Expedition Everest’s broken Yeti animatronic has appeared in an unexpected place, down the road from Walt Disney World Resort.Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain opened in Asia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park on April 7, 2006. Unlike many other reproduced Disney Park attractions, this towering roller coaster is exclusive to Walt Disney World Resort. When the attraction opened, it concluded with jaw-dropping Yeti animatronic lunging toward guests.At the time, the Yeti was Walt Disney Imagineering’s largest and most complex audio-animatronic. At 25 feet tall, the monster made a terrifying five-foot move toward riders as they barreled through a mountain cave. But just months after the ride opened, catastrophe struck.Credit: D23Months after Expedition Everest opened in 2006, the Yeti’s framing split, compromising its structural integrity. If the animatronic continued moving, it posed a serious safety risk to guests. Walt Disney Imagineers installed a strobe light pointed at the Yeti to simulate movement, earning the infamous “Disco Yeti” nickname among dismayed Disney Parks fans.Disney Legend and former Imagineer Joe Rohde addressed the Yeti animatronic during a panel at D23 Expo 2013.Credit: Disney“You have to understand, it’s a giant complicated machine sitting on top of, like, a 46-foot tall tower in the middle of a finished building,” he said. “So, it’s really hard to fix, but we are working on it. And we continue to work on it. We have tried several ‘things’, none of them quite get to the key, turning of the 40-foot tower inside of a finished building, but we are working on it… I will fix the Yeti someday, I swear.”Sadly, Rohde retired in 2021, and “Disco Yeti” remains motionless and a sore spot for many Disney Parks fans. But Universal Orlando Resort recently brought the Yeti animatronic to life in an unexpected way.Credit: DisneyUniversal Orlando Resort included several tributes to the Expedition Everest Yeti animatronic in the 2025 Mardi Gras Tribute Store – Legends of the Bayou at Universal Studios Florida. TikTok user @happily_ever_after_hanna shared this video explaining all the ways Universal “threw shade” at its theme park neighbor: @happily_ever_after_hanna Did you catch this detail in the Mardi Gras tribute store? as neighbors, Universal & Disney World sometimes like to throw shade at each other lol #universalorlando #universalstudios #universal #disney #disneyworld #waltdisneyworldresort #disneysanimalkingdom #animalkingdom #expeditioneverest #discoyeti #yeti #disneyparks #kendricklamar #mardigras #universalorlandoresort #universalmardigras #shade #funny #themeparks #themeparktiktok #orlando ♬ Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar One of the store’s displays is a spinning Yeti figure illuminated by disco lights. Nearby, a post-it note reminds the team to “Call Joe About Parts,” potentially a reference to Joe Rohde.Guests can even bring “Disco Yeti” home! The store sells a sticker reading “World’s Only Actively Moving Yeti Display!” with a drawing of a familiar mountain structure and the shadow of a Yeti.Credit: Universal Orlando ResortThe Mardi Gras Tribute Store is open until the end of Universal Orlando Resort’s annual Mardi Gras celebration on March 30.Did you get the chance to see the Expedition Everest Yeti animatronic in action? Share your memories with Inside the Magic in the comments. The post Universal Studios Fixes Disney World’s Broken Yeti Animatronic appeared first on Inside the Magic.