Disney confirms 'Frozen' makeover coming to Epcot's Norway Pavilion

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
It's not even just a repurposed ride. Nobody at Disny expected the film to be a hit so that means Designing an attraction, which is usually a three year process, has been hurried through in something like half a year and at best like nine months. The annual haunt attractions that are starting to open get more time dedicated to design.
Which is funny because the Frozen movie we got was produced within about a year too.
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
It's not even just a repurposed ride. Nobody at Disny expected the film to be a hit so that means Designing an attraction, which is usually a three year process, has been hurried through in something like half a year and at best like nine months. The annual haunt attractions that are starting to open get more time dedicated to design.

How long does it take to build several high quality AAs, produce animation, arrange and record a score, and put all the prices together then program the ride profile? Good thing there are only 4 real show scenes.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
How long does it take to build several high quality AAs, produce animation, arrange and record a score, and put all the prices together then program the ride profile? Good thing there are only 4 real show scenes.
You're forgetting the long backstory that has to be written detailing how Elsa is also the pretender to the Norwegian thrown or something or other.
 

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
ROFLMAO.

First, can you count the other ten things from that press release that were not in the final park, seven years later? Like, every pavilion having an attraction, to begin with? Or the PeopleMover system that was supposed to give a tour?

So a people mover didn't get built... la dee da... People were asking what WS was supposed to be about.. I provided what THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY IN AN ANNUAL REPORT TO INVESTORS precisely what World Showcase was to be about. Oh and as far as every pavilion having an attraction, well, every pavilion IS AN ATTRACTION in and of itself. Attractions don't have to be rides ya know. Or maybe you don't.

Oh and wasn't every pavilion designed and partially built to house a ride? Let's see... Mexico has a ride, China has the movie, Norway has a ride, Germany was supposed to have the river ride (show building built and all), Japan was to have some sort of theater attraction, American Adventure has a show, Canada has a movie, France has the movie. Morocco, Italy and United Kingdom are the only pavilions I cannot recall any rides or shows having been planned for it. But I want to say Italy too was going to have a river ride, I could be mistaken.

Seriously, you guys are grasping at straws here - when WS opened in 1982 it was no more than it is today - a beautiful staging area for various activities like eating, drinking, and shopping. It is no closer to that PR piece written 40 years ago, the decade before it even opened - you might as well be pulling Walt's EPCOT out while you are at it, LOL.

When World Showcase opened up in 1982, and compared to today, I think they hit their mission statement quite accurately. Not one attraction/pavilion infested with characters. Instead, each attraction (pavilion) gave visitors a sample (never was meant to be a full fledged experience of that country, as per their you know MISSION STATEMENT), of the history, culture of said country. Every pavilion/attraction hit upon what they set out to do. And to this day, each pavilion STILL does. Except, well, Norway. They are taking a fictional kingdom in an animated movie and plopping it where it doesn't belong. Gran Fiesta Tour still does, at least, show case Mexican culture while the pavilion details the culture and history. China, Germany, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, American Adventure. They all do. Tell me, where is the Norwegian history and culture left in the Norway pavilion?

BTW, part of a country's culture is... ready for it??? The products they sell and, GASP the food/drinks!!! That isn't too hard to understand is it?

There is also nothing in there that says "we will not include characters in Epcot".

Wasn't trying to say characters don't belong in World Showcase. I personally don't feel they do, but that wasn't my point. Others made that argument. Not me. While I am personally against characters in World Showcase, I can accept them if the pavilions/attractions and rides are done to what World Showcase was always meant to be about. And that Annual Report details EXACTLY what World Showcase was meant to be about. Again, look at what it was meant to be about, not what they originally had planned to include. And you'll see they did exactly what they set out to do (minus a people mover). If you get your head out of your long enough that is.

Oh, I already thoughtfully provided the link above to a NORWEGIAN who has quite an interesting piece demonstrating exactly that - Norwegian Connections in Frozen.

As she says, "Those were a few details I noticed on my first viewing of Frozen, and despite some geographical confusion, the film has a beautiful Scandinavian/Northern European style throughout. I love How to Train Your Dragon as much as the next person, but I don’t think anyone can create a fantastical version of a culture quite like Disney."

Gee, that sure SOUNDS like it fits into even that outdated description you posted...

But what does a Norwegian know that we don't, right? ;)

You are one of the smarter members here, I think. You know the difference between INSPIRED BY and TAKES PLACE IN right? I know comprehension is very hard for a lot of the Disney online community. And I know it is very hard for the dust sniffers to comprhend that Disney isn't perfect and they make mistakes. But again, reading her quote, she called it exactly what is is FANTASTCIAL.. I.E. FANTASY... I.E. DOESN'T EXIST. And therefore, since the World Showcase, according to Disney, was meant to take guests into the country and give them a brief taste of the REAL culture, history, then FROZEN absoluetly does NOT fit, since, you know.. Arendelle isn't real and the movie DOES NOT TAKE PLACE IN NORWAY. It is fantasy, and has no business being in Norway.

Totally sorry, perhaps it's my monitor playing tricks on me - can you show me where Nordic Gods and Trolls were suddenly taken from the realm of fantasy and put into reality? We gotta get on that man - start a CNN iReport or something - folks gotta know! If those are suddenly real due to this discovery, who knows what else might be real? THERE COULD BE DRAGONS! And if so, I'm sure Disney has a crack team out there getting ready to capture one and bring it home and put it in it's "natural" environment constructed out of plexiglass and cement as only Disney knows how. ;)

Trolls are part of Norwegian folklore. Thus, it is part of the Norwegian culture. Fits their mission statement perfectly. As did the scene with the vikings, polar bear, and oil rig.

So keep trying. You keep digging your hole deeper and deeper. Let's see what nonsense you come up with now. Too bad I blew a hole into your already sad and flawed argument.
 

kucarachi

Active Member
I personally don't see how they are going to represent Norway & get their money's worth out of Frozen on a 2 min boat ride. There just isn't that much there to work with. I'm sure it will look great and make little girls go weeeeee! But when you have a guaranteed money maker you need to be careful not to soil it's reputation by not giving it A-list treatment. I would go as far to say they better reconsider cars land for Frozen land...young girls and their daddies money is what pays the bills and disney should know that.
 

Mr Anderson

Well-Known Member
At this point... honestly... I really hope this decision comes back to bite Disney right in their John Brown hind parts so they might make smarter decisions in the future. As much as I dislike Frozen (I really, really think the movie is a piece of garbage), as big of a hit as it is, it DESERVES a real ride, in it's own area, built from the ground up, with the usual amount of planning (not a rush job), and true Disney Imagineering... Not just a makeover of a current ride, aka shoe-horning it into a place where it doesn't belong (theme-wise), and will not fit (space-wise, capacity-wise). Seriously, it's going to be a cluster... errr... bomb in Norway/Arendelle/whatever-it-will-be-called when this happens.

And... all other arguments aside, can you imagine how MUCH MORE popular this ride would be, if they were to make a new castle in Magic Kingdom? ELSA'S ICE CASTLE! You can see it from all around, which gets the kids anxious and thrilled and filled with even more Disney Magic.

If Disney had the smarts to do this the right way... guess what? Nobody would be complaining.
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FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
Wow, a confusing trippy travelogue through Mexico with a Mary Blair-inspired holiday interlude got an update inspired by a movie which had a third act that was a confusing trippy travelogue through Mexico with a Mary Blair inspired holiday interlude.

Not to mention that other then the ride and the Donald meet outside, the pavilion is still focused on Mexico itself rather then the character gimmick. Norway's getting a Frozen Ride to join the Frozen Meet and Greet, the Frozen Exhibit, the Princess Dining that will probably add Frozen princesses, and giftshops mostly full of Frozen crap.
 

Lee

Adventurer
Partially.
The pavilion is intact, though. They didn't allow Donald and his two pals to take it over.
And even in the ride, it isn't about the characters or a movie tie-in. It's three characters acting as your guides through a ride that is still mostly about Mexico.

It would be comparable to this debate if they had put in a ride about the Three Caballeros cartoon and a large Donald Duck gift shop.
 

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