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

[AndyMagic]

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the vocal outrage across social media after this announcement. I knew people on here wouldn't be happy but it appears the general public isn't pleased either. Could this maybe be the tipping point that causes even the most rapid Disney World fans to no longer accept the insane mediocrity coming out of the resort lately?

 

[Communicore]

The 21st century began October 1, 1982.
It ended September 12, 2014.

No, it ended when Horizons was torn down lol

 

[hth1917]

Concept art for the new meet and greet:

"Disney's® Magical Frozen™ Cash Grab Starring Anna and Elsa™"

 

[wm49rs]

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the vocal outrage across social media after this announcement. I knew people on here wouldn't be happy but it appears the general public isn't pleased either. Could this maybe be the tipping point that causes even the most rapid Disney World fans to no longer accept the insane mediocrity coming out of the resort lately?

Unfortunately, no....

 

[G00fyDad]

Concept art for the new meet and greet:

"Disney's® Magical Frozen™ Cash Grab Starring Anna and Elsa™"

You forgot the millions of little 6" Olaf dolls selling for $25 to $30 each in the background.

 

[Figaro928]

early 2016!?!? So much for a cheap quick overlay - Slightly opptimistic that this might possibly have some substance

 

[JordanNite]

Not sure why people are angry at Malestorm being replaced. It's a terrible attraction you would find at a local theme park.

I'd rather get angry because it doesn't look like Disney are going to do ANYTHING major with this attraction, but rather a rebrand.

Sad state of affairs is we have to hope attendance numbers drop in the parks for them to wake up and do anythng major, as happened at Disney California thus rolling out Cars land.

 

[Fractal514]

Example?

Someone here already said The Lion King, which I think is an excellent example. Hercules and the Roman gods are certainly adaptations of the Greek. There are Cinderella stories (and Great Flood stories for that matter) in most cultures. Fortune cookies are an American invention, not Chinese. West Side Story is iconically in NYC while Romeo and Juliet is in Fair Verona. Alsace Lorraine is a great example of a region that is located in France, but very German culturally. I think there are probably others here could provide even better examples than these, but this is what came off the top of my head this morning when I woke up.

 

[JordanNite]

early 2016!?!? So much for a cheap quick overlay - Slightly opptimistic that this might possibly have some substance

It took them 4 years to build that rather tame coaster in Fantasy land. You're telling me in 15 months they will have some brand spanking new world built up - from conception to build? The rate at which Disney does projects these days doesn't fill me hope they are going to get going on a Universal style pace. Look at Avatar, which appears to be a complete new land - that will have taken years so far, and we still haven't seen anything built.

What i believe will happen, is they will incorporate the existing Boat ride them, but change the visuals around it to make it Frozen.

 

[JohnD]

Can we see the concept art for Frozen the ride!

 

[Mr Toad]

The real problem... Frozen has made enough money in a dilapidated DHS, that the eye of Sauron has turned its attention onto EPCOT.

Gollum will takes them there My Preciousssss.

 

[Figaro928]

It took them 4 years to build that rather tame coaster in Fantasy land. You're telling me in 15 months they will have some brand spanking new world built up - from conception to build? The rate at which Disney does projects these days doesn't fill me hope they are going to get going on a Universal style pace. Look at Avatar, which appears to be a complete new land - that will have taken years so far, and we still haven't seen anything built.

What i believe will happen, is they will incorporate the existing Boat ride them, but change the visuals around it to make it Frozen.

true.. but at least its not what they did in DHS - and REALLY did a quick and cheap overlay. Let's be honest, they could have had cardboard cutouts of Elsa with a speaker behind it blaring "let it Go" and families would have flocked.

 

[Fractal514]

Not sure why people are angry at Malestorm being replaced. It's a terrible attraction you would find at a local theme park.

I'd rather get angry because it doesn't look like Disney are going to do ANYTHING major with this attraction, but rather a rebrand.

Sad state of affairs is we have to hope attendance numbers drop in the parks for them to wake up and do anythng major, as happened at Disney California thus rolling out Cars land.

I'm not saying you are wrong, but on what are you basing this? Do you have more that gut instinct or do you believe that Disney is currently incapable of doing more than a simple overlay given the trending behaviors and time table of the renovation?

 

[cw1982]

Someone here already said The Lion King, which I think is an excellent example. Hercules and the Roman gods are certainly adaptations of the Greek. There are Cinderella stories (and Great Flood stories for that matter) in most cultures. Fortune cookies are an American invention, not Chinese. West Side Story is iconically in NYC while Romeo and Juliet is in Fair Verona. Alsace Lorraine is a great example of a region that is located in France, but very German culturally. I think there are probably others here could provide even better examples than these, but this is what came off the top of my head this morning when I woke up.

Lion King is set in Africa, but no one is getting confused and saying it's an African story. Big difference.

The gods and goddesses in Roman culture are certainly bleed overs from the Greeks, but people seem to do a good job of keeping the two separate.

Everyone knows West Side Story is an American version of the Shakespeare play.

I'm not going into every one of these, but my point is that I thought we were talking about the cultures blending in a way that makes the source of the stories hard to track. That doesn't appear to be the case with any of these.

 

[Figaro928]

If anyone saw the "making of Frozen" on ABC a week or two ago, they really went into detail about how they used Noweigien culture in the movie - If that was incorporated into some sort of preshow it would be a huge redeemeing quality

 

[wm49rs]

Not sure why people are angry at Malestorm being replaced. It's a terrible attraction you would find at a local theme park.

I'd rather get angry because it doesn't look like Disney are going to do ANYTHING major with this attraction, but rather a rebrand.

Sad state of affairs is we have to hope attendance numbers drop in the parks for them to wake up and do anythng major.

Perhaps because they don't feel it's a terrible attraction? Or perhaps instead of an overlay they'd prefer to see this pavilion (and others) upgraded and improved....

 

[Fractal514]

46 pages In less than 12 hours.

Personally, I think the backlash comes in with it being "frozen" rather than an update/refurb/other change.

To the Epcot fanbois, where were you when original shows were being cut/closed? Where what your righteous indignation then? (I realize it's past their bedtime)

All in all.... It's a theme park. It's a kiddy ride in a theme park.

It's not curing cancer. It's not bringing world peace. It certainly has nothing to do with Walt Disney. It didn't open in 1982 and it wasn't that good an attraction.


And Philadelphia is still the birthplace of America.

You keep trying to invoke these "Epcot fanbois," who are you referring to?

 

[Fractal514]

Lion King is set in Africa, but no one is getting confused and saying it's an African story. Big difference.

The gods and goddesses in Roman culture are certainly bleed overs from the Greeks, but people seem to do a good job of keeping the two separate.

Everyone knows West Side Story is an American version of the Shakespeare play.

I'm not going into every one of these, but my point is that I thought we were talking about the cultures blending in a way that makes the source of the stories hard to track. That doesn't appear to be the case with any of these.

Hard to track for whom though? Anyone can do a bit of research and discover something, but we're talking about the majority of the population. I don't think we're going to agree here, and that's ok. I just think that you're not going to convince anyone who isn't already against Frozen and looking for another argument to add to their list of grievances. I think there are better arguments to make against this attraction overhaul.

 

[JordanNite]

Perhaps because they don't feel it's a terrible attraction? Or perhaps instead of an overlay they'd prefer to see this pavilion (and others) upgraded and improved....

Granted, they could improve the pavilion, but not sure what the outrage is with incorporating characters into Epcot, as long as it fits with the vision of what Epcot is about. You may not have noticed Nemo, and co are already in the park incorporating a ecological environmental spin.

Personally believe they should incorporate Ratatouille into France. Makes more sense that making a french themed land in DisneyLand Paris.

 

[RSoxNo1]

If a version of China that serves quick-serve "sweet and sour chicken" and a UK pavillion largely focused on Beatles and Dr. Who merch are ok, I really have no problem with a fictionalized version of Norway taking over the pavilion. All the countries are fictionalized to one degree or another.

In any case, it's a done deal. Rather than rehashing the debate, why not focus on how it will be done.

I prefer the term "romanticized". I view World Showcase as a romanticized version of the various cultures. We can't pretend for a second that Maelstrom didn't include an element of Fantasy, but it was never rooted in anything other than the direct mythology of Norwegian culture.

A Poppins ride would be fine in the UK, as the movie is actually set there, but, like having Aladdin in Morocco, having Arrendale in Norway just diminishes the real country.

it's actually kinda racist to just group everyone from a vague geographic region into one land. I know most Americans don't have a clue what the difference is between Norway, Sweden, Finland etc., but that lumping all foreigners into the same pot shouldn't be encouraged.

Imagine if the American pavilion had a New York ride, but it got replaced by a Gotham City Batman ride. How would that feel?

I'm hesitant to even say that a Mary Poppins ride would fit in the UK or Ratatouille in France. I agree that both additions would feel better than Frozen in Norway, I just don't think World Showcase is the place.

Frozen deserves a properly themed area. World Showcase deserves to stay free of permanent character based attractions.