Former Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde Talks About the Strange Hair Ties on Expedition Everest

The Mystery of Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest has an unsolved mystery that only the Yeti may be able to answer. No one knows when or how it started but the mystery of the hair ties at the peak of Expedition Everest mystifies even retired Imagineer Joe Rohde himself.

Joe Rohde was the lead designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World and attractions including, but not limited to Pandora, Expedition Everest, and Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout.

If you have ever ridden Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest you might have noticed that once you reach the very summit where the tracks end (thanks Yeti) just off to your right is a shrine of hair ties of all colors and styles. Why are they there? Many guests have wondered and even the man behind Expedition Everest Joe Rohde has considered this very question.

Perhaps we could ask the Yeti himself but last I visited he didn’t seem to be up for visitors. Maybe good-natured guests noticed that he is having a bit of a bad hair day and offered up hair ties from their personal collection in a way to appease the mysterious and cantankerous creature.

Related- The First Look at Finding Nemo The Big Blue & Beyond in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

If you’re wondering if Disney removes them or just leaves them there you may be surprised to know that they do indeed remove them regularly. Guests just can’t stop making offerings to the Yeti. No one has been able to pinpoint when this ritual of sorts officially became a thing and why hair ties?

Joe Rohde Ponders the Bizarre Ritual

We may never know but Joe Rohde offers up this insight.

“More ritual behavior, the hair scrunchies! The hair tie thing at the top of Everest is Weird but also ritualistic. It violates the illusion of the scene, but it oddly parallels what people do at the top of a real Himalayan pass…which is to leave a rock. Obviously, someone started it, but what is significant is the huge number of people who follow along. What’s going on with that? It messes with the illusion of the fantasy place completely… However, it creates a very real interactive ceremony at the actual top of the highest point of the ride. I cannot condone this behavior partly because some poor person has to clean it up…but it does interest me.”

Related- Dining Review of Yak & Yeti in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Personally I usually have a death grip on the lap bar because I know I am about to be launched backward. How do you feel about this tossing of the hair tie ritual? Is this something you or someone you know participates in? Please share your theories with us on the mystery of hair ties, or if your brave enough ask the Yeti next time you see him.

Make sure to subscribe to Chip and Company on social media so you don’t miss out on any of the latest Disney news!

Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.

Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.

Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel

Who is your Travel Agent?(Required)

Let us pick for youEric HilesStacy ReedAbbey JohnsonAlisa SullivanAlli WillisAmanda FolsomAmanda VannAmber BrillhartAmber FisherAmy SieburnAndrea SmithAngela AndersonAngie BaycuraAnna PetrilliAnnabelle DuboseApril StefanskiAshley RamseyBeth ParsonsBetsy SantoroBrandie McQueenBrian BuckleyBridget HatchBryan SchwartzCandice SneedCarrie ButlerCarson DockumCasey BoltCharleen HortonChelsea RoyChelsea WuebkerChris BoyerChristie GrubeChristina FratturaChristina SmithCourtney WhiteCraig YoderDan MercedDanielle NorcrossDarby MouritsenDavid ForrestDeborah AlvaradoEmilee BiegelEmily MorrisFaith HakesGail HatchGreg MatzkerHelen HummerHolly CurryJackie CavistonJaclyn PepitoneJamie SwansonJeanine JordanJeff CallahanJenni MaierJennifer BrownJennifer StephensonJennifer StoessnerJessica HatfieldJessica HuffJessica WunderJoe GuertinJon CarpentierJoseph SliwaJulie McCombJustin BrownKat AttridgeKathryn EberhartKathy AndersonKatie HarrellKatie PrevotKayla CookKelsey SullensKim HelmsKimberly HutchinsonKristi GallagherKyle RamsdenLauren DewlenLeanne MonterLinda DurhamLindsay AckermannLindsey VromanLissette BritoLori HardyMallory MorrisonMandi QuinnMaranda PerkinsMarisa AlvaradoMegan TeismannMeghan BlairMelissa ReedMichele KlineMike BeyerMissy McCormickMisty DickersonNancy CasteelNicole ThorntonPatrick O'ConnorPaul SulPeyton Ward-KubikRaylene CooganRegan OstranderRobbie BulusRobert ThomasSara SolbergSarah McCandlishShanna BrowningShelley BennettShelly MetzStacy CristStacy KrzyminskiStacy SmithStephanie DraganoStephanie FerencStephanie WalshSusannah McCordTara SlusserTerri MillerTiffany DobraskiTiffany DrenkhahnTina FarmerTonya LesiukTracy DaneTroy DuncanVeronica RenteriaVicki FesslerWendy CarllWendy HauserWendy KellehanWendy Shelley

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Destination(Required)

Walt Disney WorldDisneyland ResortDisney Cruise LineAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaUniversal FloridaUniversal HollywoodRoyal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian or other Cruise LineI don't know yet

# of Adults(Required)

# of Children(Required)

Check-in-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Check-out-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Comments, Questions or Special Requests

Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!