Frozen ride replacing Maelstrom?

[aladdin2007]

I think we all should have taken notice at their lack of interest when they turned Norway down for a new film. Or wanted to charge an insane amount. I can't remember the exact specifics.

Yes true, Disney was offered a new film for free as part of a new deal, but turned it down. Norway then turned Disney down because of Disney's outrageous amount it wanted. (to make a long story short)

 

[Cesar R M]

Nemo and the Lion King have attractions in both Epcot and AK, Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast have attractions in both MK and DHS... so it seems possible the Frozen characters could end up with some small attraction in Norway and something larger elsewhere, plus it sounds like the only problem with Maelstrom is that people keep skipping the film at the end, and that would be the cheapest and easiest place to use the Frozen characters

Nemo as a big zone in Epcot, but Lion king? not so much other than the video about nature.

 

[Kman101]

Nemo should have been following along with Mr. Ray's class as they learn about the ocean life and encounter similar elements from the movie, not directly tied to the movie. IMO. That would be a lot more interesting of a ride. I don't despise the addition as much as some but it could have been done a lot better. IMHO.

 

[Mike S]

The WDI ppl working on this are surprised that guest feedback has been kinda angry at the notion of Maelstrom being replaced by a Frozen ride. I suspect they feel that most of their guests will be agreeing with you in the end. They might be right.

They're surprised Epcot fans are mad about them ruining Epcot? That's like being surprised someone is mad at you for kicking them in the groin

 

[Kman101]

Because most of them don't know nor care about what EPCOT stood for. And the few who do are silenced. That's how I have taken it to be from all the various discussions on this board.

And it shows. Badly.

 

[JEANYLASER]

Epcot wanted Frozen the ride!

 

[dupac]

Another article:

http://m.thelocal.no//20140325/american-tourists-disney-frozen-norway-tourism

In the article it says Innovation Norway runs Visit Norway in the US.

http://www.innovasjonnorge.no/no/contact-us/#.U340VBko7qA

 

[Tim Lohr]

Nemo as a big zone in Epcot, but Lion king? not so much other than the video about nature.

I think "not so much" Frozen in Epcot is what most people are hoping for

 

[Cesar R M]

I think "not so much" Frozen in Epcot is what most people are hoping for

yeah .. hopefully..

 

[JEANYLASER]

hopefully Epcot needs Frozen ride!

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

You know what? This picture that some Disney fans (though not WDW exclusive ones) might recognize ironically personifies what EPCOT has become in the past 20 years (and may well forever be stuck as for the rest of its existence)-

An old dusty corpse of a park that has been killed off with all of its vital organs and soul ripped out, yet its undead body cursed to continue shuffling along with endless binge drinking and ever increasing deterioration and disregard.

 

[doctornick]

They're surprised Epcot fans are mad about them ruining Epcot? That's like being surprised someone is mad at you for kicking them in the groin

I suspet it more like this: They expected people to be so happy with getting a megahit Frozen ride that most guests would be willing to overlook that it doesn't quite fit the locale. And they expected those people to outnumber/outshout the folks who would be expected to complain about Epcot's purity being ruined.

And, to be honest, I think that if you took surveys of guests 2 years fro now after Frozen Norwayland is open, you'd probably find a majority of guests would be fine with it and even very excited about the change. The issue is that massage boards like this (or others that deal with rumors) are generally populated by folks who are more tightly plugged into the theme parks and have higher expectations and more deep emotional reactions. So, it's not surprising that the overwhelming reaction has been negative among the community who is aware of it, because 99% of WDW guests (even regular guests) don't realize this is on the table or approved at this point -- and they surely ain't talking about it on WDWMagic.

WDI workers aren't necessarily tone deaf or ignorant, I just think they understimate or don't care about a certain segment of the theme park crowd that has higher demands.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I'm trying to keep up here but I don't see something of importance, and if it has been said, maybe someone can point it out... Seems the comatose brainiacs are greenlighting Frozen to be shoehorned into a place it doesn't belong... But, what I am not seeing is the specifics of the proposed ride... Again, I could have missed it... Will the ride be the "poor" retelling of the movie, kind of like how Little Mermaid is a poor retelling, or will it be a Frozen overlay, with the characters but in Norway teaching about Norwegian culture? I'll assume they will do a poor retelling of Frozen, so jumbled you'll come off the ride scratching your head at the mess you just saw...

@pheneix or @Lee any ideas?

 

[EricJ]

By 'finished', are you trippling down on your assertion that they will remove the 'Norway' designation from the pavilion and instead make it officially a 'Allendele' pavilion, or are you backing off that and simply speculating that no one will go to the Norway pavilion if it has a Frozen-themed ride?

Hey, I'm from Massachusetts, where we were stuck with Mitt Romney for six years--
WE know a last-ditch face-saving double-down when we hear it.

The WDI ppl working on this are surprised that guest feedback has been kinda angry at the notion of Maelstrom being replaced by a Frozen ride. I suspect they feel that most of their guests will be agreeing with you in the end. They might be right.

(Yyyep--"They apparently decided not to do it after all, because we were so angry!"
Can I call 'em, or can I call 'em, folks?)

 

[Mike S]

I suspet it more like this: They expected people to be so happy with getting a megahit Frozen ride that most guests would be willing to overlook that it doesn't quite fit the locale. And they expected those people to outnumber/outshout the folks who would be expected to complain about Epcot's purity being ruined.

And, to be honest, I think that if you took surveys of guests 2 years fro now after Frozen Norwayland is open, you'd probably find a majority of guests would be fine with it and even very excited about the change. The issue is that massage boards like this (or others that deal with rumors) are generally populated by folks who are more tightly plugged into the theme parks and have higher expectations and more deep emotional reactions. So, it's not surprising that the overwhelming reaction has been negative among the community who is aware of it, because 99% of WDW guests (even regular guests) don't realize this is on the table or approved at this point -- and they surely ain't talking about it on WDWMagic.

WDI workers aren't necessarily tone deaf or ignorant, I just think they understimate or don't care about a certain segment of the theme park crowd that has higher demands.

Not only does it not fit the locale, it's a cheap overlay of an existing ride. At least if Ratatouille is put in France it would actually be a great quality addition (I would prefer it in the Studios, but whatever, it's not like Disney cares at this point. I'm also assuming they would foot the bill to build exactly what's opening in Paris). I've said it many times before, Frozen deserves a much grander ride.

 

[wm49rs]

Hey, I'm from Massachusetts, where we were stuck with Mitt Romney for six years--
WE know a last-ditch face-saving double-down when we hear it.

I'm sure you do....

 

[Gomer]

I suspet it more like this: They expected people to be so happy with getting a megahit Frozen ride that most guests would be willing to overlook that it doesn't quite fit the locale. And they expected those people to outnumber/outshout the folks who would be expected to complain about Epcot's purity being ruined.

And, to be honest, I think that if you took surveys of guests 2 years fro now after Frozen Norwayland is open, you'd probably find a majority of guests would be fine with it and even very excited about the change. The issue is that massage boards like this (or others that deal with rumors) are generally populated by folks who are more tightly plugged into the theme parks and have higher expectations and more deep emotional reactions. So, it's not surprising that the overwhelming reaction has been negative among the community who is aware of it, because 99% of WDW guests (even regular guests) don't realize this is on the table or approved at this point -- and they surely ain't talking about it on WDWMagic.

WDI workers aren't necessarily tone deaf or ignorant, I just think they understimate or don't care about a certain segment of the theme park crowd that has higher demands.

I agree. Honestly, the vast majority of guests will probably see any Frozen addition as a positive. Just look how many of them lined up for 3 hours outside a former store in the Norway pavilion just to meet Anna & Elsa. A quickly thrown together meet and greet with an exposed outdoor queue was enough to please the masses.

I don’t blame the individual imagineers for coming up with these sorts of concepts. They are just building what the public wants, at the expense of the original intent of the parks. But what the masses want isn’t always what’s best for them (see: King, Burger). What is lacking here is management with vision to drive for something that appeals to both the masses and the purists. Something that is better and more creative than the obvious answer. Anyone could come up with the idea of a Frozen overlay for Maelstrom. It’s an obvious answer to a need that will please the majority of guests. But that doesn’t make it the best answer.

The best answer isn’t always obvious. The best answer requires creativity and the vision and leadership to look outside the box for answers. Epcot was one of those best answers originally. Something that was more than what the public was looking for. Now it is always “lets appease them with whatever costs the least and requires the least amount of work”. And it will be fine. But it won’t be great.

 

[doctornick]

I don’t blame the individual imagineers for coming up with these sorts of concepts. They are just building what the public wants, at the expense of the original intent of the parks. But what the masses want isn’t always what’s best for them (see: King, Burger). What is lacking here is management with vision to drive for something that appeals to both the masses and the purists. Something that is better and more creative than the obvious answer. Anyone could come up with the idea of a Frozen overlay for Maelstrom. It’s an obvious answer to a need that will please the majority of guests. But that doesn’t make it the best answer.

This. Leadership is missing "that vision thing". What needs to happen is for a philosophical change in what the parks should be. Instead of just giving the guests what they want, they should be aiming to "give guests what they don't know they want".

Nobody in the late 70's/early80's was asking Disney to create a theme park that was the equivalent of a permanent Worlds Fair. Most people would have thought the idea was absurd. But it was built and people loved it because it was well executed. And now, sadly....

 

[NowInc]

 

[Lee]

I'm trying to keep up here but I don't see something of importance, and if it has been said, maybe someone can point it out... Seems the comatose brainiacs are greenlighting Frozen to be shoehorned into a place it doesn't belong... But, what I am not seeing is the specifics of the proposed ride... Again, I could have missed it... Will the ride be the "poor" retelling of the movie, kind of like how Little Mermaid is a poor retelling, or will it be a Frozen overlay, with the characters but in Norway teaching about Norwegian culture? I'll assume they will do a poor retelling of Frozen, so jumbled you'll come off the ride scratching your head at the mess you just saw...

@pheneix or @Lee any ideas?

Nope. No specifics yet.