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

[RSoxNo1]

How long can you run a Frozen Summer Event.... In 2 weeks, it's officially not summer anymore...

You're right, the word "Summer" is integral to the event based on a fireworks show, ice skating, merchandise and a sing along. Yes, they named it incorrectly but other than that they can retain what's there for the short term.

 

[Prof Ecks]

I think the view from Norway regarding their relationship to Frozen and using it as a way to think about Norway is also worth considering in this discussion....http://www.cnbc.com/id/101776203#.

 

[RSoxNo1]

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!

Your little girl would be just as thrilled, possibly more so if this was given a new attraction in it's proper location.

 

[FutureCEO]

Epcot was my favorite park then the Living Seas with Nemo came (which I like Turtle Talk and hate the ride)

Mexico with the 3 stooges plus the duck
the refresh of Test Track which I will never go on again ( we don't need more play in line things)
now this

Once I actually start going on vacations with myself and not sponge off of my parents timeshare, I will probably never go to Disney again. Now if I get a job in Orlando, I'll be there a lot.

It is sad when a something fictional inspires tourism....ie Frozen to Norway, Nemo to Aussies. I'm sure kids will cry when Norway is nothing like the movie....in the sense of Ardellla or whatever it is

 

[FutureCEO]

I can answer for them. Ready?

5) Educate my little girl? Nonsense. She is thrilled and that is all that matters!

how's the school system working out for you? A lot of things they teach in schools is wrong

 

[RSoxNo1]

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.

Let's also not pretend that Universal has to deal with the same rabid fanbase that Disney does. Universal doesn't have to deal with placemaking and theming, yet Harry Potter has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they're capable of it. They can have a land where no outside forces can penetrate it. There is nothing in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that wouldn't exist in the fictitious world. No Coke products, no outside franchises, it is all Potter. There is no homogenization within the land. If you step outside the land, you certainly see it. You see attractions parachuted (stealing a term from @KevinYee) into loosely themed areas and no one cares. They can get away with both. Disney can't.

 

[JordanNite]

Let's also not pretend that Universal has to deal with the same rabid fanbase that Disney does. Universal doesn't have to deal with placemaking and theming, yet Harry Potter has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they're capable of it. They can have a land where no outside forces can penetrate it. There is nothing in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that wouldn't exist in the fictitious world. No Coke products, no outside franchises, it is all Potter. There is no homogenization within the land. If you step outside the land, you certainly see it. You see attractions parachuted (stealing a term from @KevinYee) into loosely themed areas and no one cares. They can get away with both. Disney can't.

Nonsense. Disney are guily of parachuting rides too. Look at the cheap 'Pixar land' area in DHS ... its nothing more than a drop in given a small theme. Infact most of DHS is like that ... even with Star Wars.

Ridiculous post.

 

[bhg469]

how's the school system working out for you? A lot of things they teach in schools is wrong

Let's not get into that here. It is one opinion that doesn't belong in this discussion.

 

[NearTheEars]

You're not far from the truth. Apparently, Elsa will now ice Cinderella's Castle every night during the Christmas season.

Of all the announcements they've made, that one is the no brainer and should have started last year.
RIP Maelstrom.

 

[MichWolv]

A lot of things they teach in schools is wrong

If you attended school, you just provided a great example!

 

[Mr. Peabody]

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

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.

I adore Frozen, but this announcement is disappointing, to say the least. If the Anna/Elsa M&G wait times and merchandise sales are any indication, a fully realized Arendelle mini-land with a big-ticket dark ride in a thematically appropriate location (e.g. New Fantasyland) would be popular. Instead, they're giving up on the Epcot theme and using the most quick and dirty way to get Frozen into the parks. That solution strikes me as less than satisfying for both Epcot fans and Frozen fans.

The Three Caballeros is a little bit of a thematic stretch for World Showcase, but since the film itself is basically a Latin America travelogue I've grown to accept its placement, though the execution leaves something to be desired. However, Frozen is so far removed from the original Snow Queen story that it really doesn't belong in World Showcase (EDIT: The Snow Queen is not a Norwegian story to begin with. Norway, or a Norway-like land, is merely the setting for The Snow Queen, so I should not have written this sentence in such a way that implied that an unmodified version of the original Andersen story would have been thematically appropriate for the Norway Pavilion). And, seeing as how Gran Fiesta Tour is basically "hide-and-seek in Mexico with Donald", I doubt riders will get a Norwegian cultural experience on the new Frozen ride. In fact, I would wager that this ride will be less relevant to the host country than Gran Fiesta was.

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?

Personally, I don't think a permanent Frozen attraction should exist in DHS. However, I think both DHS and DCA should continue to have venues to host short term things like Frozen Summer Fun Live. At DCA, I think this is what the Muppets area should become. In DHS, the Premier theater and other soundstages can accomplish this. The facilities like the Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid buildings can feature stage shows on more permanent runs. But when it comes to rides based on fairytales, they belong in Fantasyland.

I agree with @RSoxNo1 about the placement of Frozen. DHS really needs family attractions, but there is just something off-putting about placing a fairy tale kingdom there, even if they are trying to get away from the working studio aspect. In my opinion, they should expand Pixar's presence in the back of DHS. I don't think they should group these properties together simply because they were made by the same studio, but most Pixar movies have more contemporary settings that don't really fit in MK.

This is another reason why I don't like putting Frozen in Epcot. It doesn't really solve any issues that WDW has. DHS needs more to do for families, and MK is still stuffed to the gills even after New Fantasyland. Meanwhile, Maelstrom and Norway are really the least of Disney's problems in World Showcase; yet that is where they are focusing their attention - in a way, I reiterate, that is underwhelming for both Epcot fans and Frozen fans.

 

[MichWolv]

Let's also not pretend that Universal has to deal with the same rabid fanbase that Disney does. Universal doesn't have to deal with placemaking and theming, yet Harry Potter has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they're capable of it. They can have a land where no outside forces can penetrate it. There is nothing in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that wouldn't exist in the fictitious world. No Coke products, no outside franchises, it is all Potter. There is no homogenization within the land. If you step outside the land, you certainly see it. You see attractions parachuted (stealing a term from @KevinYee) into loosely themed areas and no one cares. They can get away with both. Disney can't.

True. Disney does it, of course, but get lambasted for it.

 

[katarn112]

I love how I leave for a little while, the posts double and the place is on fire. Did anyone at least get the cat out?

Anyways, it looks like things are getting off track. Let's say that we didn't have to have Frozen move in. At most the ride needed a refurb but can anyone else think of a really good thing to turn the ride into? I mean, I just wanted a bit of an over haul. Repaint backdrops, get the Polar Bear new fur, have the troll work properly, ect.

But for real, I'd like to hear some ideas. We have some pretty awesome talent in here. Just something not character related or that'll puke out tons of merch at the rate of a gift shop exit...

I don't know. Truly, I don't. I just think that Frozen is not the answer. To all those here who are saying how excited their little girls are... Tell me, do you think she'll still be as excited two years from now? The interests of children change fast.

I am hugely disappointed for three reasons:

1) Instead of the ride being about Norway, it is a ride set in a caricaturization of Norway. Hence, it does not belong in the World Showcase.
2) Epcot is starved for rides as it is. Maelstrom was a ride everyone of all ages could enjoy, and it sounds like this is specifically targeted toward little girls (but what isn't at WDW these days?)
3) It is yet another disappointment from Disney.

1 and 2 have been discussed to death already, so I want to address number 3. I love checking out the rumor round-up over at Orlando Informer. Every Wednesday there's some exciting new news... but it's not from Disney. Last week we got the announcement of a 5th on-site hotel at Universal called Sapphire Falls Resort. The week before we learned a lot more about the new Kong attraction. In weeks past we learned about the development of their first on-site water park, and recently we've heard they are considering doing a phase 3 of Potter based on the Ministry of Magic. All of this in a very short span of time.

From Disney, meanwhile, we get a themed land to a movie that nobody truly cares about (which was announced years ago but has still barely broken ground), drones to fly light displays, an unnecessary makeover to a ride that was fine to begin with (Test Track), and now the gutting of a culturally based ride in the WORLD SHOWCASE which will significantly reduce its target audience.

I'm so sick of disappointment after disappointment coming from Disney. This is why people are shaving days off of their Disney trips to spend more days at Universal. Universal is kicking Disney's butt right now. Maybe not financially, but that day is coming.

 

[minsmk]

Now that everyone is speaking about their opinions of Frozen taking over Maelstrom..

Maelstrom is a nostalgic ride for me:
Every trip with my childhood friend the first thing we do is go to Epcot and ride Maelstrom.
It got me to ride Splash Mountain.(Which got me to ride EE which is going to get me on RNR. Also TOT.)
I can quote the whole ride and so does my family.
I have a love for norwegian (And other nordic of course.) culture.
It was groundbreaking in the 80's and the effects still look good.
Also
It was the first ride to pattened the trackswitch.

And the reason I don't like Frozen is:
Stale characters.. Yeah Anna is cute and Elsa is beautiful but they are both boring and stale.
The plot doesn't run right, there are lots of holes, and it doesn't flow right.
The music is okay.. I like their work on Book of Mormon and Avenue Q better.
I think Elsa is one of the most boring characters ever.
Anna is cute but in no means the first "Feminist" princess. (Tiana, Mulan, and even Pocahontas.)
Elsa isn't a "Girl power" character at all.
The dresses/outfits aren't even that cute. And by no means historically accurate.
Both of Elsa's outfits break time period (Especially her Ice dress.)
Kristoff, Elsa, and Olaf are the most boring characters. And are waaay underdeveolped.

There are waaay more but I'll save those for later.

So Frozen Maelstrom or whatever they do bothers me because:
Screaming children
No learning (at all.)
Taking something classic and turning it into something ehhh
And many more

If it's a trackless: Yeah I'll ride it!
If it's just an overlay: One and done.

 

[AllyInWonderland]

I really, really want this to bite them in the . hard. Enough is enough. They'll probably continue to sell retro Epcot merchandise to tug at the fans' heartstrings, all while ing on the remains of whatever is left of the park's original vision.

Seriously! I hope this whole fiasco will end up like Merida's makeover.

 

[Arty Cordova]

If you attended school, you just provided a great example!

Future CEO, lol

 

[stevehousse]

While I am sad to see Maelstrom go, having something new in Epcot will be good. Now do I think Frozen deserves more than retrofitted ride, yes, but it is what it is...hopefully they just do a great job.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

But will I still not be able to buy $500 sweaters?

 

[raymusiccity]

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.

There's a lot of truth to that. I think there's something to be said that negative comments are more riveting than constant Pollyanna statements. If everyone visiting this board gushed about Frozen, you'd find viewership would plummet. It's just human nature to pile onto a 'Save Malestrom' thread, rather than, 'Ohh, I wonder what an animatronic Elsa will be wearing' discussion.

PS: I was just lucky enough to snag some Fast Pass+ for Maestrom on October 5th, it's Final Day of operation.
:-(

It will be sad, but, so was saying good bye to If You Had Wings, Horizons, Mr. Toads Wild Ride, et al.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Nonsense. Disney are guily of parachuting rides too. Look at the cheap 'Pixar land' area in DHS ... its nothing more than a drop in given a small theme. Infact most of DHS is like that ... even with Star Wars.

Ridiculous post.

Disney does it too, but they are criticized for it. Disney is criticized for every thematic break they make. You don't see the same vitriol when Universal does it.