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

flyerjab

flyerjab

Well-Known Member
I remember when the 7DMT animatronics debuted, they were the most up-to-date projected-face figures at the time and everyone raved about those. For whatever reason those really work well and still do.

What is interesting is how they don’t work for Anna and Elsa in FEA. This is me being under the assumption that both use the same tech. This is a plussing that is both unexpected and welcome!

I will add two more points on the AAs in this ride. It has one of the better AAs in the opening scene with Olaf. I have always found that AA to be excellent in terms of movement. Also, if I’m not mistaken, doesn’t Olaf have projected eyes? My other point is for the troll figure. If that is using the same tech as Anna and Elsa, I hope that they don’t change it because it really works on that particular figure.
 
flyerjab

flyerjab

Well-Known Member
DCBaker said:
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!

View attachment 886879View attachment 886880

disneyparksblog.com

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 disneyparksblog.com
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As I kept reading I began to wonder if another certain AA was going to be getting fixed. Had that been announced Joe Rohde might have purchased a few more earrings to celebrate.
 
Tha Realest

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
JustInTime said:
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?
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Because the company often does less than the bare minimum in its Parks while also lauding how profitable they are? This is a good change and will improve the guest experience, but many of the rest of the things in the park - those things the OP mentioned, and even entire pavilions - have inexcusably languished.
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
flyerjab said:
I remember when the 7DMT animatronics debuted, they were the most up-to-date projected-face figures at the time and everyone raved about those. For whatever reason those really work well and still do.

What is interesting is how they don’t work for Anna and Elsa in FEA. This is me being under the assumption that both use the same tech. This is a plussing that is both unexpected and welcome!

I will add two more points on the AAs in this ride. It has one of the better AAs in the opening scene with Olaf. I have always found that AA to be excellent in terms of movement. Also, if I’m not mistaken, doesn’t Olaf have projected eyes? My other point is for the troll figure. If that is using the same tech as Anna and Elsa, I hope that they don’t change it because it really works on that particular figure.
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The 7DMT figures look better for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is because the beards hide the unsightly dark seam where the projection stops (Dopey is an exception and he's the worst looking one as a result IMO). Secondly, the physical features stand out far more than the more "normal" human faces of the Frozen characters. They have huge exaggerated noses and jaws and it helps the eye and mouth blend better for some reason. The Frozen figures have more flattened features and causes the projection to stand out more. I'd even say the environment lighting on 7DMT tends to suit the effects better (the gems glow and it sort of feels more natural that they would cast a bit of light on the dwarfs' faces, so a bit of brightness kind of makes sense).

The dwarfs would still almost certainly look better if they were switched over to a fully physical face. There's still a bit of a dullness to them, and they're blurrier than physical features would be. But as-is, they're better than most projected faces.

The trolls probably won't change. The versions at Hong Kong and Tokyo still opted for projected features on those figures. And for somewhat similar reasons as the 7DMT figures, the facial projection looks better on the trolls than it does on Elsa, Anna and Kristoff.
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
flyerjab said:
As I kept reading I began to wonder if another certain AA was going to be getting fixed. Had that been announced Joe Rohde might have purchased a few more earrings to celebrate.
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There is probably a cost-related reason behind this upgrade. I can't find it at the moment, but there was a video interview with some of the imagineers who worked on the version at Hong Kong. They actually discussed some of the reasons why they went with physical faces instead of projected ones and made direct comparisons with the one at Epcot. Aside from looking a lot better, they also said that the projections were actually more troublesome to maintain and degraded much quicker.
 
TheMaxRebo

TheMaxRebo

Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat said:
The 7DMT figures look better for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is because the beards hide the unsightly dark seam where the projection stops (Dopey is an exception and he's the worst looking one as a result IMO). Secondly, the physical features stand out far more than the more "normal" human faces of the Frozen characters. They have huge exaggerated noses and jaws and it helps the eye and mouth blend better for some reason. The Frozen figures have more flattened features and causes the projection to stand out more. I'd even say the environment lighting on 7DMT tends to suit the effects better (the gems glow and it sort of feels more natural that they would cast a bit of light on the dwarfs' faces, so a bit of brightness kind of makes sense).

The dwarfs would still almost certainly look better if they were switched over to a fully physical face. There's still a bit of a dullness to them, and they're blurrier than physical features would be. But as-is, they're better than most projected faces.

The trolls probably won't change. The versions at Hong Kong and Tokyo still opted for projected features on those figures. And for somewhat similar reasons as the 7DMT figures, the facial projection looks better on the trolls than it does on Elsa, Anna and Kristoff.
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I think it is largely just the full faces in the Frozen ones and where those meet the necks, etc .... Whereas for the draws a lot is just the eyes or eyes and mouth in anotherwise tangible figure.

I think the projects when used like that can still work (even like for Sven in FEA) - just looks too fake when the full face
 
ToTBellHop

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
doctornick said:
Despite the negativity on these pages, I continue to at least be pleased that someone at WDW is in a mode to push for improving/plussing attractions. It's far from perfect, but there is currently a recognition and a drive that you can still make established attractions better and shouldn't just leave them untouched.
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Epcot, in particular, has received a lot of improvements to its classics recently.
 
JustInTime

JustInTime

Well-Known Member
GhostHost1000 said:
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
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So you’re a fan who spends tons of money and and then complains about it on the internet? That sounds like a you problem. If it’s so bad why spend continue to go? That doesn’t make sense to me. Or maybe it’s not as bad as you make it out to be hence why you still do it?Maybe you just like being pessimistic?

And price increase are always guaranteed. It’s about the only thing that is. There was about a decade where we got those without ANY new additions. Have always been a thing since you’ve been a fan. Every year. Yet you use it to be negative about a positive attraction upgrade yet again…
 
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GhostHost1000

GhostHost1000

Premium Member
JustInTime said:
So you’re a fan who spends tons of money and and then complains about it on the internet? That sounds like a you problem. If it’s so bad why spend continue to go? That doesn’t make sense to me. Or maybe it’s not as bad as you make it out to be hence why you still do it?Maybe you just like being pessimistic?

And price increase are always guaranteed. It’s about the only thing that is. There was about a decade where we got those without ANY new additions. Have always been a thing since you’re been a fan. Every year. Yet you use it to be negative about a positive attraction upgrade yet again…
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I appologize. Disney is awesome. Everything they do. Bob should be lifetime CEO. We should all pay more each year regardless. Inject pixie dust in my veins. Am I doing this right?
 
JustInTime

JustInTime

Well-Known Member
doctornick said:
Despite the negativity on these pages, I continue to at least be pleased that someone at WDW is in a mode to push for improving/plussing attractions. It's far from perfect, but there is currently a recognition and a drive that you can still make established attractions better and shouldn't just leave them untouched.
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I used to visit this site daily. I’ve been a member over 15 years. I never come here anymore because EVERYTHING is negative. The one time I’ve been here in months about an upgrade I thought nobody could complain about - I immediately come here and see complaints. It’s unbelievable.

There is literally nothing WDW could do that wouldn’t get some kind of complaint at this point. Yet the ones complaining spend thousands and still go every year (because that’ll really teach ‘em). It’s sad Twitter is more positive about WDW than an alleged “fan” forum.

I have insider contacts and unreleased attraction info and I can’t even share that here anymore.
 
GhostHost1000

GhostHost1000

Premium Member
JustInTime said:
I used to visit this site daily. I’ve been a member over 15 years. I never come here anymore because EVERYTHING is negative. The one time I’ve been here in months about an upgrade I thought nobody could complain about - I immediately come here and see complaints. It’s unbelievable.

There is literally nothing WDW could do that wouldn’t get some kind of complaint at this point. Yet the ones complaining spend thousands and still go every year (because that’ll really teach ‘em). It’s sad Twitter is more positive about WDW than an alleged “fan” forum.

I have insider contacts and unreleased attraction info and I can’t even share that here anymore.
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Of course you do. Maybe there’s a reason for so many complaining about things now adays. We know how good things could and should be and they are just heading in a different direction at times. It’s obvious being in the parks this week as well.

Twitter is probably more positive because many are Bob’s lapdogs helping share news as an “influencer”
 
JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
JustInTime said:
I used to visit this site daily. I’ve been a member over 15 years. I never come here anymore because EVERYTHING is negative. The one time I’ve been here in months about an upgrade I thought nobody could complain about - I immediately come here and see complaints. It’s unbelievable.

There is literally nothing WDW could do that wouldn’t get some kind of complaint at this point. Yet the ones complaining spend thousands and still go every year (because that’ll really teach ‘em). It’s sad Twitter is more positive about WDW than an alleged “fan” forum.

I have insider contacts and unreleased attraction info and I can’t even share that here anymore.
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I noticed that just this week on another thread. Disney releases how much was raised for Make a Wish foundation via the Florida Make a Wish plates. People were complaining about that. What are they supposed to do? Not tell you about how much was raised to enable dying kids to go to WDW? I don't get it.
 

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