^I doubt it ... because when the calls come in it'll be back to work for me. And then, if I am lucky, a run to Subway! Worse, the weaher here is near perfect today (mid-70s and sunny) and I am inside!!!
Originally Posted By MPierce >> "and am in an ornery mood.' <-----Runs to get popcorn and coke. This is gonna be good!?! << The only time I thought he wasn't onery was when he's asleep. Don't tell him I said that.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> And then, if I am lucky, a run to Subway! << I love their salads with chipotle dressing on it. Worse, the weaher here is near perfect today (mid-70s and sunny) and I am inside!!! It's like a beautiful day in April here also.
Originally Posted By jmuboy Its sad that an AA figure like the Yeti can't be maintained to remain functioning. Its such an important part of the ride's story. So is it just a static figure with a strobe light now?
Originally Posted By dshyates I like the Yeti statue. It so lifelike. Its a shame they can't make one that moves that would be WAY cool.
Originally Posted By MPierce Jim Hill saids >> Sadly, it’s going to be quite a while before this enormous AA figure takes any more swipes at tea trains. What’s the problem? In short, the Imagineers – back when they were designing the Yeti – didn’t take in account what the long term effects of continually operating an Audio Animatronic of this size might be. For all your engineers and physics fans out there, let me throw out a few quick stats. So that you can then get a rough understanding of the issues that WDI is dealing with here: This 22-foot tall AA figure weighs 20,000 pounds Because of the dramatic positioning of the Yeti (i.e. this fearsome creature literally hangs down from the ceiling as it takes swipes at passing trainloads of tourists) , in order to keep this AA figure airborne, the Imagineers could had to attach a structural boom to its back. Every 40 seconds, the 19 actuators that actually drive the Yeti have to move this huge Audio Animatronic 5 feet horizontally and two feet vertically … and then quickly reset for the next trainload of tourists To give you some idea of the amount of power we’re talking about here … Just the thrust of the Yeti’s arm has the equivalent amount of force to a 747 jumbo jet taking off The amount of power necessary to drive this 20,000 AA figure? Slightly over 259,000 pounds force Now picture a heavy-duty yet sophisticated machine like this – the largest, fastest moving AA figure in history -- having to work non-stop 10 - 12 hours each day, 365 days a year. With the vibrations caused by all those pounds force being used repeatedly resonating up through that structural boom that supports the Yeti and then down through the sled that actually drives this AA figure’s back-and-forth movement. In short, it’s the very force that drives the Yeti that caused this AA figure to break down. In the Imagineers’ quest to create a machine that looked & moved like this wild, living creature … Well, they built a robot that was almost destined to rip itself to shreds. That’s where the folks at Disney’s Animal Kingdom find themselves dealing with right now. Expedition Everest’s Yeti has multiple operational issues. In order to bring this AA figure back on line, get the Yeti once again performing in A mode (i.e. so that this enormous robot dramatically lunges at each tea train as it passes, lashing out with his arm at WDW Guests) is going to take months as well as a ridiculously large amount of money. And given that “Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain” is still a heavy attendance driver for Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, there’s just no way (particularly in this troubled economy) that WDW is going to be willing to take this thrill ride off-line for a lengthy repair. I mean, if you’re willing to overlook this one element of “Expedition Everest,” this DAK thrill ride is still wildly entertaining. As is evidenced by the 1800+ Guests who whiz around its 4,424-foot track every hour that this theme park is open to the public. So sorry if I’m the bearer of bad news here, Andrew. But it could be quite a while before this AA figure is back in A mode. <<
Originally Posted By barboy The lava monster at Journey to the Center of the earth in TDR's Disney Sea has worked all 20+ times I ridden...... and it too is a very large AA with fairly good movement. Universal's T rex just before the plunge on Jurassic Park both in Hollywood and Orlando has routinely worked on my 30-40 rides. And that AA is HUGE! Even the ex King Kongs at US's universal parks worked far more often than not and those were the largest AA's ever made for a theme park. I don't buy the size nor do I don't buy the weight as adequately explaining why Yeti doesn't work. An engineer or two messed up big time and now they're probably looking to blame Yeti's lack of animation on budget cuts and/or bean counters who are getting in the way of things.
Originally Posted By -em DAK is my favorite WDW park hands down (even with no Tarzan ) but I do wish it would get more love and flesh out the park a bit and get it up to a full day park (simply because when it closes at 5 and I work till 4 I never get to go stop by after work...) -em
Originally Posted By MPierce >> DAK is my favorite WDW park hands down (even with no Tarzan ) but I do wish it would get more love and flesh out the park a bit and get it up to a full day park (simply because when it closes at 5 and I work till 4 I never get to go stop by after work...) << I don't know why they don't do it -em. I wish someone could explain it to me. You are losing revenue by closing so early. AK just has so much untapped potential. I really would like to see the figures on attendance on EMH at this Park.
Originally Posted By barboy ///You are losing revenue by closing so early./// Yes, but the savings in costs to operate the park until 9-12 at night would far outweigh lost revenue. It would be beyond financially asinine to: run two more Nemo shows/one evening parade, use up additional electricity around the park, pay rides/custodial/vending cast for another 3-5 hrs. I mean guests are not going to suddenly ransack the shops for multiple purchases or hit the food stands and restaurants in that extra 3-5 hrs of park time. I wouldn't be surprised If I were to find out that for every $1 dollar spent by guests during that extra 3-5 hrs. that it costs Disney another $300 or much more.
Originally Posted By barboy ////Well, it would keep guests in the pak for the lucritive dinner hours.//// Even if AK had 7 sitdowns filled to the brim with night eaters there is no way that the revenue generated by those restaurants could pay for the additional opening hrs. park wide.......not even close. Now if the night restaurants were full and Disney only operated very select attractions and used a skeleton cast maybe, just maybe it might pencil out.
