Frozen Ever After vs Maelstrom

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

when maelstrom was still there, i’ve heard people standing in line calling it chuck norris. i think i’ve seen people here mention it but not sure. it just kind of stuck with me every time i saw it.

chuck norris does not have hair like that.

 

[LittleMerman]

Frozen. Like a lot of people I didn't care about Maelstrom. It felt so random. Adding the Frozen layer gave a lot of people an emotional connection to the ride - I happen to love that movie and the music. It's a beautiful ride. I know the projected faces on the animatronics are weird but I can forgive it. It's a fun experience - it went from a forgettable and often overlooked ride to a must-do.

 

[Weather_Lady]

chuck norris does not have hair like that.

True. Appropos of nothing, Chuck Norris doesn't need haircuts, because his hair knows when to back down.

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[aliceismad]

I know there is a lot of debate about whether Frozen fits in Norway and whether the new ride is soulless in comparison with Maelstrom, but we enjoy the new ride. We found the queue entertaining and the ride very pleasant. We like the animatronics. There are some parts that could be improved, of course. The transitions in particular - like the dark hallway after you see Elsa - feel a bit half-a**ed.

I liked parts of Maelstrom, but it did feel disjointed to me. It was a ride that was good for once a trip. FEA we'll ride multiple times. We also love the Frozen movies and music in my family, though, so there's that.

 

[UNCgolf]

I know there is a lot of debate about whether Frozen fits in Norway and whether the new ride is soulless in comparison with Maelstrom, but we enjoy the new ride. We found the queue entertaining and the ride very pleasant. We like the animatronics. There are some parts that could be improved, of course. The transitions in particular - like the dark hallway after you see Elsa - feel a bit half-a**ed.

I liked parts of Maelstrom, but it did feel disjointed to me. It was a ride that was good for once a trip. FEA we'll ride multiple times. We also love the Frozen movies and music in my family, though, so there's that.

I think that's why I dislike FEA so much. There's basically nothing to the ride beyond "Hey you like Frozen and the songs from Frozen, right???"

It relies entirely on familiarity with and enjoyment of the IP for the ride to work. There's really nothing to it beyond seeing Frozen AAs and hearing the songs. It uses the IP as a crutch.

 

[Parker in NYC]

I miss the movie and that uncomfortable but striking Norwegian seating. That’s EPCOT Center nostalgia for me.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I think Maelstrom fit the pavilion much better but it was old and boring so if they weren't going to update it, I'm glad they got rid of it.

 

[aliceismad]

I think that's why I dislike FEA so much. There's basically nothing to the ride beyond "Hey you like Frozen and the songs from Frozen, right???"

It relies entirely on familiarity with and enjoyment of the IP for the ride to work. There's really nothing to it beyond seeing Frozen AAs and hearing the songs. It uses the IP as a crutch.

I think it can be enjoyed by someone who has never seen the movie. The trolls introduce the Elsa and Anna characters, Olaf skating is cute, Sven with is tongue stuck is funny for kids, Olaf tells you that you're going to Elsa's ice castle, the Marshmallow scene reads well apart from the movie, etc.

Now I agree that Disney used the IP to make the ride popular and then skimped out on putting the time and money that would've moved it from a nice attraction into making a truly great attraction. In addition to the transition spaces I mentioned, I would've preferred more depth to some of the sets.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think it can be enjoyed by someone who has never seen the movie. The trolls introduce the Elsa and Anna characters, Olaf skating is cute, Sven with is tongue stuck is funny for kids, Olaf tells you that you're going to Elsa's ice castle, the Marshmallow scene reads well apart from the movie, etc.

Now I agree that Disney used the IP to make the ride popular and then skimped out on putting the time and money that would've moved it from a nice attraction into making a truly great attraction. In addition to the transition spaces I mentioned, I would've preferred more depth to some of the sets.

That's kind of my point -- most of the ride is just the Frozen AAs. Several of the scenes barely even have a set, and there's a lot of completely empty space. I don't think it would really work if people didn't already recognize the characters from the movie. I like the movie, and I still don't think the ride really works; I can't imagine how bad it would be if they were supposed to be original characters that no one recognized.

It's all subjective, of course.

 

[PiratesMansion]

The whole point of FEA is basically "you're going to meet Elsa! And the other characters are here too!"

Which, if you're in the market for that, is great. But if you don't care about Frozen, what does the ride have to offer you?

Not that Maelstrom was a masterpiece. Far from it. But at least it was weird in a way that was interesting.

 

[doctornick]

I truly loved Maelstrom and was so sad to see it close. I was actually very surprised to find that a lot of folks on this site didn’t think that much of it when it was closing. So much of the attention was on the appropriateness of Frozen not on losing this gem.

 

[Cadbury]

Maelstrom all the way! I personally would love to send Anna, Elsa, and Olaf back over the falls!

 

[rreading]

Also La Cava del Tequila at the Mexico pavilion used to serve an awesome Margarita called "Maelstrom".

I'm surprised that they still don't. Would probably get twice the business from folks who reminesce

 

[DCLcruiser]

I'm still terrified of the trolls.

That being said, I liked the more Tourism Board/History lesson Maelstrom vs the simplified version of Frozen. I feel like they could have used the Frozen characters to explain Norway past and present, or given us some sort of exciting Frozen adventure. The current version is bland and boring.

 

[TotallyBiased]

Never got a chance to see Mael. I like FEA, but some of the projected faces are horrifically bright. Just doesn't look right at all. Olaf, though, is awesome.

 

[graphite1326]

I'm in my 60s. I have never seen the movie Frozen and I never will. Someone said here Maelstrom seemed like a brocher Norway. DUH no kidding. They sponsered the attraction and wanted to tell you about their country and it's culture. I'm not waiting in line to go on Frozen.

 

[Cadbury]

I'm not waiting in line to go on Frozen.

Only time I went on Frozen was last summer when there was no line to get on.

 

[FettFan]

Frozen suffers from Peter Pan-itis. You already know the movie, why would you need to go through the Greatest Hits?

 

[Jrb1979]

I hate FEA and it is everything I hate about what they have done to IPCOT. They have ruined the park starting with this trash. Same can be said for the Rat ride in the France pavilion. EPCOT was once a great park. Now it's a year round food festival with some IP in it.

 

[Phil12]

While I think that FEA is far better than Maelstrom, I do miss the old oil platform at the end of the ride. After all, we need all the cheap oil we can get here in the USA!