Transformative Multi-Year Expansion Announced for WDS Paris

[mrflo]

Im surprised too that Frozen ever after is essentially an updated version of Maelstrom with Frozen and that they didn't go for a completely different ride.

Frozen Ever After at Epcot had to get shoehorned into the layout of Maelstrom. Hence, I would have also expected the new versions to benefit from the freedom of building it from scratch. Having watched the POV again I think there are too many fillers or transitions that come across as a bit bland and could have been improved. It is far away from the quality and timing that you have in classic rides like PotC.

Now I am even more curious what the version for TDS will look like.

 

[UNCgolf]

That's almost embarrassingly short. It's barely a minute long from load to unload, and the actual coaster portion is what, 30-40 seconds? People complain about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train being too short and it's at least twice as long.

I will also never get over them just cloning Frozen Ever After, which is a mediocre (at best) attraction hamstrung by the need to fit into an existing space. Why would you build more of them when you don't have the constraints of the original location? They could (and should) do so much better.

 

[Kevin_W]

Yeah, I guess I wish WDS was still getting it. Still... wow, I don't think I was expecting it to seem quite so short!

That is comically short. The ride and the queue are beautiful and it's a great addition to the land... from the outside. IT is comparable to other junior coasters, I suppose, but for all that work it feels like it should be longer.

When my DD was young and we rode Barnstormer she even felt it was short at that age. It was nice at the end of the night when they would sometimes let us ride 2x through without getting off when there was no line.

 

[Toni25]

Wow...glad WDS didn't get the sleigh coaster in the end...making it so short is wild to me, it needs to be 3 times longer.

 

[Haymarket]

Are they not going to get rid of Studios 1-3 and build something like what's now at California Adventure?

This just doesn't look right:

 

[BrianLo]

Frozen Ever After in HK is about 60-90 seconds longer than the Maelstrom version. It's subtle, but the scenes definitely breath more and are more spaced out. Particularly the drop down to Castle/village and the Trolls. It feels more like a fleshed out attraction I think as a result.

The coaster is exactly a Junior coaster but well themed. It's hard because you know what you are getting with Barnstormer or Flight of the Hippogriff, but then you also have kind of a crummy trade off of under themed. The coaster is hopefully mostly a few minutes wait (max ten minutes) in HK otherwise people will walk off disappointed.

 

[SplashJacket]

Here are the first POV videos of HKDL's Frozen attractions.

"Frozen Ever After" should be pretty much the same for the WDS. Many upgrades compared to the Epcot version - esp. the animatronic faces. Though it does not fundamentally look or feel different.



As expected "Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs" is a pretty short ride and comparable to other junior coasters. I like the theming, landscape and kinetic energy that it adds to the land.

Honestly, HK’s FEA looks incredible. It looks like an E-ticket, which is a huge job well done.

The coaster looks absolutely fantastic as well, from queue to exit, it just needs double the ride experience, but otherwise, looks like a home run.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Idk i find the scenes being so spaced out makes it look more lacking and obvious there are few animatronics in it.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think it looks better than the EPCOT version because it's not as barren (although it's still pretty barren in places, like the Let It Go scene) and the AAs don't have the terrible projected faces, but it's essentially the same flawed attraction. Sprucing it up only goes so far.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I think it looks better than the EPCOT version because it's not as barren (although it's still pretty barren in places, like the Let It Go scene) and the AAs don't have the terrible projected faces, but it's essentially the same flawed attraction. Sprucing it up only goes so far.

I generally think it looks better, except for that first Olaf. In the Epcot version when you're looking up at him, his movements seem very fluid and natural. In the video I have seen of this, you can see where the AA is attached.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Idk i feel like the longer pace makes it feel more barren than Epcots

 

[LondonTom]

Here are the first POV videos of HKDL's Frozen attractions.

"Frozen Ever After" should be pretty much the same for the WDS. Many upgrades compared to the Epcot version - esp. the animatronic faces. Though it does not fundamentally look or feel different.



As expected "Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs" is a pretty short ride and comparable to other junior coasters. I like the theming, landscape and kinetic energy that it adds to the land.

FEA is pretty much what we all expected, a very slight update to the shoehorned-in Epcot version. Solid enough for what it is.

I wish they had changed it up slightly more, I mean they could have kept the same basic concept and improved the layout/added one or two scenes (I'm surprised they haven't tried adding in Frozen 2 scenes? But I guess design would have been before that came out?)


I knew people said the sleighs were short but didn't realise quite how short they meant especially if you take away the lift hill. For all the theming, another 20 seconds or so of more gentle curves would have been great, just to balance how long the queues might be but they should hopefully balance out over time

Even with how short it is, I think WDSP could have done with it.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I'm no longer mad about WDSP not getting the coaster. For how much they likely spent, that kind of money could go to another attraction elsewhere along the lake.

 

[Indy_UK]

It’s probably paid for the Tangled carrousel

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I'm no longer mad about WDSP not getting the coaster. For how much they likely spent, that kind of money could go to another attraction elsewhere along the lake.

I kind of agree, except that it's been a long time since the land was announced without the coaster and what's happened in the meantime is that even less has been promised rather than anything extra so I think the money has just been saved by Disney. I'm sure eventually they'll announce a second land for the lake, but I find it hard to believe the money saved on the coaster will have anything to do with the budget they ultimately approve.

 

[J4546]

i donnt get the hate on the coaster. it was always gonna be a small juior coaster like gadget/hippogrif/barnstormer, its just a very well themed version.

also that playhouse/meet n greet area looks great as well, hopefully paris gets something like that at the very least

 

[britain]

That coaster seems really nice if you compare it to a “spinner providing kinetics and pretty views”. Darn brief, but everything looks so nice, I can’t complain much.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

i donnt get the hate on the coaster. it was always gonna be a small juior coaster like gadget/hippogrif/barnstormer, its just a very well themed version.

It's a nice looking ride, but there's no substance to the experience. I saw a video of the queue and it's another example of one that's more elaborate than the ride itself.

It's all frosting and no cake to me.

 

[Rush]

Every castle park has it's JUNIOR coaster and this is what it is for HKDL. It's elaborately themed (certainly the best themed junior coaster I've ever seen) and compliments the land very well, which is probably what's confusing to a lot of people since the level of attention given to this kind of attraction is unprecedented.

 

[UNCgolf]

Every castle park has it's JUNIOR coaster and this is what it is for HKDL. It's elaborately themed (certainly the best themed junior coaster I've ever seen) and compliments the land very well, which is probably what's confusing to a lot of people since the level of attention given to this kind of attraction is unprecedented.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a much better themed junior coaster than this. It's also twice as long.