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

[Matt_Black]

But they lost Horizons because GE pulled out and they didn't rebuild until they got another sponsor. When United Technologies left the Living Seas turned into the leaky cauldron.

And, again, as many love to point out, Wonders of Life sits like a decaying carcass ever since MetLife left.

 

[BigTxEars]

I just don't see anything they can do to avoid the pavilion becoming a cluster(you get the idea) when this thing opens. It's not just a break in theme, it'll be an operations nightmare. I truly feel bad for the Norwegian CM's that'll have to work it.

Brighter crowd control minds than you or I are working on it I would guess, we will see in the end. Everybody will have to decide if they want to brave it or not. Like I said I am opting out until it calms down. Same reason I am skipping Potter 2.0 this next trip.

 

[Lee]

But they lost Horizons because GE pulled out and they didn't rebuild until they got another sponsor. When United Technologies left the Living Seas turned into the leaky cauldron.

Not exactly.
I believe Horizons giving way to M:S was at the behest of the new sponsor.

Seas....is a great example of the flaw in Disney's business model at Epcot related to sponsors.
The reluctance/unwillingness of the company to reinvest in the pavilions without someone else footing the bill. That's why Wonders sits empty, UofE is very dated, and Captain Eo is still running: Disney is too cheap to pay for what the park needs.

 

[Matt_Black]

I just don't see anything they can do to avoid the pavilion becoming a cluster(you get the idea) when this thing opens. It's not just a break in theme, it'll be an operations nightmare. I truly feel bad for the Norwegian CM's that'll have to work it.

Well, considering this won't debut until 2016, I think it will be manageable by then. I fully believe Frozen will still be popular, but more on the level of equal to some of the other popular princesses rather than the insane fanaticism we're seeing now.

 

[BigTxEars]

That's all a YOU get from it, clearly.
Others look a little deeper.


Ugh...this is getting old. Not sure which I hate more, the Frozen thing or arguing about it...

Yep, like I said there are different ways to see WS. I certainly don't feel like it's a education experience, others do. I am content eating, drinking, buying and riding, and then drinking some more.

 

[Lee]

And, again, as many love to point out, Wonders of Life sits like a decaying carcass ever since MetLife left.

Exactly. And Iger and Co. are too cheap to pay for a replacement. It's....shameful...for the world's largest media company to behave in such a way.

They don't have to be that way, they can afford to spend on the parks. They choose not to.

 

[Mike S]

Brighter crowd control minds than you or I are working on it I would guess, we will see in the end. Everybody will have to decide if they want to brave it or not. Like I said I am opting out until it calms down. Same reason I am skipping Potter 2.0 this next trip.

Diagon Alley is actually not anywhere near as bad as Hogsmeade was. It calmed down pretty quickly (might change when winter comes) and Gringotts is getting closer and closer to full capacity. If you have the chance go for it and if anything you'll get to at least see the Alley itself which is amazing. But this is way off topic so I'll end it just with that.

 

[Matt_Black]

Exactly. And Iger and Co. are too cheap to pay for a replacement. It's....shameful...for the world's largest media company to behave in such a way.

Again, not simple. To go back to the the ad revenue comparison, before he was pulled, Glen Beck had the most popular program on FOX News, yet he was pulled because he was hemorrhaging sponsors and advertisers. Now, FOX and Newscorp have ridiculous amounts of money, not to mention that FOX News, being on cable, already gets payed by cable companies to provide content. And yet, Glen Beck is still off the air.

 

[Lee]

I am content eating, drinking, buying and riding, and then drinking some more.

Then you, sir (or madam...) are the perfect Disney customer for the 21st century.

 

[BigTxEars]

Nope. None of those make your point.
Retail, properly themed and consisting of goods sold and manufactured in the various countries, is consistent with the Epcot theme.

I don't see any photos of pavilions being taken over by 'toons. Not one.

Check the Pokemon in Japan, along with all the toys from Japanese anime. Heck the one area in Japan set aside that is not selling crap is full of pictures of animated characters....

I though I saw Donald in Mexico, must have been some other duck...

Those lines in WS in the pavilions, they are to do M&G with "toons", that is what the guests want it seems. Toons all over WS everyday, is Olaf going to tip the balance somehow in your view?

And the plastic fake viking horns and swords in Norway you can buy right now, made in China.

A lot of the stuff sold in Japan, made in China. I know a lot of the toys are, and they sell a ton of toys in Japan.

The shirt I bought my son in Mexico last june, made in Indonesia. Like I posted earlier, it say "I Taco Mexico" with the word Taco being replaced with a picture of a taco. Hardly a cultural piece of Mexican art. Nor were the shot glasses they were selling for that matter.

Lots of example like this all over WS.

Certainly are items made in countries they represent, I bought a nice German made bell in June as well. But trying to say the shops are full of items made in the pavilion country is not the facts and thus not consistent with Epcot's theme under your example.

 

[Lee]

Again, not simple. To go back to the the ad revenue comparison, before he was pulled, Glen Beck had the most popular program on FOX News, yet he was pulled because he was hemorrhaging sponsors and advertisers. Now, FOX and Newscorp have ridiculous amounts of money, not to mention that FOX News, being on cable, already gets payed by cable companies to provide content. And yet, Glen Beck is still off the air.

You're over complicating a simple issue.
Bottom line: Disney can well afford to build and operate attractions without outside funding. Choosing to let a pavilion sit empty or outdated due to lack of a sponsor is nothing more than Disney being too cheap.

Is outside revenue nice? Sure. Necessary for the successful operation of a park? Not at all.

 

[BigTxEars]

Then you, sir (or madam...) are the perfect Disney customer for the 21st century.

Good enough time for me. I do people watch, forgot to add that one in I guess. What else would I do at a theme park?

 

[BigTxEars]

Diagon Alley is actually not anywhere near as bad as Hogsmeade was. It calmed down pretty quickly (might change when winter comes) and Gringotts is getting closer and closer to full capacity. If you have the chance go for it and if anything you'll get to at least see the Alley itself which is amazing. But this is way off topic so I'll end it just with that.

I still have horrid memories from Potter 1.0 the year it opened. That was not crowded, that was insane. But I am hearing that 2.0 is not as bad. I think the next Disney trip in Jan is going to be all within the Disney bubble but I do want to see what Uni has created so who knows. The biggest thing wrong with Potter 1.0 IMO was that is just was not big enough to suck you in fully to that world, with this expansion I think it just might be. But I might have just been begin greedy wanting more from Potter 1.0, it was extremely well done.

 

[Lee]

Check the Pokemon in Japan, along with all the toys from Japanese anime. Heck the one area in Japan set aside that is not selling crap is full of pictures of animated characters....

I though I saw Donald in Mexico, must have been some other duck...

Those lines in WS in the pavilions, they are to do M&G with "toons", that is what the guests want it seems. Toons all over WS everyday, is Olaf going to tip the balance somehow in your view?

And the plastic fake viking horns and swords in Norway you can buy right now, made in China.

A lot of the stuff sold in Japan, made in China. I know a lot of the toys are, and they sell a ton of toys in Japan.

The shirt I bought my son in Mexico last june, made in Indonesia. Like I posted earlier, it say "I Taco Mexico" with the word Taco being replaced with a picture of a taco. Hardly a cultural piece of Mexican art. Nor were the shot glasses they were selling for that matter.

Lots of example like this all over WS.

Certainly are items made in countries they represent, I bought a nice German made bell in June as well. But trying to say the shops are full of items made in the pavilion country is not the facts and thus not consistent with Epcot's theme under your example.

Clearly, I should have said something on the order of "goods sold OR manufactured." I didn't anticipate such a detailed dissection of that sentence.

I don't care WHERE something is made, necessarily, so long as it is true to the theme of the pavilion where it is being sold. (Pokemon is fine in Japan, but would be horrible in Mexico.)

As for the meet & greets...Mulan is fine in China. Mary Poppins and Alice are fine in UK. Donald....out of place, IMHO. Aladdin....questionable.

An Olaf M&G wouldn't destroy Norway, done properly. Giving over the bulk of the pavilion to him....nope.
That would be akin to ripping out Reflections of China to put in a Mulan ride. Or, hey...Cars takes place in the U.S.! Let's replace American Adventure with Radiator Springs Racers!

 

[BigTxEars]

Clearly, I should have said something on the order of "goods sold OR manufactured." I didn't anticipate such a detailed dissection of that sentence.

I don't care WHERE something is made, necessarily, so long as it is true to the theme of the pavilion where it is being sold. (Pokemon is fine in Japan, but would be horrible in Mexico.)

As for the meet & greets...Mulan is fine in China. Mary Poppins and Alice are fine in UK. Donald....out of place, IMHO. Aladdin....questionable.

An Olaf M&G wouldn't destroy Norway, done properly. Giving over the bulk of the pavilion to him....nope.
That would be akin to ripping out Reflections of China to put in a Mulan ride. Or, hey...Cars takes place in the U.S.! Let's replace American Adventure with Radiator Springs Racers!

And Olaf plush fits in Norway IMO, fits the theme well.

All the M&Gs with the exception of Mary Poppins are toon based, and she had a toon or two in her film as well. Toons in WS are everywhere.

And I am fine with a Mulan ride in China, that movie had a ton of Chinese history in it that could be very well be used to create a ride that might just please most of us on here. Imagine that, a ride we could all ride together

 

[JordanNite]

Guys relax ... all this hype and tears over missing this ride, when the ride will infact remain there ! They're just go to replace the Vikings cardboard animatronics with Frozens ones, a lick of paint here, and a lick of paint there!

 

[Mike S]

And Olaf plush fits in Norway IMO, fits the theme well.

All the M&Gs with the exception of Mary Poppins are toon based, and she had a toon or two in her film as well. Toons in WS are everywhere.

And I am fine with a Mulan ride in China, that movie had a ton of Chinese history in it that could be very well be used to create a ride that might just please most of us on here. Imagine that, a ride we could all ride together

Eh, maybe if it was based more on the historical story. Remember every Disney movie is pretty much their own adaptation and not entirely true to the source material. Frozen is a perfect example of this. An omnimover through Chinese history could be nice.

 

[BigTxEars]

Eh, maybe if it was based more on the historical story. Remember every Disney movie is pretty much their own adaptation and not entirely true to the source material. Frozen is a perfect example of this. An omnimover through Chinese history could be nice.

I am fine with the loose adaptations that Disney does. I don't look to Disney movies for historical accuracy without a mix of "Hollywood" thrown in. For that matter I don;t look to any movies for that I guess. WWII movies (my favorite type) all have a mix of "Hollywood" thrown in. I am use to it.

I remember when a group was upset about Pocahontas and how it was not historically accurate in the way it portrayed the true store. If I remember correctly Mel Gibson (pre insane Mel) said something to the effect "it has a F***ing talking raccoon in it, of course it's not 100% accurate"

 

[Mike S]

I am fine with the loose adaptations that Disney does. I don't look to Disney movies for historical accuracy without a mix of "Hollywood" thrown in. For that matter I don;t look to any movies for that I guess. WWII movies (my favorite type) all have a mix of "Hollywood" thrown in. I am use to it.

I remember when a group was upset about Pocahontas and how it was not historically accurate in the way it portrayed the true store. If I remember correctly Mel Gibson (pre insane Mel) said something to the effect "it has a F***ing talking raccoon in it, of course it's not 100% accurate"

I wasn't saying anything against how Disney makes their movies, just what would fit better in World Showcase. Then again, Frozen. Ugh Also Mel Gibson is wrong. The Raccoon doesn't talk. The tree does

 

[BigTxEars]

I wasn't saying anything against how Disney makes their movies, just what would fit better in World Showacase. Then again, Frozen. Ugh Also Mel Gibson is wrong. The Raccoon doesn't talk. The tree does

I know the raccoon does not talk but I think Mel was making a point in general, but then again he was maybe already going insane at that point so maybe the raccoon talked to him

I think a lighter dose of history is fine in movies, it wets the appetite for some to learn more of the facts. The movie "Red Tails" was a lot of Hollywood hype and flash. It was beat up pretty good within the WWII history buff arena because of that. I enjoyed it regardless and think it introduced a number of people to those brave aviators and support crews that would not has watched a less flashy movie.

I see the same thing with Disney movies, even the dreaded Frozen introduced folks to parts of the Scandinavian culture they might not have known before. Maybe some of them wanted to know more and looked to some other more historically based sources to learn from.