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

[prberk]

This whole 'kids find it boring' myth infuriates me. I went to EPCOT Center as a kid, I understood it, I learned from it, I loved it... it was easily my joint favourite park, along with the working studio at MGM.

I'm no super genius, was just an average ability kid from an average family but EPCOT transported me from Seabase Alpha to the future, to the history of communication, and in Communicore, a real future that would be coming soon. It was awesome, and I loved it, and it annoys me when people say kids today are too stupid to understand any of that - kids are really smart, but you have to let them discover that.

Reminding me of Seabase Alpha really transported me back to when EPCOT Center did transport people to a different time and place. Kids did understand that.

Now, I think perhaps we have helped make that "EPCOT is boring for kids" myth ring more true... by dumbing it down and trying to make it more "kid-friendly".

We lowered the bar... and tripped up.

 

[RayTheFirefly]

Is that really a comfort though? The current Imagination has animatronics as well. Honestly I'm expecting Mermaid level (Ariel, not Ursula).

Well hopefully since the Frozen craze is so just that - crazy -, they'll try a little harder on this one. And since they sort of tried to help the DCA Mermaid, they must be aware of the reception of the Mermaid ride as a whole. Maybe they'll use it as a learning experience.

Trying to be positive here, people.

 

[prberk]

Dinosaur is based on the movie Dinosaur, albeit very loosely.

I would say very loosely

But I like that movie so I am fine with that

Actually, that ride was not based on the movie. It was built before the movie, and originally called, "Countdown to Extinction." They renamed the ride to coincide with the movie's release (and to give the marketing people a happy day -- not to mention letting the MBAs use one of their buzzwords, "re-branding," when they want to make renaming something seem like they are actually doing something substantive but are not).

Business school commentary aside, Dinosaur is the same ride as Countdown to Extinction. It was re-named to tie in with the movie, and never changed back. It actually was the kind of ride that was stand-alone thrill ride that happened to have education (about the dinosaur extinction and asteroid theory) thrown in. It did not have any movie characters in it; and neither does it now. Only the name matches the movie.

 

[space42]

Also - something to consider. What happens if Disney actually responds to the complaints "Oh no - not Maelstrom" in the same way that they did for Imagination. We may end up with Maelstrom with Frozen. That may be even a bigger disaster than Imagination with Figment.

I just wish someone at Disney would answer the question - Why is it that an obscure movie from 1946 gets a beloved E-Ticket (and one of the best attractions at WDW) and their most successful animated movie in recent time gets shoehorned into the Maelstrom? Everyone gets a bad deal here. Frozen fans get short changed of a real (and much deserved) E-Ticket. Maelstrom (and EPCOT Center) fans lose. Epcot gets a net gain of 0 attractions. Lets face it - World Showcase really could use a few more attractions and not at the expense of current attractions. At this point - every park at WDW needs MORE attractions NOT replacements!

$.02

rant over

 

[devoy1701]

Fun fact: The Canada pavilion was built without a Canadian sponsor.

None of the states in the American West sponsor Frontierland.

Neither Nepal nor Tibet sponsor Expedition Everest, or the village of Anandapur. No one in Africa sponsors Harambe.


Disney traditionally built themed environments because they wanted to, because there was a story there that they felt ought to be told, and because the presence of that land/environment/pavilion added something to the park. World Showcase became a hugely popular part of the WDW experience simply by what it offered: a physical travelogue, a trip around the world in an afternoon. It has never needed a marketing tie-in or a sponsor to be hugely profitable, especially since Disney discovered and expanded the lucrative sales from food and drink. To suggest that an unsponsored Norway is of little value to Disney, or to Epcot, is a misguided argument.

Completely missed the point. We're talking about the WS, not the rest of Disney Parks. Whether or not lands and attractions in other parks are sponsored has nothing to do with the original ideal that aligning movie products and theme park attractions could increase awareness of those properties.

And obviously an unsponsored Norway is of great value to Disney AND Epcot.

There's no argument here...just stating original plans for the parks and aligning it to today's environment. Thanks!

 

[lazyboy97o]

Well hopefully since the Frozen craze is so just that - crazy -, they'll try a little harder on this one. And since they sort of tried to help the DCA Mermaid, they must be aware of the reception of the Mermaid ride as a whole. Maybe they'll use it as a learning experience.

Trying to be positive here, people.

If they were trying harder they'd spend more time on design and not shove it into an itty bitty space.

 

[asianway]

The birthday cake castle was several months while Stitch was ONE DAY.

Either way they were temporary like they should have been. Unlike a 2009 street party to promote the annual marketing gimmick in use 6 years later. Or the hat. Or the stage show for the 2007 gimmick in use 8 years later....

 

[RayTheFirefly]

If they were trying harder they'd spend more time on design and not shove it into an itty bitty space.

Well we all know that. Haha. Like I said, just trying to find a silver lining.

 

[GoofGoof]

Jim Hill article on Frozen ride:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-h...-the_b_5835170.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

He seems to be confirming that the ride system will not change and the changes to load/unload talked about here.

 

[rioriz]

Animal Kingdom might have moved up to number 1 on my list of Disney Parks even though Avatar is coming. Epcot would be number 2.

Rides to avoid in Epcot now: Test Track, Frozen, never really been to Innovations, Living Seas (not that I remember the old one), Mexico

I still like the Universe of Energy even though it's dated.

I got to ride the new Test Track this past week and I gotta say I was impressed... I thought the pre-show (make your own car) was really fun and increased repeatability for me. I will have to say I rode it at night and I always find the end more thrilling then.

 

[RayTheFirefly]

Jim Hill article on Frozen ride:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-h...-the_b_5835170.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

He seems to be confirming that the ride system will not change and the changes to load/unload talked about here.

Oh god, from the headline, I thought he was referring to the Mermaid ride, and I was going to be like "Ha! See?"

 

[Mike S]

Well hopefully since the Frozen craze is so just that - crazy -, they'll try a little harder on this one. And since they sort of tried to help the DCA Mermaid, they must be aware of the reception of the Mermaid ride as a whole. Maybe they'll use it as a learning experience.

Trying to be positive here, people.

With everything that's being said about it I personally see no reason to be positive. It's just another piece of EPCOT Center that's being chipped away (along with the entertainment cuts). In a way the last truly pure attractions of old EPCOT that still remain are the American Adventure and Living with the Land. Partly Spaceship Earth and UoE too.

Actually, that ride was not based on the movie. It was built before the movie, and originally called, "Countdown to Extinction." They renamed the ride to coincide with the movie's release (and to give the marketing people a happy day -- not to mention letting the MBAs use one of their buzzwords, "re-branding," when they want to make renaming something seem like they are actually doing something substantive but are not).

Business school commentary aside, Dinosaur is the same ride as Countdown to Extinction. It was re-named to tie in with the movie, and never changed back. It actually was the kind of ride that was stand-alone thrill ride that happened to have education (about the dinosaur extinction and asteroid theory) thrown in. It did not have any movie characters in it; and neither does it now. Only the name matches the movie.

Even when it was Countdown to Extinction it was always meant to tie in with the movie. Hence the use of an Iguanodon and Carnotaurus as the main Dinosaurs in the ride.

 

[EdC]

Frozen fans get short changed of a real (and much deserved) E-Ticket. Maelstrom (and EPCOT Center) fans lose. Epcot gets a net gain of 0 attractions. Lets face it - World Showcase really could use a few more attractions and not at the expense of current attractions. At this point - every park at WDW needs MORE attractions NOT replacements!

$.02

rant over

While i agree with your general sentiments, my kids are young and love Frozen (DS2 squeals for joy when he sees the animated castle w/ the 'Naa Naa Naa..' starting). When we went/go back to DW again, we'll have no reason to go to Epcot till the re-imaging of Norway happens. The kids are too young to enjoy it still. This might make the park a 1/2 day visit instead of a monorail ride around for us. Our kids won't care about how long the wait and short the ride was. It's the fact that they went on it. The whole time waiting to ride AND riding will be what counts to them.

Disney is just trying to sing 'let it go' to our cash a little bit quicker and it's going to be a net gain for Epcot in the end.

$.01

 

[DisUniversal]

$75 million spread across the ride, store, M&G and possibly the bakery and restaurant. I really don't see how anyone can be optimistic about the ride anymore.

That's about a third of what Universal spent to create Diagon Alley. Should be plenty to rework a single attraction and retheme a couple existing areas.

 

[Mike S]

That's about a third of what Universal spent to create Diagon Alley. Should be plenty to rework a single attraction and retheme a couple existing areas.

Disney also overblows their budgets. I see no reason for New Fantasyland to have cost almost twice what Diagon Alley did.

 

[ryan1]

At least it's something new ....

I didn't hate the cake since it was only around a year or so. It was definitely a shock to walk in without knowing it was there but a nice temporary change (unlike the wand or hat).

 

[minsmk]

If Frozen gets a ride in Norway, if they make a Spain pavilion it should get a Destino ride (Btw please watch this short.. It's waaay better than Frozen even if it doesn't make sense to you. As an artist I love this short and Dali's work aswell.)

 

[Pirate665]

The more we move forward, the less EPCOT Center is here and the more Epcot is... I miss Center...

 

[DisUniversal]

Disney also overblows their budgets. I see no reason for New Fantasyland to have cost almost twice what Diagon Alley did.

Good point. I don't see any reason for New Fantasyland to cost half what Diagon Alley did.

 

[RayTheFirefly]

That's about a third of what Universal spent to create Diagon Alley. Should be plenty to rework a single attraction and retheme a couple existing areas.

Universal spent a lot more than $225 million on DA, didn't they?