Chris82
Well-Known Member
The line for the meet and greet?
If there is something else going in there, hopefully it's something that's more about Norway and less about Arendelle!
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Norway Pavilion Frozen construction - Frozen Ever After ride
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The line for the meet and greet?
If there is something else going in there, hopefully it's something that's more about Norway and less about Arendelle!
doctornick
Well-Known Member
Can I say that I'm far more sad that we lost Maelstrom -- probably my favorite ride in Epcot since we lost the original Imagination -- that I am about Frozen Ever After being placed in World Showcase. While I can understand its flaws (too short being the most significant), it was just a fun ride and great exposure to Norway.
I for one would have been far more content if they simply built a Frozen ride in addition to the existing pavilion. Still would have been out of place, but would have been far more acceptable and at least it would have increased ride capacity for the park.
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
Considering how popular the meet and greet has been in the past (starting at EPCOT , then moving over to the MK because the demand was too large) with wait times were reported to be at 4 or 5 hours. Plus the Frozen sisters have another movie coming out in the next year or two. Maybe there is more to the space then a cue for a meet and greet or they learned their lesson the hard way the first time around. Hopefully there is more than a cue but if it is, I hope it's very interactive like the Seven Dwarf Mine train. Time will tell.
NearTheEars
Well-Known Member
Should be safe. They are building a completely new structure to house the meet and greet.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
When the obsolescence of the Epcot sponsor model is mentioned, that one always gets trotted out - it's an anomaly, not the norm. There is a massive difference between a stand-alone stadium and a dinky Epcot pavilion at a gated theme park.
Disney used to get away with it because of the cache of EPCOT Center, this world-class destination for science and progress, when just the name used to get "oohs" and "ahhs". That's far different from the reality today (not that it really was this epic center of progress to begin with, it just had far better attractions, but that's another topic).
Sponsorships are not always so much about advertisement as they are prestige, in any case (particularly outside of sports). Just look at the historical list of EPCOT sponsors and you'll see many of them didn't even sell directly to consumers. And the truth is, there is no prestige at today's Epcot above anything else at WDW. In fact, I'd be willing to bet being associated with Animal Kingdom would be carry more cache these days.
That's being relative to the fact that there isn't anything that terribly special about any Disney theme park these days that makes companies want to line up to pretty much donate tens of millions of dollars to finance a ride for one of the largest corporations in the world.
TL;DR? Disney is simply hard pressed to find anyone today who feels they need to "sponsor" rides for a company that rakes in nearly 50 billion a year in revenue, as in the minds of the public the romance and prestige of EPCOT has been gone for several decades now.
FigmentForver96
Well-Known Member
Agree with most of what you said, but I had to disagree with it not being a center of progress. Epcot Center was definitely ahead of its time and God knows you were not ever going to see something like that in a theme park. I mean people had the opportunity to see computers and even interact with touch screen devices! It was 1982 and this was not something that people had in their own homes yet! Even touch screen did not really involve until later down the road. It is no marvel house now, but I would say Epcot Center was certainly cutting edge when it opened as far as what it displayed.
articos
Well-Known Member
I agree with your assessment of Epcot's individual attractions lacking prestige, but I think the park as a whole still does command some respect. But I think you're right that in today's world, the eco-buzzwords might take sponsors to DAK before a tired attraction redo at Epcot, unless it's part of a major redo of FW. Also, back in the day, sponsorships were handled at a much higher level within the corporations. Walt and Roy glad-handed. So did Card Walker, Donn Tatum and Eisner. They picked up the phone when they had a major project that needed something - EPCOT was prestige, so they made phone calls and arranged things. These days, the sponsorship group is just another cog in the corporation. The people staffing it aren't able to get the CEO of other major corporations on the line - they can talk to a VP of marketing who will then have to run it up the chain within their corporate ladder, where others may have other ideas on using marketing budgets. It's more difficult to get the attention needed when working from the middle levels. For something like Star Wars, it's easy to get the attention and have companies vying for the naming rights, even when you have a VP from Disney's partnerships group calling. For Journey into Imagination, it's much more difficult.
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AEfx
Well-Known Member
Like I said, that's another topic, LOL.
I pretty much agree with you on the display/exhibit level - I fondly remember the videophone reservations agents myself. And while folks will talk about growing experiments at The Land, or the limited stuff they used to do at The Living Seas, it wasn't some big research center (no one was going to ever cure cancer at EPCOT, much less Epcot).
It always was primarily a theme park, but ultimately they just did a very good job of creating a mystique around itself at a time when optimism about the future was at it's brightest. In spite of the "future" looking nature, it is very much a product of the time it was built - a time where optimism about a more "Star Trek" like future seemed mere decades and not centuries away, not to mention seemed like an inevitability versus today when depending on who you listen to, our planet won't survive long enough for us to even get there.
You're welcome. I figured we could use a break from the other discussions going on
Js_4square
Member
Hi everybody ! Looking for some of your knowledge here ... Is there any chances that this ride will be open mi-may ?? Is it almost sure that there will be a delay in the opening ?? Thanks !
DisDan
Well-Known Member
All rumors are indicating that this will NOT be opening until sometime after June 1st.
Js_4square
Member
I am half sad because i would have liked to see it but I am also happy cause I will not have to wait 4 hours to do it ... But or trip in may is a little bit frustrating with all the interrogation on what will or will not be open ... Thanks for the fast reply !
DisDan
Well-Known Member
Yea, my family is going in early June and with Soarin also closed we will most likely just SKIP EPCOT all together this trip. So many things closed at WDW right now, my daughter loves BTMM at MK and I had to tell her that it will be under a Refurb during our trip too.... Ohh well. This is really NOT a good year for a WDW vacation but I got out voted..
We'll be back again in 2018Js_4square
Member
Do you have a confirmation about BTMR ? I saw that there's still a tiny chances it could be delayed ... At least i hope i'll be able to see River of lights and the new safaris at night in mid may ...Yea, my family is going in early June and with Soarin also closed we will most likely just SKIP EPCOT all together this trip. So many things closed at WDW right now, my daughter loves BTMM at MK and I had to tell her that it will be under a Refurb during our trip too.... Ohh well. This is really NOT a good year for a WDW vacation but I got out voted..
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
Its good to have dreams......
GhostHost1000
Premium Member
So if this thing doesn't open until the summer now I have to wonder how much using an existing ride to retrofit this one is actually saving them.
Well I guess based on the speed of their construction probably some but taking this long in a real world it might have been possible to build an entirely new building and leave maelstrom as is. Sigh. I know I know wishful thinking
Well I guess based on the speed of their construction probably some but taking this long in a real world it might have been possible to build an entirely new building and leave maelstrom as is. Sigh. I know I know wishful thinking
Js_4square
Member
You think none of these will be open ... Even the new AK stuff ?
Kate F
Well-Known Member
I don't know exactly what the area is going to look like when it's completed, but I hope overall that the Frozen presence is subtle. I'm fine with a few little signs for the meet n greet and the ride, but as you are walking by the pavilion, I don't want it to just scream Frozen.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
I honestly don't think it will in that regard, the new construction is to look very Norwegian.
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