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

[RSoxNo1]

Okay this is just a theory, but I'm thinking someone at Disney probably knows what they're doing, and considering the pattern of "First fix DHS, then AK" I am hopeful that EPCOT is next on the list. Disney has been hinting at an EPCOT improvement for awhile, even if it is under the guise of shutting down buildings and putting out a few comic books. My theory is that they're using Frozen as an excuse to get more people into EPCOT, as to convince the guys higher up that EPCOT can survive as a park, and if we're lucky, receive new attractions. Will they be good or relevant attractions? Maybe, maybe not. But Disney wouldn't let a park sit dormant like this for this long if they didn't have something up their sleeves in terms of an expansion. It'll be a while (at least into the 2020's) before we get far, I'd think, but it'll happen.

Again, just a theory.

The smartest thing done in WDW since Iger is at the helm was adding capacity to Soarin' and Toy Story Mania. What makes you think they're capable of smart decisions in WDW?

 

[WildcatDen]

For a company that crows about its record earnings practically ever quarter, it is indeed realistic.

And Universal has made its HP money back and then some. The building isn't going to stop any time soon....

Do you think maybe it will slow down when they have 4 parks and two waterparks in Orlando?

 

[RSoxNo1]

Yesterday, because of this thread, I spent a significant amount of time searching for EPCOT Center articles on the internet. I have long been aware of the initial economic model and corporate sponsorships, but had not considered corporate interests beyond the perspective of goodwill and edutainment.

Below, is an excerpt from Jim Hill's Why for did Epcot's Future World not turn out as WED had originally planned; original plans for The Land pavilion are discussed:

As these Guests rode along in their balloon, they were to have followed along as this snow became water and then flowed through the other six of "The Land" 's natural habitats. As they floated along in their balloon observing this water from above, these WDW visitors were to be introduced to the four basic components of Nature's Blueprints (i.e. the snowflakes of Winter, the germinating seeds of Spring, the flowers of Summer and the leaves of Fall). And as the water reached the desert habitat and then evaporated, the Guests (aboard their balloon, of course) were to have followed this water vapor high into the atmosphere. Where it then was to have reformed as snow.

You get the idea, right? The never-ending cycle of Nature. How we are all interconnected. More importantly, how fragile our ecosystem actually is. Which is why man must do everything he can to preserve the balance of nature. Make sure that this cycle is never interrupted.

Which was a great message for when "The Land" was supposed to be sponsored by a lumber company (which wanted Disney to help get across the message that they were doing everything they could - i.e. replanting forests after they had harvested all of the trees - to be an environmentally responsible corporation). But when that would-be Epcot sponsor dropped out and Kraft Foods then offered to underwrite the construction of this Future World pavilion ... Well, the central story, the underlying message, even the overall look of "The Land" now had to be radically reworked.

The article reminded me of the scene from A Christmas Story, when Ralphie realizes his secret decoder is nothing more than a means for interpreting "a crummy commercial." Although optimistic, the pavilions of Epcot Center told stories from the perspectives of Disney and the underwriting sponsors.

I loved my Epcot Center of the 1980s and still appreciate attractions like Living with the Land. However, instead of attractions, it seems as though I fell in love with immersive commercials.

Here's a couple of videos of The Land Pavilion model:

 

[wm49rs]

Do you think maybe it will slow down when they have 4 parks and two waterparks in Orlando?

Perhaps. If....

 

[Cesar R M]

For you, denial is apparently more than a river in Egypt. But you keep on doing that good work (literally)....

Oh, and by the way, all those alleged facts and figures you keep tossing about, please remember a good portion of that budget is going towards a M&G building and a new women's restroom. Both of which I'm sure the fine folk of Norway care about not in the least....

I still wonder if there will be rushes similar to what we seen on rope drop( theres videos of it on youtube).
Where they dangerously run and shove everyone.. to get to Norway for the temporal M&G of Elsa and Anna.
I mean,if the expected capacity is overrun with fans.

Unless..... Makes me wonder if Disney actually expects the Frozen mania to slowdown, slowdown enough for when the refurb attraction and M&G is re-opened.


(edit) Speaking of the M&G... What capacity will the M&G have?

 

[Siren]

No, some of you guys did a great job at tearing him/her to shreds just for not thinking this is the End of the World as We Know It and enforcing the groupthink policy.

Thank you and it's 'her'. I love the rendering for the new Frozen ride, so I have total confidence that Disney will do this ride justice.

Well you know, shift work and all that....

I don't do shift work, but you are sure on your job -- there is never a shortage of hate for you to spew.

If Disney was ambitious as it once was, they could have started construction of an entire Frozen land at DHS when it became clear that it was a runaway success and had soft openings starting in a few months. And that park would have a wonderful 2016. Instead...

Exactly.

When it comes to some topics, like Epcot - that's indeed a very apt description of the mentality.

If you are going to selectively quote, then you need to add "reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints, by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences."

If you haven't spent the last 25 years mourning the loss of the first 10 years, you are "parroting the company line". If you don't think this is the worst, most horrific thing to happen to Epcot, you must be a paid shill (EDIT: or mentally ill - thanks asianway! ).

I think you should edit your post again and take out the mentally ill part.

I find people who make fun of mental illness to be disgusting. I think you have to be a major loser to accuse someone of serious mental illness. Usually, the people who do this have very little education, literally no class and are mentally ill themselves -- this is why they believe their obnoxious behavior is normal and acceptable. Oh, and people who go around calling others trolls fall under this description, as well.

Or maybe she's just not the pretentious pessimist that others are.

As always, thank you, @Matt_Black.

As for the attraction and the hottest IP going to Epcot's smallest capacity attraction. I ask @Siren this: would you like the current plan or would you rather this plans alternative?

Here is the alternative... You have DHS in line and currently being prepped for new attractions and plenty of real estate... You go ahead and do something similar to the designs you came up with for Tokyo DisneySea:

Which do you think is better? Oh and in the latter you either refurbish the existing Maelstrom or replace it with something just as good but more in the theme of the surrounding area and less taxing on infrastructure/space available.

It's looks beautiful and I would love for WDW to get something like this, but I am just being realistic. Disney is not going to build this here -- WDW will be lucky if Star Wars land is this elaborate. I just have realistic exceptions.

 

[wm49rs]

Thank you and it's 'her'. I love the rendering for the new Frozen ride, so I have total confidence that Disney will do this ride justice.

I don't do shift work, but you are sure on your job -- there is never a shortage of hate for you to spew.

Exactly.

I think you should edit your post again and take out the mentally ill part.

I find people who make fun of mental illness to be disgusting. I think you have to be a major loser to accuse someone of serious mental illness. Usually, the people who do this have very little education, literally no class and are mentally ill themselves -- this is why they believe their obnoxious behavior is normal and acceptable. Oh, and people who go around calling others trolls fall under this description, as well.

As always, thank you, @Matt_Black.

It's looks beautiful and I would love for WDW to get something like this, but I am just being realistic. Disney is not going to build this here -- WDW will be lucky if Star Wars land is this elaborate. I just have realistic exceptions.

Well, when you keep spouting your inaccurate b#ll#cks, disliking it becomes exceptionally easy. But, I suppose it's all part of the job description for you....

 

[WildcatDen]

your the one that missed the point! Its not about maelstrom, its about Norway. Any attraction put in there should have been about Norway, not frozen in fictional kingdom. You dont seem to understand this is, or was anyway, the Norway pavilion. You talk like its ok to shove whatever in there no matter what. I can guarantee you Norway is not happy about a frozen takeover but nothing they can do about it now and had their chance. Still Disney could have done this in a way the frozen characters presented Norway, but they arent.

You honestly think Norway is unhappy that they are most likely in line to be the most popular pavilion in World Showcase? When life gives you (frozen) lemons, it is time to make vats of frozen lemonade. . . They have an opportunity to spin this to the good?

 

[Cesar R M]

I know you're posting this ironically, but I really hate the "Disney is a Business" argument in this case. This is a bad decision all the way around. Cars Land was a significant investment into an intellectual property that paid off in spades. A true Frozen land would have done the same thing at half the cost. Instead, they took 1/10th the cost, shoehorned it into an existing area and are going to create more problems than this will be worth. It's almost as if the ride needs to be absolutely horrible and unpopular in order for it not to be an operations nightmare.

Thats actually my point.
Many people nowadays are using that phrase to shield everything.
I already explained it in another post.
the "Disney is a business" became the "all mighty shield that ends conversations" at the levels of the Goodwing law.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Thank you and it's 'her'. I love the rendering for the new Frozen ride, so I have total confidence that Disney will do this ride justice.

I don't do shift work, but you are sure on your job -- there is never a shortage of hate for you to spew.

Exactly.

I think you should edit your post again and take out the mentally ill part.

I find people who make fun of mental illness to be disgusting. I think you have to be a major loser to accuse someone of serious mental illness. Usually, the people who do this have very little education, literally no class and are mentally ill themselves -- this is why they believe their obnoxious behavior is normal and acceptable. Oh, and people who go around calling others trolls fall under this description, as well.

As always, thank you, @Matt_Black.

It's looks beautiful and I would love for WDW to get something like this, but I am just being realistic. Disney is not going to build this here -- WDW will be lucky if Star Wars land is this elaborate. I just have realistic exceptions.

You still doesnt answer my very direct, yes-or-no question: Is it fair to Frozen fans to have their ride squeezed into a 900 guests/hour low capacity attraction?

 

[wdisney9000]

I'm trying to understand your reasoning here because you're making a huge jump. You are arguing that Disney had to choose between two paths. 1. The path they have taken or 2. Putting Frozen in line behind everything else that is currently planned or underway.

Keep in mind your asking someone who is claiming that certain projects which havent even been acknowledged by TWDC are currently "underway".
Exhibit A:

Disney already has a list of projects currently underway -- Avatarland in 2017, Toy Story Pixar Land 20??, and Star Wars Land in 2020.

This is from the same person asking others to not state their beliefs as fact, lol. I think, @PhotoDave219 first put 2020 out there as a reasonable date for Star Wars land but he also stated it was his estimate.

Some people use the companies glacial pace of construction as if it were set in stone and their hands are tied to choose otherwise. Just a defense mechanism to keep others from shattering their belief in the illusion that the company really does care about their vacation experience more than their money.

 

[George]

It's looks beautiful and I would love for WDW to get something like this, but I am just being realistic. Disney is not going to build this here -- WDW will be lucky if Star Wars land is this elaborate. I just have realistic exceptions.

Remember when WDW aficionados didn't have to lower their expectations?

 

[wdisney9000]

I just have realistic exceptions

Im glad Walt didnt.

 

[aladdin2007]

You honestly think Norway is unhappy that they are most likely in line to be the most popular pavilion in World Showcase? When life gives you (frozen) lemons, it is time to make vats of frozen lemonade. . . They have an opportunity to spin this to the good?

whats the problem now? No Norway was not happy that the main focus of the pavilion was going to Frozen,,,at the same time they were happy that it would however bring more people to the pavilion,,,yet there was concern from thet getgo about Norwegian themes.

 

[Siren]

Discussion? There's a joke. The "actual course" of this "discussion" seems to be- if you are a woman with the wrong opinion, you must work at Rachel's skank bar. When you aren't working at TWDC of course.

Not to mention the comment that someone sho says, " I was disappointed about losing Mickey's Toontown. I didn't feel like it needed to be torn down just for Story Book circus, but I didn't dwell on it. Now, I enjoy what's there, it's not the same but it's not a disaster, either. It's still fun but just different. " must have a "serious mental illness."

Yeah, that's some discussion. Typical to see this thread is as toxic as ever.

Wow! I didn't know that Rachel's was disgusting place for skanks. Ugh... this is awful. Thank you so much for clarifying this. I find it totally disgusting.

There is absolutely no reason for these discussions to get personal. I am convinced that Epcot fans just want to be angry and will viciously attack anyone who thinks otherwise. It's obvious and embarrassingly sad.

First, point any of those posts to me.

Second, ask the posters why they said that (and if you are aware of Siren, you'll know she loves to do this sort of thing, and kudos to her, she does rile people up well), don't attribute them to me or the myriad of other posters who said no such thing.

Third, the discussion was had well before the aftermath comments you made, and it had nothing to do with people pouncing on her with lowbrow implications.

Again, read the THREAD, not your nitpicks to build your own strawman.

I don't come here to 'rile people up'. I don't love being called a skank and seriously mentally ill and a troll and a dog just because I dare to express my excitement about the frozen ride in Epcot.

 

[Lee]

Remember when WDW aficionados didn't have to lower their expectations?

This. All day.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Keep in mind your asking someone who is claiming that certain projects which havent even been acknowledged by TWDC are currently "underway".
Exhibit A:

This is from the same person asking others to not state their beliefs as fact, lol. I think, @PhotoDave219 first put 2020 out there as a reasonable date for Star Wars land but he also stated it was his estimate.

Some people use the companies glacial pace of construction as if it were set in stone and their hands are tied to choose otherwise. Just a defense mechanism to keep others from shattering their belief in the illusion that the company really does care about their vacation experience more than their money.

Neither Star Wars nor the Oft-rumored, never confirmed TSPL have been Approved by the Board of Directors.

2020 is what I originally heard, yes. 2021 is not out of the question.

 

[GLaDOS]

Remember when WDW aficionados didn't have to lower their expectations?

Honestly it's been so long...no, I really can't.

 

[lebeau]

You honestly think Norway is unhappy that they are most likely in line to be the most popular pavilion in World Showcase? When life gives you (frozen) lemons, it is time to make vats of frozen lemonade. . . They have an opportunity to spin this to the good?

Let's say there's a WDWMagic Poster Showcase somewhere. It consists of pavilions dedicated to posters here at the mighty WDWMagic forums. And lucky you, you have your own WildcatDen pavilion. Every so often, Disney hits you up for money so they can keep the place up. You no pay, they no fix. After decades of this, it starts looking a little rundown. The Wildstrom ride isn't very popular anymore. But on the whole, your pavilion is not substantially better or worse than any of the others in the Poster Showcase. And overall, the PS is a heck of a lot better off than the mess made in the front of the park!

One day, Disney has a hit movie about animated wildcats called Catscratch. You're not in it. It's pure fiction, but there's a connection. They visited your house and took a couple of notes and then made up a story that takes place in a house that sort of resembles yours.

So Catscratch is a smash hit at the box office. That first Christmas, no one can find any toys or costumes. Disney eventually has a meet and greet with the main characters and the lines are absurd. Eventually, they decide that Catscratch is actually going to remain popular and they need to do something. So they decide to retheme most of the WildcatDen pavilion to this completely made-up Catscratch story.

There's no doubt the pavilion will be the most popular in the PS by far. In fact, your showcase is going to be completely overrun by Catscratch fans. The attraction will be woefully incapable of handling the demand. What's more, there will be very little left of you in the pavilion bearing your name. Yes, it will be popular. But it won't really be about you any more.

How happy are you about that?

 

[wdisney9000]

Neither Star Wars nor the Oft-rumored, never confirmed TSPL have been Approved by the Board of Directors.

2020 is what I originally heard, yes. 2021 is not out of the question.

Why people keep throwing Star Wars and Toy Story land into the fold is beyond me. It will be great if/when they announce it, but for now its just useless to even mention in any fashion, whether its for excitement or to prop up ones failing argument, its pointless.