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

[danlb_2000]

1. I'm not giving rationale for anything. I care very little about this change one way or the other.
2. Ummm...you kind of have to accept the decision. What other choice do you see?



Who exactly do you think you are "sending a message to"?



I believe they are called Epcot Hipsters. "I liked Epcot before it was cool."

I can't say for sure that things said on message boards and social media as a whole don't make their way back to Disney management, but even if they don't why should it make a difference? I am not going to express a different opinion just because I can't effect the outcome of something.

 

[sshindel]

Didn't original Epcot almost bankrupt Disney? Cause when people showed up they didn't like it because it wasn't anything like MK? I look at Epcot Center fans as the same people who only like music bands no one has heard of. As soon as that band starts to play music that hits national radio, thus actually making real money by playing music the masses enjoy, the band is a sell out in their eyes.

So, if said band had a loyal following because they offered something unique, enriching, and exciting to their fans, but then changed everything they do to produce mass-marketed pop music, the fans of that band should just roll with it? Let's say Wilco puts out Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, critically acclaimed, loved by fans, yet a little experimental for the masses to truly adopt. The next album, they decide to team up with Hanson to write 13 versions of "Mmm Bop". This should not upset the fans of that original band and their music? Even worse than this, lets say Wilco somehow has the ability (maybe not too far off with iTunes) to go back and retroactively replace every track on their fan's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot albums with 13 versions of "Mmmm Bop", effectively wiping the existence of the original album off the map, making it so that no one can ever listen to the original songs again. Fans of that are supposed to embrace their new Mmmm Bop album?

EPCOT Center fans are people who were exactly that. Fans of the EPCOT Center, as it was implemented. When it had a mission and a purpose. When it did something that no other theme park had ever done, educate and inspire, while entertaining.

And that is pretending that the original EPCOT Center was a failure, which it wasn't.

 

[Prince Thomas]

Visited EPCOT for the 1st time this June and i absolutely LOVED it!!!! Then went again in August and loved it even more!!! Going back in March...I'm sure i'll find something else there this time i love there as well!

 

[Rodan75]

I really don't mind characters in the pavilions. I have no problem with Aladdin meeting guests, Aurora, Snow White, Mulan, Alice, etc. meeting guests.

The problem is the attractions leave a lot to be desired, first of all. Gran Fiesta Tour is the least problematic but it's still "Where's Donald?" when they could have done it just a little bit differently to promote tourism. Nemo and Mr. Ray could have had a field trip instead of rehashing the movie. It's how they're used I have a problem with.

But if we're embracing cartoons in World Showcase, I stand by my put Rat in France, put a Mary Poppins flying ride into the UK ... if that's the direction they really are going, they need to embrace it, say this is what we're doing and give us brand new experiences.

And they really need to get to work on fixing Future World. Replacing Maelstrom should not have been a priority in the grand scheme of Epcot at this point.

I want to be glad they're not resting on their laurels with a popular movie and that they're jumping at building a new ride. I wish I could appreciate that but shoving it where they are just does it a disservice. But I know people are tired of hearing that so ... moving on.

Unfortunately they will never just state their changed mission at Epcot, it would cause too much heartache for the Epcot faithful. But I think if they just announced a direction and let the faithful go crazy for a minute, they would better off in the long run. (As long as their plan makes sense and creates a cohesive theme park)

 

[FigmentsFangirl]

It was mentioned preveious page of cartoonifying WS; well lets do a check here of what is already there/was there {red = was there/returning to WS}

Donald in Mexico
Elsa and Anna in Norway {with a proper meet and greet location}
Snow White + a dwarf or two in Germany
Mary Poppins & Alice in the UK
The rat in france {he's in the resturant there}
Aladdin & Jasmine in Morroco
Belle in France
Aura in France
The white cat in france
Mulan in China

Did I miss anyone ?

 

[Mike S]

It was mentioned preveious page of cartoonifying WS; well lets do a check here of what is already there/was there {red = was there/returning to WS}

Donald in Mexico
Elsa and Anna in Norway {with a proper meet and greet location}
Snow White + a dwarf or two in Germany
Mary Poppins & Alice in the UK
The rat in france {he's in the resturant there}
Aladdin & Jasmine in Morroco
Belle in France
Aura in France
The white cat in france
Mulan in China

Did I miss anyone ?

Not anymore. I forget when exactly they stopped bringing Remy out but he's not there anymore.

 

[MichWolv]

It was mentioned preveious page of cartoonifying WS; well lets do a check here of what is already there/was there {red = was there/returning to WS}

Donald in Mexico
Elsa and Anna in Norway {with a proper meet and greet location}
Snow White + a dwarf or two in Germany
Mary Poppins & Alice in the UK
The rat in france {he's in the resturant there}
Aladdin & Jasmine in Morroco
Belle in France
Aura in France
The white cat in france
Mulan in China

Did I miss anyone ?

It doesn't at all bother me to have character M&G's in WS, as a small part of the pavilion. In fact, I think putting them in the correct cultural/national locations can help tie the pavilions to something American families are likely familiar with. So Three Caballeros in Mexico, Snow White in Germany, Mary Poppins (note, she's not a cartoon), Mulan in China, Belle in France...those are all good, as far as I'm concerned. I can even live with Aladdin in Morocco and Anna and Elsa in Norway as M&G's, even though I don't think the location is quite as fitting as the others.

It's when the whole (or a large part) of the pavilion gets taken over by Disney characters that I don't like it. So the Three Caballeros ride in Mexico and the coming Frozen ride in Norway.....

 

[Kman101]

Marie [the white cat] was moved to the Magic Kingdom a couple years back. I feel like it was right around when Kalgoridis became head of WDW

 

[Captain Chaos]

Okay, I have to ask, why is linking in some type of movie or story well known by disney "cartooning" or negative?

I will answer this based own personal opinions and feelings as obviously I cannot speak for every one else. Is adding a toon into World Showcase a negative? No. It doesn't have to be. The negatives with Frozen in World Showcase are 1) Frozen does not take place in Norway, nor does it take place in a real land. World Showcase has always been about real world countries, not made up ones in a Disney fairy tale. 2) Frozen is a huge IP, no one can deny that. It deserves something bigger and better, not being shoe horned into an area is does not belong.

If the decision was to redo Maelstrom, but use Anna and Elsa to take you on a tour of Norway, highlighting Norway's culture, sights, sounds, folklore, then I (and I would have to say others) wouldn't have had an issue with the change. We aren't getting Norwegian culture or folklore or anything really in the ride (at least based on Staggs comments about the attraction). Instead we are getting a Magic Kingdom Fantasyland style dark ride taking the guest through a fictional place called Arendelle, where the story of Frozen, not the country of Norway, is the focus.

Add Mulan into China? Ok, but only if she is teaching you about China's vast history, culture, folklore, etc. A classic dark ride of the movie does not belong in World Showcase.

That is the issue many of us have. Toons, in general, aren't a negative. The negative is how they are used.

 

[WondersOfLife]

We wouldn't have the "overlay" confusion problem if everyone would just finally start using "refurd" like I do

You know, these could bring more families in too. And not just the ones with little princesses.
View attachment 79420 View attachment 79421
But who am I kidding. Those are way too expensive and fit World Showcase too well. Gotta do it cheap because as we all know Disney needs to use those billions of dollars on stock buybacks. ALL HAIL THE INFINITE WISDOM OF BOB IGER!!!!!!!

At least they're making the smart cheap decision.... Hopefully. As long as it isn't like 3 cabelleros c;

^^^Don't take that seriously.

 

[asianway]

Marie [the white cat] was moved to the Magic Kingdom a couple years back. I feel like it was right around when Kalgoridis became head of WDW

And no Dopey or any dwarfs since 07

 

[jensenrick]

It was mentioned preveious page of cartoonifying WS; well lets do a check here of what is already there/was there {red = was there/returning to WS}

Donald in Mexico
Elsa and Anna in Norway {with a proper meet and greet location}
Snow White + a dwarf or two in Germany
Mary Poppins & Alice in the UK
The rat in france {he's in the resturant there}
Aladdin & Jasmine in Morroco
Belle in France
Aura in France
The white cat in france
Mulan in China

Did I miss anyone ?

You forgot Figment.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

You forgot Figment.

Figment a) no longer does meet-n-greets and b) was in Future World when he did

 

[Captain Chaos]

You forgot Figment.

While Figment is technically a cartoonish character, he was not based on any Disney fairy tale animated movie. He was created specifically for Journey Into Imagination. He is a "figment" of Dreamfinder's and the guests' imagination. He is used to further the story of the attraction, and the main focus. The Imagination pavilion isn't home to a MK Fantasyland style dark ride retelling a princess fairy tale told in a make believe land, a story which has nothing to do with using your imagination.

 

[Wikkler]

Figment a) no longer does meet-n-greets and b) was in Future World when he did

c) was invented originally for the park.

 

[KDM31091]

Other than Magic Kingdom, I feel like all of the parks are suffering from serious issues. Disney doesn't seem to know what to do with the parks other than to throw in attractions based on the movies. Now, at least in Magic Kingdom most of the time it has made sense, albeit other times not, like Stitch's Great Escape (how the heck has that not been closed yet? Didn't the Stitch fad wear off?0

Definitely, EPCOT is having a major identity crisis. Future World is full of pavilions that need help. Most of them do not even reflect the original intents, and those that do desperately need updating, like Journey into Imagination and to a lesser extent Ellen's Energy Adventure. Now they are throwing Frozen into Norway where they know perfectly well it only very loosely fits, but they just had to cram it in. A meet and greet I'm OK with, and they could even make the ride something special by theming it as a tour of Norway guided by Frozen characters - we all know that's not gonna be the case.

Hollywood Studios is in a similar distressed position, they clearly do not know what to do with it at this point, closing the landmark Backlot attraction pretty much put the nail in the coffin for the concept of this park. They need to just start over with a new idea because honestly for the money you pay to enter the park there is not anything close to enough to do to justify it, and year by year, it becomes less and less. Again, many of the attractions have nothing to do with the park's concept or theme (Rock n Roller Coaster comes to mind).

Animal Kingdom, the one park that was relatively untouched with the "based on movie" nonsense (other than the Bug's Life show but at least that kind of fits), is getting Avatarland. I never saw Avatar, so I can't speak to whether it is a good movie or not. As far as I can tell though, it has absolutely nothing to do with Animal Kingdom in essence. They are just putting it where they have tons of room, it seems like, and to attract people to the park.

If all four parks are just going to be a mismosh of ideas, with no real theme and purpose, that's fine, but you may as well just call them Magic Kingdom A, B, C and D. I am tired of movie based tie-ins for every new attraction. What was the last attraction Disney opened that had nothing to do with a movie, recent or otherwise? Movie tie-in attractions have always been an important PORTION of their offerings, but it is no longer a portion, it's the whole pie.

If Disney wants to successfully continue to charge so much to enter their parks they need to set themselves apart and make the parks unique and special, not just a bunch of movie tie-in rides that scream "cash grab"! Inventing original stories to base attractions on is what Disney was known for. It was what set them apart. Iconic rides at the Magic Kingdom - Jungle Cruise, Small World, Carousel of Progress, to name a few, are based on nothing other than Disney's creativity and originality, not a movie tie in. Can we go back to that?

 

[FigmentsFangirl]

You forgot Figment.

I did ? Darn! I plan to see him on monday morning!!

 

[FigmentsFangirl]

Not anymore. I forget when exactly they stopped bringing Remy out but he's not there anymore.

Last time I was there {August-September 2014} he was there; so it must have been fairly recent since my last visit when they stopped bringing him out; he was cute

 

[Monkee Girl]

Like others here, I have no problems with characters in the countries. They don't change the major theme/message/feel of the pavilion and are just additions of things to do. And what is best is they are temporary. Should the next manager or who ever should decide they no longer wanted meet and greets, they could be moved with little or not hassle.

However, making permanent changes to the rides is different to me. It adds nothing to them and most people are riding those rides because they want to be immersed more into that country. I can live with or without Donald in the Mexico ride. As others have said, at least the ride is still about going through Mexico and its traditions/tourist points. I would prefer that Donald was removed just so it matches the 'realism' of the rest of the countries. What they are doing in Norway is so offensive to me, I can't stand it. Between the ride, the meet and greet, the museum at the Stave, and the merchandise...it's just too much. Why even bother calling it the Norway Pavilion?

What they should have done was take that pavilion space between Mexico and Norway (their new character meet and greet area) and just build a full on Arendell Pavillion. Make the facade like Norway or something like that so it matches the realistic country atmosphere and then have all the Frozen stuff there. It should all fit, right? The ride, the museum, the stores, the character dining, meet and greet...all of it. Then Norway could be it's own unmolested place. They would never do it, I know. but it would be nice and I could choose not to bother with it if I didn't want to and still ride my Maelstrom.

And I still think they should just redo Blizzard Beach and make it a Frozen them Park. Seriously....how much cheaper do they want to get? It's all right there!!! lol

 

[Ranch Dressing]

Based on what you see in the parks currently, I would guess the worst day of the new Frozen area in Epcot will far surpass the very best day of old forgotten already Norway pavillion.