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

[xdan0920]

And those have been a bloodbath from what I was seeing. Much more than any recent decision that I can remember.

Light's of Winter was close.

This decision shouldn't please anyone. Not E.P.C.O.T. purists, not Epcot fans, not Frozen fans, not parents of little girls who <3 Elsa and Anna. Everyone should be annoyed by this.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I'm a sucker for nostalga like the next man, but attraction is terrible. Don't care what anyone says. The 'outrage' seems based on nostalga, and a sense of Epcot loosing it's original concept idea. Whilst i can agree with the latter, the nostalga one really irks me. You would have people here complaining if they took away 'It's a small world' or the 'Stitch' attraction, despite them being horrendous.

These nostalga heads really irk me.

The outrage, if you read, isn't based on Maelstrom going away. It is based on what is replacing it. Frozen does not belong in Norway. If Disney announced a refurb of Maelstrom, an updating, to bring it to 2014/2015/2016 and beyond, but included Norwegian culture/folklore, I doubt you would see many complain. Just like you wouldn't see many complain if, yesterday, they announced Frozen was getting a real attraction in MK or DHS, or even a complete land in either of those two parks.

No, the outrage isn't about losing Maelstrom. it is about the replacement.

 

[mousehockey37]

Let the defiling of Epcot continue

Instead of Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, the meaning will change to

Every
Part
Closes
Over
Time

 

[Captain Chaos]

So succinct.

Can anybody defending this move, please explain to me why you think this is the right place for a Frozen attraction?

Why is replacing one of the only rides in WS, the right thing to do when you have a park. DHS, absolutely begging for family friendly attractions?

I can usually see both sides of an argument, really I can. But with this, there is NO room for two sides. This is lazy, cheap, and sad.

I can answer for them. Ready?

1) My little girl is thrilled
2) My little girl is thrilled and that is all that matters.
3) My little girl is thrilled.
4) Disney is not a museum. And my little girl is thrilled.
5) Educate my little girl? Nonsense. She is thrilled and that is all that matters!

 

[mousehockey37]

I can answer for them. Ready?

1) My little girl is thrilled
2) My little girl is thrilled and that is all that matters.
3) My little girl is thrilled.
4) Disney is not a museum. And my little girl is thrilled.
5) Educate my little girl? Nonsense. She is thrilled and that is all that matters!

These are the same people that will throw whatever lump sums of cash at Disney when they come out with the Frozen Soiree for MVMCP, so they can "buy their way" out of the A&E lines. I honestly think the VSS was a last minute thing that someone threw together and said "Hey! Let's test this at Halloween with a few villains and see how it does, and if it goes well, we'll wait and add it to Christmas!"

 

[RSoxNo1]

You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.
-Walt Disney

 

[iheartdisney91]

I find it sad that on disneyparksblog that all the comments are positive ones for Frozen.
Obviously disney has been sifting through them. There wasn't one negative comment about the replacement.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Eh is this really a surprise to anyone, it was just a matter of time. It might not be to bad. Thrilled, no but will give it a chance. We all have pretty much known this was coming since like March. Might not be as bad as we think. Could it have been placed better, of course. Kinda like Mexico, the ride there still confuses me but I love it at the same time. Don't sweat it we are getting a new a ride finally lol

 

[RSoxNo1]

I would disagree, Maelstrom was never a detailed study of Norwegian culture IMO. It was a very brief overview at best. A Frozen overlay will lose the oil references but keep the trolls from Norwegian culture for example. I would guess (and I might be wrong) that the trolls are far more interesting to most than the oil portion of the ride for example. But then I am from Texas and we have lots of oil references around here so that might just be personal bias.

And sadly I would think Captain America at least taught some in the audience that we fought Germany in WWII, I would bet my last dollar more than a few people who saw that movie did not even know that.

Or, you could improve upon the abridged ending of Maelstrom with a Mystic Manor level storm/finale. Upgrade a ride while keeping it relevant and build Frozen in Fantasyland where it belongs.

 

[jt04]

I was reading my Epcot Center book this morning, the one that they put out to hype the park opening in 1982.
In it, in the WS section, it said that every single item for sale in WS gift shops were "made in the country" itself. Wow, I can't even begin to imagine that these days. What is the current percentage of that? 1%?
It's again the difference. I am sure that Disney was looking to make money on those gifts in 1982, but they did so with thought and purpose toward the host nations. Now it's all done and over. Norway is dead.

No, Norway if alive and well and easier to visit than ever. The world is a vastly different place than in 1982. It is right that Disney changes the way WS is Imagineered. I can't believe they waited this long.

This obviously is not a cheap overlay but will be fun and immersive attractions that will be for the entire family. Win.

 

[JordanNite]

Transformers was indeed built in a year ... but that attraction was already built in Singapore and in Hollywood. It was just in essence rebuilding the same attraction in another city. With this attraction, we are talking a new attraction ... plannings, concept, safety, etc all take a fair while.

This is why the timeline suggests this attraction will be no more than just a retheme of Malestorm.

And i agree with everyone that says it's underwhelming.

But i'll say it again, unless attendance figures drop they won't invest a thing. Instead we'll get cheap attractions just to keep the $$$ flowing.

 

[Captain Chaos]

You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.
-Walt Disney

Who is this Walt guy? He sounds like a moron. Dead if you aim only for kids? Who in the blue hell does he think he is? Hell, all we know how to do is target little girls. And we are making billions!!!! Walt Disney. Guy should shut his mouth and mind his own business! ---- Today's TWDC executives.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The trolls in Maelstrom are fiction as well.

Frozen is based on Scandinavian folklore. As are the trolls in Maelstrom. We're not pretending that Maelstrom didn't have any fantasy elements in it. Our objection is that there are countless better places for Frozen than in World Showcase.

 

[sshindel]

I can answer for them. Ready?

1) My little girl is thrilled
2) My little girl is thrilled and that is all that matters.
3) My little girl is thrilled.
4) Disney is not a museum. And my little girl is thrilled.
5) Educate my little girl? Nonsense. She is thrilled and that is all that matters!

I actually fall into 4 out of 5 of those categories. #5 is the only one That doesn't fit me.

Still hate the decision like poison.

 

[mousehockey37]

No, Norway if alive and well and easier to visit than ever.

Yeah, due to Frozen, they have a cruise for that now.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I actually fall into 4 out of 5 of those categories. #5 is the only one That doesn't fit me.

Still hate the decision like poison.

You are the only one that falls into those categories that hates the decision then. Every other fan site, the people with little girls, are glowing cause THEIR PRINCESS WILL BE HAPPY.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm a sucker for nostalga like the next man, but attraction is terrible. Don't care what anyone says. The 'outrage' seems based on nostalga, and a sense of Epcot loosing it's original concept idea. Whilst i can agree with the latter, the nostalga one really irks me. You would have people here complaining if they took away 'It's a small world' or the 'Stitch' attraction, despite them being horrendous.

These nostalga heads really irk me.

"it's a small world" is a classic and there was plenty of displeasure when the original attraction was made "relevant" by turning it into an insipid game of hide-and-go-seek. Over the years, there has also been plenty of people who discussed their enjoyment of Maelstrom. Even if it was based on nostalgia, nostalgia is a rather big component to how Disney theme parks work on an emotional level.

 

[jdmdisney99]

My ignore list has doubled in these past couple days. I'm just really annoyed with this whole thing.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned it but Tom Staggs said this would be opening by early 2016 http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/09/frozen-attraction-coming-to-epcot/

"Tom Staggs on September 12th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Thanks for asking, Cynthia. The Frozen attraction is targeted to open by early 2016."

Why do they need 15+ months? Diagon Alley was built from scratch in less time than that!

That's not even close to being true.

 

[sshindel]

You are the only one that falls into those categories that hates the decision then. Every other fan site, the people with little girls, are glowing cause THEIR PRINCESS WILL BE HAPPY.

That's because when it comes to EPCOT, education is my most important thing. Actually, outside of Epcot as well.
My kids (well, 1 of 2, the 6 year old girl has been sick to death of Frozen for 6 months) will love it. They will be thrilled.
I still don't care. They'd be thrilled if it was a big cotton candy shop as well. Or a Build a Bear. Doesn't mean it belongs there. Doesn't change the fact to me that they are destroying the entire mission of World Showcase to cram in a hot property.