Frozen Ever After opening day

[NearTheEars]

I doubt it. The ride looks like crap, which is actually fitting considering the movie it's based on.

It's interesting. The reviews seem to mainly be like the above, or "OMG the AAs are so awesome ... So Impressed ... Etc."

Not much middle ground, where it likely falls. And for something we feared might be a cheap disaster, that's not too bad.

 

[Daniel Johnson]

It's nice to hear people say it blew their expectations...I think it looks great. I figured it would, but I'll reserve final judgment when I ride it. The still shots posted earlier in this thread are amazing in their own right. They look just like a drawing. Very impressed so far!

 

[Andrew C]

It's interesting. The reviews seem to mainly be like the above, or "OMG the AAs are so awesome ... So Impressed ... Etc."

Not much middle ground, where it likely falls. And for something we feared might be a cheap disaster, that's not too bad.

Eh. I think the reviews range from "mehh" to "OMG". The post you quoted is an outlier. Lol.

 

[GoofGoof]

It's interesting. The reviews seem to mainly be like the above, or "OMG the AAs are so awesome ... So Impressed ... Etc."

Not much middle ground, where it likely falls. And for something we feared might be a cheap disaster, that's not too bad.

Yep, I think for me it's a pleasant surprise. It looks better than the cheap overlay most of us were expecting. That and...OMG the AAs look awesome. I still need to get the vibe of the whole place in person to be sure but while this isn't the home run they could have hit with a longer ride in a larger space it certainly looks like at least a base hit, maybe even extra bases

 

[Tony Perkis]

Exactly. Anyone who doesn't admit That this came out wat better than expected is either blinded by nostalgia or its bad placement.

That's something I strongly disagree with. I preferred Maelstrom because of how unique it was compared to the general Disney corporate machine. Technically inferior, uniquely its own. It's now TLM with better pacing. Believe it or not, there is not a designated correct preference.

I'll admit upfront, I don't like Frozen. I think amongst the pre designated Disney classics, it's at or near the bottom. So take that for what it is.

 

[doctornick]

So, I too am impressed with the AAs and the general flow of the ride. I love that they didn't go for a lame "book report" and firm storyline, but rather did more of an "experience" where you visit Arendelle and are entertained by it. I like that it doesn't really detract from the pavilion being Norway.

That said, I would go along with the criticism that some of the scenes are quite sparse. Perhaps that's taking a strong cue from the film, but it makes things look under decorated. In particular the scene with Olaf ice skating followed by Anna & Kristoff -- there needs to be some more background "stuff" to fill it out.

Is Snowball (edit: oops, meant Marshmallow) supposed to move more? His limited motion is surprising.

That said, I loved Maelstrom and no matter how nice this is, I will probably be sad riding it for that reason. I wish they would have kept/updated that ride and built a Frozen ride elsewhere (personally, I would have been fine with them using the Summerhus space for a Frozen ride in addition to Maelstrom).

Edit: I will add that not everything needs to be a E-ticket and I think this ride fills a needed niche for Epcot. It's a better version of the smallish FL dark rides that Disney is know for.

 

[Princess Leia]

The more I think about it, the more impressed with the Sven and Olaf AAs (when they're working, that is). That being said, I think the human characters- Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa- look a little stiff?
I think the lack of story works here. You don't need a whole lot of story for Pirates or HM (... or Space Mountain). The Little Mermaid tried to cram so much in such little time, and it didn't work. Snow White's Scary Adventures works because it focuses on the Queen/Witch. Quick and easy to follow. Toad had an entirely new story.
If they did a condensed version of Frozen, it would literally just be the soundtrack with scenes (a la Little Mermaid), occasionally narrated by Olaf. The Hans twist wouldn't have fit the ride (unless they just showed it on a screen). By choosing a plot that only sort of highlights a couple things from the movie (Anna turns to ice and Elsa breaks the spell), it's relatively spoiler free. There are some people who still haven't seen Frozen, surprisingly. Actually, I know people who have never seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and that movie is 20 years old (My underrated favorite Disney film celebrated its birthday today), and it's part of the Disney Renaissance.
I loved Maelstrom, my family went on it on every trip, but it wasn't a ride that most people flocked to. It was a bit outdated (like everything else in Epcot), but it had it's charms. So I'll miss it. But I also miss the Viking boat playground that used to be in the front of Norway, and they took that out years ago. But Disney changes rides. And in some cases, that's okay. As much as I'll miss Maelstrom, and if they get the AAs working, I'll probably enjoy this.
What I'm really curious about is how the ride will perform tomorrow.

 

[Jones14]

The ride is growing on me the more that time goes on. It still has a few very clear problems, but it compares favorably to Mine Train and Little Mermaid, and is better than Peter Pan's Flight and Winnie The Pooh. With that said, I think it could beat Mermaid out for best Fantasyland-style Florida dark ride if and only if it gets the same kind of detail upgrades that Mermaid got. It's still too sparse in certain areas, but it doesn't feel as manufactured as Mermaid, which is admittedly refreshing, despite the issues.

 

[BrerJon]

I liked the idea of an icy, snow-covered land in a Florida park. Where snow falls occasionally, like in the Christmas parade on Main Street. But TDO didn't want to spend the money, I guess.

There's a snow-covered land in a Florida park where snow falls regularly (albeit indoors), just a few miles up I-4.

 

[doctornick]

I'll also say that while I don't generally like the toonification of Epcot, I'd support putting in rides that make sense in their settings. Ratatouille in France and Mulan in China where mentioned and I'd agree that both of those would be at least passable as (1) they actually take place in those countries and (2) they celebrate some element of culture (the gastronomic heritage of France and an actual legend of China).

That said, I'd prefer a Germany Rhine ride or a Mt Fuji coaster given the choice. Either way, though, I think there needs to be some rides added to WS.

 

[Sped2424]

I doubt that will happen.

Sequels with Lin Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt are afoot. nothing is out of the realm of possibility here...

 

[dm11]

Not a big fan of Frozen (well, really not a fan at all), did not expect much of this attraction (when feeling most optimistic I had it as a second tier and only for kiddos) and did not understand why they were taking so much time for a simple overlay. Bottom line, a so-so attraction taking forever to build.

But I have to admit that first videos are actually having me convinced I was wrong. I just love what they've done. And in person must be better (always is) than videos. I would say it is firmly a good second-tier attraction, and that is not a bad thing (for example, in Epcot I consider only Soarin' as first tier, and Test Track in between).

All the negatives really sound like nitpicking and being negative for negativity's sake:
1) Wrong placement. Well, not everything can go into Fantasyland. And no, most visitors do not care about thematic purity. It is a good attraction that loosely fits into where it is. Perfectly fine.
2) It is too short. How is 4+ minutes too short? It is actually longer than Maelstrom. This actually feels just right length wise.
3) Not enough scenes. Seriously? People are heaving praise on Kong over at Uni, and while I like what I am seeing there so far, this has more scenes (and yes, I realize they are on different level, with Kong being better overall ride. I think).
4) Beloved attraction (Maelstrom) gone. Again, that is only for thematic purity and nostalgia. Maelstrom is not a beloved attraction for majority of guests. It was the best and most popular attraction in WS but that is not saying much. There are almost no *rides* there and face it, most people go to theme parks for rides. To be honest Maelstrom felt tired and outdated, never had an urge to ride it again. IMHO, good riddance. This actually feels as a really good ride.

 

[mvieguy]

Surprised nobody really mentioned this, i really like the fog after the let it go scene, when you travel backwards down hill. and the fact that Marshmallow, was blowing cold fog through his mouth. not sure about the temp. but disney could have dropped the temp a bit in those scenes. make it seem colder in there.

 

[BrerJon]

I think the lack of story works here. You don't need a whole lot of story for Pirates or HM (... or Space Mountain)..

The thing with HM and Pirates though is that every little vignette tells a story, whether it's the bride auction, the prisoners trying to escape, the drunk with the pigs, Madam Leota, the dog in the graveyard... they're clearly incidents in a bigger tale, and that builds up into a rich experience where you're drawn into a world, instead of just having a few figures waving and singing at you. It's that world building and micro-stories that elevate a dark ride from being a promo-piece to a fully immersive experience that you can ride over and over and still see new things. It's a skill completely lost to today's imagineers.

 

[Mike S]

There's a snow-covered land in a Florida park where snow falls regularly (albeit indoors), just a few miles up I-4.

Yes but that ride sucks lol.

 

[HouseHacker97]

how come WDW always has to be the lab rat to test rides and technology that will be *perfected* in DL?

 

[Princess Leia]

I'll also say that while I don't generally like the toonification of Epcot, I'd support putting in rides that make sense in their settings. Ratatouille in France and Mulan in China where mentioned and I'd agree that both of those would be at least passable as (1) they actually take place in those countries and (2) they celebrate some element of culture (the gastronomic heritage of France and an actual legend of China).

That said, I'd prefer a Germany Rhine ride or a Mt Fuji coaster given the choice. Either way, though, I think there needs to be some rides added to WS.

Of the 4, Germany or Japan would be my guesses to get a ride since they're sort of planned. Germany just needs to add the ride, they have the building. It wouldn't need to be a D or E ticket. If it was a really nice looking C ticket, I'd be happy.

 

[Filby61]

My overall impression of the ride videos is that what's there looks nice -- but there isn't a lot there. "Spare... sparse... long stretches of empty space" are the main impression. Nice tech on the AAs, but surprisingly few of them -- very surprising, given the humongous money-maker that the Frozen franchise has been for the Company.

Conceptually, the show has that "you are a passive observer" quality of DLR's Mermaid, Nemo and Pooh, instead of casting the guest in the role of key active participant as in the classic Fantasyland dark rides.

Overall: underwhelming. Okay for what's there, but considering the potential of the source material, not nearly enough is there, nor is it involving enough.

...I'm of the opinion that for what Frozen is, it deserved more.

Exactly.

​

 

[Princess Leia]

The thing with HM and Pirates though is that every little vignette tells a story, whether it's the bride auction, the prisoners trying to escape, the drunk with the pigs, Madam Leota, the dog in the graveyard... they're clearly incidents in a bigger tale, and that builds up into a rich experience where you're drawn into a world, instead of just having a few figures waving and singing at you. It's that world building and micro-stories that elevate a dark ride from being a promo-piece to a fully immersive experience that you can ride over and over and still see new things. It's a skill completely lost to today's imagineers.

I can see them adding to this attraction eventually (maybe with more background stuff, and cleaning up any clunky AA problems. I think they were rushed into finishing it, which unfortunately left some areas wanting (mostly blank screens, Dead Olaf).

What I am mostly hoping for is that there is a return to normalcy for Stave Church.

 

[HouseHacker97]

Of the 4, Germany or Japan would be my guesses to get a ride since they're sort of planned. Germany just needs to add the ride, they have the building. It wouldn't need to be a D or E ticket. If it was a really nice looking C ticket, I'd be happy.

what was planned for japan?