The Expedition Everest Yeti Gets a Steady Floodlight, and Blog Mickey Says Its Lunge Mechanism Now Shows

The Disco Yeti has company: a light that stays on. Riders on Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom are now getting a much clearer look at the broken Yeti, because a constant floodlight now shines on the figure alongside the strobe that earned it its nickname.

Two Disney fan sites, Blog Mickey and WDW News Today, reported the change on Friday, October 23. Neither says exactly when the new light first appeared.

The Yeti under the new lighting. Blog Mickey says it brightened its photos to pull out detail, and that the scene is brighter than before but "not exactly this bright." Photo: Blog Mickey

What changed

The Yeti has not moved for most of the ride's life. WDW News Today blames a cracked foundation, and Disney has long used a flashing strobe to make the still figure seem to move, which is where fans got the "Disco Yeti" name.

That strobe is still there. What has changed is a light that does not flash. WDW News Today: "In addition to the strobe light, there is a constant floodlight on the yeti, making the character much more visible in the scene." Blog Mickey says the Yeti "has sat in a strobe-lit 'B-Mode' for more than a decade," and that the strobe now has a steady light running with it.

Disney has tried this before. In July 2017, WDW News Today reported a two-week test that put a bright light on the Yeti while the strobe kept flashing.

What you can see now

Both outlets say the figure's fur and the broken beams around it are much easier to make out. WDW News Today points to the fangs, and Blog Mickey to the claws and teeth. The bigger reveal is behind the Yeti. Blog Mickey: "We can even see the mechanism behind the Yeti that would push it out to lunge at guests. That detail was basically impossible to spot before."

The floodlit Yeti and its claws, seen from the ride. Photo: WDW News Today

Blog Mickey heard riders say "the yeti is back" and "they've fixed it." They have not, at least not yet. The Yeti is still not moving.

Is this the fix starting?

It is not clear yet. Blog Mickey says Walt Disney World "has not yet responded to our question about whether the recent lighting change means work is underway on the fix/replacement," and Disney has not announced a timeline.

Disney confirmed at D23 in August that it would bring the Yeti back to life, as we reported at the time. What happens to the current figure is still disputed. Blog Mickey reports that Disney has said the existing figure will be repaired and left where it is, while former Imagineer Joe Rohde, who led the design of Disney's Animal Kingdom, has since said that Disney will replace it instead. We covered his comments on October 7.

Disney's concept art for the returning Yeti, released at D23 in August. Image: Disney

So for now, the Yeti is the same Yeti, just easier to see. Is a well-lit Yeti an improvement, or did the strobe hide the problem better?

Sources

• Blog Mickey, "Disco Yeti Receives Always-On Lighting at Expedition Everest" (October 23, 2026)
• WDW News Today, "Disco Yeti Effect Replaced by Bright New Light on Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom" (October 23, 2026)
• WDW News Today, "VIDEO: Animal Kingdom Testing Full-Bright Lighting on the Broken Yeti in Expedition Everest" (July 12, 2017)

Image credits: Blog Mickey (floodlit Yeti), WDW News Today (ride view), Disney (concept art).