The Yeti has probably been my biggest disappointment with Disney in the last 10 years. In the beginning, the whole attraction was marketed by Disney with the AA Yeti as the highlight. Even the Stacy top 7 attractions at Walt Disney World (you know, the show on your resort room TV) showed the Yeti in perfect form swinging his arm and shaking his head at you as you passed underneath him.
Fast forward about 2 years after the attraction was open. Reports from Disney fans and DISers said the Yeti was not working most of the time. Somedays he worked great and most others he had a strobe light on him to give the appearance he was moving. This happened over the next 2 years causing us to differentiate his behaviors in either A mode or B mode. Speculation of his status caused us loyal Disney fans to draw our own conclusions as to why he wasn't working; like his foundation was cracking, Disney can't generate enough continual PSI for the Yeti to work, etc, etc.
Now over the past year he hasn't been in A mode (fully functional) at all. In fact, Disney wasn't using the strobe light (B mode) very much. He's been sitting lifeless sometimes with a constant light on him or in total darkness. This has been the case for some time causing us to give him a new status....C Mode.
Like Lisa (WaltD4Me) said, if you are a first time rider to Expedition Everest you wouldn't even know he was broken. You probably didn't even see him to begin with. I know I've asked riders about the Yeti and they refer to his shadow scene and never mention the AA in the final seen. They think his shadow is their encounter with the Yeti, not the AA.
I guess I'm disappointed in 2 fronts. They can't seem to fix the Yeti. I understand there are cost, structural, and technological challenges. I get that, but instead of making progress towards fixing him Disney has seemed to go backwards in their efforts to bring him to life. The perception is they don't care about the ride experience for this attraction. It's almost like the "Elephant in the Room" for the Animal Kingdom. It's a project that's been ignored because no one really wants to address it. It's not a easy fix or simple solution.
The other thing that bothers me about it is the public relations aspect. Would it really kill Disney to publish a communication about what's wrong with it? Send out a press release or post a blog about what's going on? That would go a loooonnng way to cutting off speculation and show Disney understands the situation. There are enough of us loyal fans out there who deserve to know. We aren't first time visitors anymore. We are not fooled by the strobe light or the constant light that shines on the Yeti. We already know he's broke. A simple press release would show they care about our perception and that Disney wants to try and fix it.
Ok...I'm off the soapbox now.