ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
I'm sure they will still have at least one room full of Olaf plush.
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Disney confirms 'Frozen' makeover coming to Epcot's Norway Pavilion
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
The sad thing is that Disney could do so much more with Frozen instead of shoehorning it into a place where it just not belong and will come with lots of limitations. Especially the Frozen fans should be upset by these news.
The worrying thing is that this does sound like armchair-imagineering and not something that a truly talented imagineer comes up with. It is also the lowest risk decision possible, so much about having faith as Mr Staggs claims.
The worrying thing is that this does sound like armchair-imagineering and not something that a truly talented imagineer comes up with. It is also the lowest risk decision possible, so much about having faith as Mr Staggs claims.
Imagineer Mitch
Active Member
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned but does anyone know if they are going to gut Maelstrom and make an entirely different ride or are they gonna keep the boat ride and the same length but re-themed?
While I don't really mind losing Maelstrom (I skip it on about half my trips anyways), and I agree that it won't be hard to outdo, I really don't like a fantasy-land taking over a WS pavilion. If Frozen going in as an addition to things based on the "real" Norway, as an example of the type of literature and stories that are popular there, I'd be fine, but taking over the pavilion? I don't mind Mary Poppins and Winnie the Pooh doing greetings in the UK, and a Beatles tribute group playing there. But if you turned the UK pavilion into just a big Beatles exhibit, that would annoy me -- and the Beatles are real! If you turned it into the Hundred Acre Woods, I'd be really upset, and I love Winnie the Pooh.
I'll certainly look forward to the ride opening, as it will be better than nothing, and may well bring kids to WS -- and WS needs things for kids to enjoy. But no matter how many attractions there already are/were in WS, I'd still be upset about a fictional land taking over a WS pavilion.
themarchhare
Well-Known Member
Saddened by the news. An all-around mistake for multiple reasons.
UofMGuy423
Well-Known Member
Very disappointed, my great grandparents emigrated from Norway, so I've always enjoyed this pavilion and saw it as a chance to experience the culture of my ancestors. I hope they at least keep the movie at the end (though updated) and that it is about Norway and its people. Otherwise, why even call it a Norway pavilion if it's completely devoted to Frozen.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
I am not a fan of Frozen being put in EPCOT. There are better places for it. However, one thing that people should come to realize is that the way many of us feel about the Lion King, or Beauty and the Beast, or the Little Mermaid is how kids and teens today feel about Frozen and will feel about it in this way for the rest of their lives. So how we may say, "Frozen is good, but does not compare to Beauty and the Beast"....the younger generation will grow up and when the next big thing comes out, they will say, "It is good, but does not compare to Frozen".
RandySavage
Well-Known Member
Not sure, but I'm guessing the best case scenario (and a fairly likely one) is that the Pavilion will remain "Norway" and the Frozen ride will slightly incorporate Norway, sort of like the recent Stave Church exhibit. I imagine the exteriors will remain mostly the same and queue/pre-show will set it up as "Disney's Frozen was inspired by Scandinavian culture. Norway is part of Scandinavia. Now join your favorite characters for a musical voyage through Frozen!").
Like others here, I hate that this move pushes World Showcase further into cross-promoting Disney movies and characters ("3 Cabelleros" set the precedent, but I ignored that attraction; Maelstrom on the other hand was a favorite) versus the cultures/geographies of the Countries themselves, particularly in that Frozen's connection to Norway isn't even direct.
Another question. Assuming the drop stays, minor as it is, could that be a deterrent for the exact target demo for a Frozen attraction (2- to 6-year-olds)?
lebeau
Well-Known Member
I don't believe Epcot was ever unprofitable.
Oriolesmagic
Well-Known Member
Now the question is, how do they handle what's sure to be an insane number of people in the Norway pavilion?
Is it possible for them to move the entrance to the attraction to where the the old Viking Ship was, then just convert the old theater into part of the queue? That would definitely extend the queue space and would allow the Norway pavilion to be a lot less cluttered when lines get long. I also really hope that they theme the new queue into some sort of cavern ala the old Dueling Dragons at IOA. The queue was the one area of Maelstrom I didn't really love.
Is it possible for them to move the entrance to the attraction to where the the old Viking Ship was, then just convert the old theater into part of the queue? That would definitely extend the queue space and would allow the Norway pavilion to be a lot less cluttered when lines get long. I also really hope that they theme the new queue into some sort of cavern ala the old Dueling Dragons at IOA. The queue was the one area of Maelstrom I didn't really love.
I kind of see it as inevitable.
Us older guys remember 1980's EPCOT center quite fondly. It was filled with incredible dark rides that did not insult our intelligence. World showcase was a place where we could experience a little slice of a foreign land without leaving central Florida. It was heaven on earth for many of us.
The problem is that far too many people found it boring. They complained that there was nothing to do. They complained that there were no characters. Disney just gave the masses what they wanted. Sadly more people seem to like flea markets over art gallerias and museums.
Indeed. It seems unlikely that the film will survive. They'll need the theater for queuing if nothing else. But calling the pavilion Norway, when it consists of a ride based on fictional place, a restaurant with a Princess meal that doesn't really serve Norwegian food (or maybe it still does at dinner?), a meet and greet with princesses from a fictional land (at least Mulan is from real China), and a few stores, seems just false advertising. Not even a viking ship or museum exhibit to be found anymore. The only thing "Norway" about the place might be the bakery!
At it's core that's exactly what both Disney and Norway are doing. This is a business decision, this isn't about staying true to EPCOT, because let's face it, the vision of EPCOT looks nothing what was ever built, this is about selling tickets. Frozen has a huge following, so Disney has chosen to capitalize on it by putting it in a country where it heavily borrowed themes from, depending on what the finished version looks like it's quite possible that replacing Maelstrom with a Frozen themed ride is the most economically viable choice. It'll draw crowds, it'll sell tickets, it'll sell merchandise, and the eternal optimist in me hopes that some of that revenue equates into more attractions being updated/built. I've always loved the Norway pavillion, but to me Maelstrom is a mediocre ride at best. Often times I would skip it if the lines were on the longer side, in the summer I'll take it just to get out of the heat for a few minutes.
A few years ago I decided I wanted to take a trip to Norway, I had a trip coming up to WDW so I made a point to stop by the Norway pavillion. You know where I learned the most about the country? Not from taking a 5 minute ride, but by actually talking to the Norwegians who worked there. They were incredibly helpful in helping me plan my entire itinerary. At the end of the day EPCOT is a theme park, change is going to happen, I may not love the idea of a Frozen attraction, but I understand the reasons why, and I'll reserve judgement until it's finished and I get to experience it for myself.
almost every comment on disneys FB page is a negative one in regards to the announcement. Yet Disney blogs is nothing but excitement. lol
https://www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyWorld
https://www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyWorld
case88
Active Member
"Bravo Disney! You are on the right track with this! You made the right decision and the timing is PERFECT! Cannot wait for this!"-Some guy in the comments
Excuse me while I go throw up my lunch...
The parks blog is making me sick too with their 31 comments that "praise" this decision. I wish we could see how many negative comments are "awaiting moderation."
I may never read the Disney Parks Blog again after today.
Belowthesurface
Well-Known Member
We all understand why this change is being done. We don't need a wise being to explain the complexities of marketing and synergy within a giant corporation.
Some of us tell it like it is.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
We knew it was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
yeah right, you do realize that you wont be able to get near the place right?