EPCOT Anna, Elsa and Kristoff Audio-Animatronics refresh coming to Frozen Ever After in EPCOT

[DCBaker]

Disney has announced the Anna, Elsa and Kristoff Audio-Animatronics will soon receive new updates to bring a more true-to-film look in early 2026 at Frozen Ever after in EPCOT:

And, in a full circle moment of innovation, the Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff Audio-Animatronics figures will soon receive new updates after ten years of delighting fans in Frozen Ever After. Taking inspiration from the advancements seen in figures at World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland, the Frozen Ever After figures will face the future of Audio-Animatronics (see what I did there?)

Early next year, this investment will bring a more true-to-film look for these beloved characters. Just looking at the photos from Hong Kong Disneyland, I can tell we’re in for a treat here at Walt Disney World!

First Look: New and Updated Audio-Animatronics at Disney World

Get a first look at the new and updated Zootopia, Frozen, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets Animatronics at Disney World.

disneyparksblog.com

 

[Surferboy567]

Wow, what a welcome change!

 

[GhostHost1000]

“Well we took the cheaper approach and they look really bad after they did it right in Hong Kong, so we’ll redo it now and that way both designers can celebrate and get a bonus”

“While you’re at Epcot, please walk past the broken lights with random screws and holes drilled in them and enjoy our Encanto sing along and DJ ruining all the Epcot vibes while purchasing your popcorn bucket”

 

[SweetDuffy101]

Finally wdw catching up with the rest of the world.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Thank god! I'm glad they're actually putting the money into doing this rather than just continuing to coast along with the current (creepy) face projection audio-animatronics.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Glad to see this! I enjoy the ride but the faces really were not good and a bit creepy.

Nice to see things like this happening when they certainly didn't need to do this - it attracts large lines/prime use of LL as it is

 

[Brer Oswald]

I’ll give them props. Never thought they’d do this. FEA isn’t an amazing ride, but this will make it a bit better.

 

[JustInTime]

“Well we took the cheaper approach and they look really bad after they did it right in Hong Kong, so we’ll redo it now and that way both designers can celebrate and get a bonus”

“While you’re at Epcot, please walk past the broken lights with random screws and holes drilled in them and enjoy our Encanto sing along and DJ ruining all the Epcot vibes while purchasing your popcorn bucket”

Some are never happy and make this an absolute miserable place to be. Why even be part of a WDW forum anymore at this point?

 

[GhostHost1000]

Some are never happy and you make this an absolute miserable place to be. Why even be part of a WDW forum anymore at this point?

I’m actually posting from here on property. I enjoy WDW, they just make some REALLY dumb decisions at times.

Like raising pricing on APs, lightning lanes, etc while attendance is down and lots of construction walls are up. Hopefully Bob can use the extra income for a moving company soon

 

[G&CsMom]

Although not my favorite ride, we do ride it at least once per trip. The faces have always been creepy and their "skin" colors don't match making it look terrible. Even worse when the faces go blank. Happy to see such a popular attraction finally get better animatronics to enhance the experience.

 

[Emamba]

Any idea how long a process like this could take? Have a trip in early February and hoping it could be done by then!

 

[JustInTime]

I’m actually posting from here on property. I enjoy WDW, they just make some REALLY dumb decisions at times.

Like raising pricing on APs, lightning lanes, etc while attendance is down and lots of construction walls are up. Hopefully Bob can use the extra income for a moving company soon

Every company makes dumb decisions. It’s just why does everything have to be so negative? And the fact that you clearly still go and enjoy WDW and then bash and post online makes it even more frustrating and fake.

You will be 100% happier if you try not to view and post everything in a negative light. It’s not just you - it’s a lot of people.

This is a positive update we never thought we’d get. And that’s it. No spin needed!

 

[GhostHost1000]

Every company makes dumb decisions. It’s just why does everything have to be so negative? And the fact that you clearly still go and enjoy WDW and then bash and post online makes it even more frustrating and fake.

You will be 100% happier if you try not to view and post everything in a negative light. It’s not just you - it’s a lot of people.

This is a positive update we never thought we’d get. And that’s it. No spin needed!

Because I’m a fan who spends a ton of money there and has for MANY years, seen the best of WDW, don’t like some of the directions they are taking, and expect more?

If they focused more on the guest experience than the almighty dollar like they used to, they wouldn’t redo or replace so many things and could spend that money to expand instead

Looks like price increase will help pay for the new Frozen AA faces though

 

[Dranth]

Because I’m a fan who spends a ton of money there and has for MANY years, seen the best of WDW, don’t like some of the directions they are taking, and expect more?

If they focused more on the guest experience than the almighty dollar like they used to, they wouldn’t redo or replace so many things and could spend that money to expand instead

Looks like price increase will help pay for the new Frozen AA faces though

Na, any price increases will help pay the tariffs they have been eating so far.

 

[Horizons '83]

“Well we took the cheaper approach and they look really bad after they did it right in Hong Kong, so we’ll redo it now and that way both designers can celebrate and get a bonus”

“While you’re at Epcot, please walk past the broken lights with random screws and holes drilled in them and enjoy our Encanto sing along and DJ ruining all the Epcot vibes while purchasing your popcorn bucket”

Honestly curious, was it a cheaper approach or was it because the tech hadn't evolved at the time they create Frozen Ever After?

 

[Dranth]

Honestly curious, was it a cheaper approach or was it because the tech hadn't evolved at the time they create Frozen Ever After?

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding was always that they thought it was going to be cheaper, but it didn't turn out that way. They ended up being a lot more maintenance than they had planned.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Great news!!!!!!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding was always that they thought it was going to be cheaper, but it didn't turn out that way. They ended up being a lot more maintenance than they had planned.

that is my understanding as well - it wasn't necessarily cheaper upfront and rather was newer technology that they thought they could get more expression out of the figures, etc, but that it would require less maintenance so would prove to be cheaper in the long term, but that turned out to not be the case as the projectors need more frequent adjustments, etc.

 

[Gusey]

Honestly curious, was it a cheaper approach or was it because the tech hadn't evolved at the time they create Frozen Ever After?

At the time, that was the latest types of animatronics they had been creating, as they used it for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in 2014, and Frozen Ever After came out in 2016. It took Na'vi River Journey to change animatronics again

 

[James Alucobond]

Wow, a welcome and unexpected change. More proactive enhancement in the future, please. I'd love to see similar attention to the obvious design mistakes in Under the Sea, for instance.