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Frozen ride replacing Maelstrom?
- Thread starter ryan1
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Zummi Gummi
Pioneering the Universe Within!
Disneyland is the likely destination for a Frozen musical.
George1995
Active Member
That's genius. I think that would be a huge hit and add an aspect to a park in DHS that is very current and popular which would draw in big crowds to the park.
RandySavage
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's shock and surprise so much as bewilderment and dismay. This news is certainly something I'd expect from some Disney managers.
I actually wouldn't mind if today's Epcot - the bastardized remnants of the beloved E.P.C.O.T. Center of my youth - was finally and totally euthanized and transfigured into a Disney Franchise Adventure Park (Norway becomes Erendel, France becomes a more toonified Ratatouille's Paris, China becomes Mulan's village, Testrack becomes Tron, Spaceship Earth becomes Death Star, Mission Space becomes Wall-E, etc., etc). But for this to work it would be need to be done in totality (not just changing names) and well-planned and -executed. This is a fiscal and operational impossibility (would cost a fortune to do right). Instead, with moves like this proposal (or Nemo in Seas), the park limps further into theme-less-ness, becoming a wayward soul.
A much cheaper, better option would be to guide EPCOT back to its magnificent roots.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
But family dark rides change the tone of DHS. With four parks, WDW enjoys a luxury that no other theme park resort has, the luxury of diversity and variation. The parks should have a stronger individual identity.
The MK could use a dark ride. FL is still underdeveloped in this respect. They should consider a FL expansion, with Tangled and Frozen rides.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Or re-theme the kiddie area of Blizzard Beach to Frozen...
englanddg
One Little Spark...
That, actually, is a brilliant idea!
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Here's a thought- since there are empty buildings in Future World, why not repurpose one of them so that Elsa and crew teach folks about the science of cold and related things? How plants and animals deal with winter, and maybe a bit about global warming.
donvincenzo
Member
Staying away from where a Frozen attraction should go if and when it were ever built, when you look at the numbers, the success of the movie cannot be denied.
Talking strictly by domestic numbers, as of Thursday, January 2nd, it had made $277 million. That already makes it the second highest grossing Disney animated film (non-Pixar) of all-time. The Lion King's overall box office take is about $422 million. But in it's initial run it made $312 million. Over the years due to IMAX and 3D re-releases it has added another $110 million. So when looking at initial runs in theaters, Frozen has a good chance of becoming the highest grossing Disney animated film ever.
Yes, due to high ticket prices and the premiums placed on seeing a movie in 3D, box office numbers nowadays may be badly inflated, but still, those are impressive numbers. It certainly is the biggest hit Disney Animation has had on their hands in years.
It might not be dumb on their part to add something to their parks based on this movie sooner rather than later, beyond a set of bathrooms.
Talking strictly by domestic numbers, as of Thursday, January 2nd, it had made $277 million. That already makes it the second highest grossing Disney animated film (non-Pixar) of all-time. The Lion King's overall box office take is about $422 million. But in it's initial run it made $312 million. Over the years due to IMAX and 3D re-releases it has added another $110 million. So when looking at initial runs in theaters, Frozen has a good chance of becoming the highest grossing Disney animated film ever.
Yes, due to high ticket prices and the premiums placed on seeing a movie in 3D, box office numbers nowadays may be badly inflated, but still, those are impressive numbers. It certainly is the biggest hit Disney Animation has had on their hands in years.
It might not be dumb on their part to add something to their parks based on this movie sooner rather than later, beyond a set of bathrooms.
SirLink
Well-Known Member
Actually WS was always about the culture, so I ask what culturally has Frozen got to do with Norway pavilion? Nothing, let us not give out and put more characters in places they don't belong ... you what it is ... its being creatively bankrupt.
If they took Nemo, The Three Caballeros, and all the meet and greets out of the park which don't belong in Epcot - we would actually have an improved park.
fngoofy
Well-Known Member
Why can't it be a fusion of Disney as it relates to the culture of the country? Saludos Amigos (while a broader South American cultural good will tour) is very relevant to Mexico.
I think we tend to idolize some of the EPCOT attractions that where really designed as simple promo "come visit our country" ads, the whole reason the countries sponsored them in the first place.
I do agree with the statement that Maelstrom is too short to do the movie justice. Frankly, it is too short to do an ad for Norway justice.
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
While I agree with you in spirit, and believe me I do, it's my fondest Disney wish, it's not the cheaper option here. To get Epcot back to it's guiding principles is going to cost a TON of money. They have SO much work to do in order to get it there. Nearly every single ride in Future World needs to be touched/gutted. Lots of stuff ripped out of WS. Etc.
The cheapest option is to do what they are doing. Keep shoving money making things in at the expense of the initial intent of EPCOT. It's by far the cheapest option. It's the WRONG option for a lot of us, but it is the cheapest one. And if I'm a betting man, it's the option they're picking. Most people who go to WDW now don't care if Epcot is a shell of what it was, because either they don't know what it used to be like, or don't spend too much time obsessing about it (as opposed to someone like me, who spends certifiably crazy amounts of time thinking about it). Until people start talking with their dollars, they're going to continue down this path. It is cheapest by miles.
fngoofy
Well-Known Member
Well, I'm not sure if you ever experienced EPCOT prior to characters being involved, I did and it stunk.
The Three Caballeros are from Saludos Amigos, a good will tour Walt and staff did of South America. Frozen is based (loosely) on a Scandinavian story. Sleeping Beauty is French so why not meet her in France?
If you want to experience the culture of these countries without Disney, might I suggest a trip abroad?
SirLink
Well-Known Member
It already is though when they build an attraction its a fusion of Disney as they interpret the country. No need for Toons in Epcot. But let us start on the Countries that don't have any rides ... yet.
Boardwalk-empire
Member
God I hope not. I literally ride that ride 20 times every time I go!
Tigger1988
Well-Known Member
I'm amused when people act like the Seas were better before the refurb. It was empty, with no ride (which wasn't anything to write home about when it was operational) and no one gave a damn it was there.
Sorry, that place is full of people every time I go now.
Sorry, that place is full of people every time I go now.
fngoofy
Well-Known Member
I second that emotion!
For those who will counter "well TDO let the original slip into what you describe" let me head that off at the pass:
1) Would you like to fall asleep? Try watching the original pre show movie "and it rained, and rained, and rained and rained some more...and it rained"
2) Now step through a clever hydrator effect
3) Now board your Seacab for a BRIEF ride through the tank
4) Feel free to browse around the tank area.
So the real difference is that:
1) Skip the boring movie
2) Ride a longer ride
3) Have your young ones (and those young at heart) see AQUATIC characters they like from Nemo
4) Feel free to browse around the tank area that now has updated exhibits
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
To me, the intent was better, the Seabase could have used a refurb. The Living Seas covered every note of what EPCOT used to be. It was educational (the phrase "The Deluge" still gives me goosebumps). It was forward thinking. It used entertainment and fantasy to try and educate and inspire. The Hydrolaters were a fun little bit of Disney magic. It allowed you to suspend your disbelief JUST enough to forget for a second that you were not miles below the ocean.
The Nemo overlay there seems like exactly the kind of thing that people are worried about with Frozen here. Throw in a poorly executed product tie-in over-top of an existing attraction, with little thought to actually improving the experience, just updating it for the sake of updating to tie into the newest animated phenomenon.
In the end, everything always comes down to execution. Make a world-class ride or experience, most people will tend to forgive breaking the themeing of the area a bit. Make a half-hearted ride or experience with what seem like ulterior motives (sell more merch!!!), it opens the doors more to nitpicking it.
SirLink
Well-Known Member
Well my first trip to WDW was 1994, I thought the characters being in Epcot were weird. But I have been abroad, I live and work here in the UK, and have traveled to a number of countries, mostly European countries but I have indeed left the shores of my homeland. As a result I want Americans who won't/can't go abroad to experience the authentic-near-to-it-as-possible experience.
Let us just check something, they have infested the Mexico pavilion, and where is Mexico located ... North America ... just sayin'.
Your quite correct but let us nail it down, Frozen is very loosely based on The Snow Queen which was written by Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. What cultural reference apart from it being set, in certain published versions of the book, in Spitsbergen. Why not build in Hollywood Studios or MK.
Stop making excuses for Disney keep going to creatively bankrupt ideas.
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