‘Frozen Ever After’ in Epcot News & Rumors
‘Frozen Ever After’ is an attraction opening in June 2016 at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Disney officially announced that Maelstrom in Norway at the World Showcase will be replaced by a Frozen attraction.
Disney has set an official date for the attraction to open, and it is June 21, 2016. (Additionally, it’s rumored to be soft-opening by June 17, 2016–the same day as Soarin’ Around the World.) Once Frozen Ever After officially opens, expect the Norway pavilion to open at the same time as Future World. The adjacent Royal Sommerhus, Anna and Elsa’s new meet & greet location, will also open on June 21, 2016.
Starting June 21, the Norway Pavilion will open at 9 a.m., along with the Future World area of Epcot. FastPass+ for Frozen Ever After will be available for booking starting May 21, and you will want to be up early ready to book if you’re traveling this summer, as these will be the hot FastPass+ to score.
The attraction will likely be a Tier A FastPass+ attraction, giving Epcot 3 highly coveted top selections in Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Soarin’ Around the World. Given its lower capacity as compared to Soarin’ and Test Track, we’d recommend using FastPass+ on it. Alternatively, making a pre-opening ADR for Akershus would and rope dropping Frozen Ever After would be a good alternative. We’ll update our 1-Day Epcot Ideal Day Plan to reflect this. Expect Frozen Ever After wait times to exceed 120 minutes for much of the summer, so yeah…you’ll definitely want a plan.
Once FastPass+ become available for Frozen Ever After, we’ll also update our Guide to FastPass+ at Walt Disney World post, too. Basically, what you should know is that Frozen Ever After will be the best and most highly sought-after FastPass+ in all of Walt Disney World. Capacity for this attraction is low and demand is very high, which will be a recipe for it “selling out” of FastPass+ as soon as that 60-day window opens.
Want some more info about the new attraction? The new ‘Frozen’ attraction will take our guests to Arendelle and immerse them in many of their favorite moments and music from the film. The pavilion will also include a royal greeting location where Anna and Elsa can meet our guests.
To date, few details have been released, but the Wall Street Journal offered a sneak peak at the attraction, and it should be noted that the italicized text below could constitute spoilers, as it is basically a scene-by-scene description of the ride through:
“Once [guests] board their logs, ‘Frozen Ever After” riders will first see goofy snowman Olaf and equally goofy reindeer Sven setting up the Winter Festival premise.
Next is a stop at Troll Valley, where Grandpappy Troll tells a gathering of children the story of how Anna and Kristof met, before the log goes up a ramp to find Olaf again, singing a song while ice skating, right next to Anna and Kristof, who are singing with their friend Sven.
Behind a set of doors is the moment any visitor is sure to be waiting for: Elsa, on a balcony, singing “Let It Go” in her ice castle. It’s the centerpiece of the ride…and it features elaborate effects to create simulated snow crystals soaring around the room.
Visitors will next ride by Marshmallow, the giant, formerly evil snowman from “Frozen” and his miniature Snowgie pals…
Marshmallow himself yells “Let It Go” in time with Elsa’s song before the log travels through a mist cloud and reaches the final scene, which includes fireworks and a wave from Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Sven and Kristof.”
Imagineering creative executive Kathy Mangum, who oversees the Walt Disney World Resort, informed the Wall Street Journal that Maelstrom had been gutted, with only the original water flume track remaining, and the attraction otherwise being re-made from scratch.
With that, here’s our original post written prior to the announcement of ‘Frozen Ever After’ that predicted a Frozen attraction coming to Norway, and what we’d like to see happen if one came…
There was a time when Disney characters in World Showcase seemed less likely than pigs flying or…uh…certain ‘things’ freezing over. Well, it seems Epcot’s Norway is about to be Frozen over. Maelstrom closed in 2014 to make way for a Frozen attraction, which would essentially be a quick conversion of Maelstrom into a Frozen attraction, rather than an entirely new attraction in its place.
These plans have already proven quite divisive among Disney fans. The consensus among EPCOT Center fans is that Maelstrom should not be replaced by anything-Frozen, which is not set in Norway and is disrespectful to World Showcase. Fans of the addition are generally excited about anything coming to World Showcase, which has had plenty of restaurants and shops added over the years, but hasn’t seen a new attraction since Maelstrom in 1988.
I’m a big fan of movies, and one thing that really fascinates may is how the critical consensus of a film can radically differ from the audience consensus. In terms of Disney attractions, I think the same often happens in terms of the fan consensus versus the average guest consensus. Many Disney fans have expressed frustration regarding the Frozen Ever After announcement in the last couple of years, but my guess would be that the general public largely won’t notice or won’t mind Frozen in Norway at Epcot.
The biggest objection I see from many Disney fans with regard to Frozen in EPCOT Center is that Frozen isn’t set in Norway, and as such, isn’t a perfect fit. Having witnessed the trajectory of Epcot over the past dozen-plus years, I don’t think ‘perfect fit’ is really a realistic measuring-stick anymore. Nowadays, we aren’t learning about the depths of the oceans in Future World, we’re joining a surfer-dude turtle as he looks for a fish.
We aren’t exploring the future of energy…we’re presented a decade-plus old, biased view of it. There’s scarcely a single pavilion in Future World that does justice to its topic. Beyond Future World, World Showcase has also seen the introduction of characters, and those characters certainly do not accurately represent their host countries. Frozen may be set in a fictional location, but for better or worse, it’s about as accurate to Norway as Beauty and the Beast is to France or Mulan is to China.
Moreover, Maelstrom itself isn’t exactly the most representative or compelling showcase of Norwegian culture. I’d hazard a guess that Frozen has done far more for Norway’s tourism industry than Maelstrom ever has, plus Norway has definitely embraced Frozen. There’s plenty in Frozen that is an accurate portrayal of Norway.
Check out The Art of Frozen, which features photos from the film team’s research trip to Norway and shows some striking similarities to background art and designs from the film if you want further proof of this. It discusses how the art team for the movie pulled from the Norwegian village of Balestrand in terms of architecture and design, utilized the Norwegian patterning style of rosemaling to give texture to costuming, and the parallels to Norway’s untamed wilderness. Frozen may not be technically set in Norway, but it’s certainly “inspired by” Norway.
I am not saying this to try to justify it as being close enough–there is no changing the fact that Frozen is not set in Norway–it’s set in a fictional country. I think it was a mistake for EPCOT Center to deviate from its original mission, but that new course was set in the mid-1990s. It’d be crazy to pretend this is the first instance of Epcot going off-theme. Rather, it’s a sad trend that has been ongoing for two decades. I just hope we get a high-quality attraction out of this that makes some effort at fitting into World Showcase.
Rather than going for the low-hanging fruit and doing a CliffNotes version of the film, it would be great to see a tour of Norwegian culture and heritage, hosted by the characters from Frozen. Many Disney fans would still grumble over the presence of characters in World Showcase, but I think just as many would be satisfied if the attraction makes an earnest effort to showcase authentic culture, and does so in a way that will captivate kids. Take guests through fjords and encounter polar bears, musk ox, mosses, and trolls based on Norwegian folklore, explaining the significance of each. Bonus points here for not phoning it in with the ‘condense a movie into 5 minutes’ ploy.
I have very little faith that Disney will actually make the attraction respectful to actual Norwegian culture, but I think doing so would do a lot to blunt a lot of the outcry over the prospect of a Frozen attraction, which is actually set in a fictional country (and there are no two ways about that, regardless of how much of Frozen is ‘inspired by’ Norway), moving into World Showcase.
Just because the precedent is there and Frozen isn’t as awful of a fit as some are arguing doesn’t mean it’s a good fit. Although EPCOT Center broke from its mission statement in the mid-1990s, I’m still one of the crazy few who hopes for a return to form. Epcot isn’t beyond the point of no return. Part of me thinks that with a couple of changes here and there, Epcot could again be the park that captured the minds and imaginations of countless guests and really redefined what a theme park could do, with lofty ambitions for a park that fused education with entertainment.
Maelstrom did not age well and was overdue for a replacement, but Frozen in its place is another nail in the coffin of EPCOT Center for those of us who remember that ambitious, concept park.
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Your Thoughts…
What do you think of adding Frozen to Norway in World Showcase? Which additions would you like to see instead of this? Any other placemaking ideas for Epcot? If you have any other tips or ‘Armchair Imagineering,’ please share in the comments!
I am one of the people that loves Maelstom. It is so bad that it is good! I like the idea that Epcot is a bit more adult than the other parks and I believe adding a Frozen attraction will diminish that area. Also, that area is so congested at times now, I can’t imagine how bad it will be with the popularity of a new ride.
Unsurprisingly I agree with your sentiment here. I can see the reasoning that says Epcot is the de facto location for this attraction – and frankly the park needs to start drawing more crowds away from the others.
I just hope that with the increased attention on the pavilion, they’ll do the edutainment aspect justice and redo the Norway movie. That’s of course assuming the ride itself isn’t focused on a Norwegian cultural tour.
i think it its well done and still respects the culture of Norway and a decent ride then its ok, but it it just becomes a water ride about frozen…then i’d rather have a dated maelstrom……
Tom, has there been any official word on the date Maelstrom is closing? I know you had it projected for 9/28/14, but wondering if that is still the case. If so we’ll miss riding it again by ONE day! 🙁
Nope you should be good! Disney announced it should close the first week of October
The closing date has been pushed back to Oct 5 so if you are visiting before that you should be ok.
I never got to experience Maelstrom until I was an adult, and I walked away kind of puzzled at the zaniness of it. It is an attraction that definitely shows its age, and needs an update. I know that having Anna & Elsa meet in Epcot probably did great things for park attendance, so a ride won’t hurt. I am VERY worried that the end result is going to mirror that of the Little Mermaid attraction. By that I mean, they are going to rush and open the attraction as soon as possible, leading to something lackluster that doesn’t nearly capture the Disney edge as far as attractions go. I hope they really take their time and make something worth their time.
Am I missing what’s wrong with the Little Mermaid attraction? Everyone is disappointed in it. It has by far the best audio animatronics in fantasyland and maybe MK. If it was an opening day attraction it’d be viewed completely different. If Peter Pan was built now it would get destroyed by the fan community for retelling the story?
Storytime with Belle has great animatronics too. So maybe LM has second best
I really love the Maelstrom ride but I could see the appeal of the Frozen influence for kids. I do really wish Disney would bring back all the Dreamfinder and Figment things they used to have when I was a kid. I think the last time I had a meet & greet with either of those characters was when I was 8. :/ Really all Disney would have to do to increase popularity for the Maelstrom would be to not have that severely outdated movie after it and maybe replace it with a Frozen infused education thing?
I really like Maelstrom as it is. I think Frozen should stay in Magic Kingdom. This seems like a way for Disney to once again make more money by requiring parents of children to buy an extra ticket or add on a park hopper charge just to see Frozen when they might only need to stay in Magic Kingdom to do that.
Obviously, Frozen is being milked for all it’s worth. The Frozen Summer Fun experience at Hollywood Studios is nice, but I don’t want to see the movie take over all of Walt Disney World. In my opinion, there are some crucial changes that need to be made to Epcot :
-do something with the old Wonders of Life pavilion: It is just sitting there taking up space. An idea for that area is to add a thrill ride. Some park goers are always wanting another thrill.
-update the Universe of Energy pavilion: It is outdated. Maybe a thrill ride could go here instead. There are plenty of story lines you could create that are centered around energy.
-(this may not be possible) look into adding a new country to World Showcase: Currently there are no South American countries. It would be great to see one in the future!
Wonderful article. Epcot is my favorite park, and while I never experienced it during its “heydey”, I agree with most of your points.
I’m not a huge Frozen fan, but I’m in the realist group. Epcot needs a shot of life, because the Food and Wine festival doesn’t last all year. Maybe in my naive thinking, I’m hoping the crowds will bring more attention to Epcot, and maybe more dollars will be sent it’s way to refurbish or expand.
I don’t believe children have to have the characters to make the park appealing. My little one LOVES the aquarium and begs for Epcot. (And he just found out about Nemo, so that’s not it)
Thanks again!
I love this wish list! Based on what we should be expecting from Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in the next five years, I have concerns on how much “love” Epcot will get. It does seem like Maelstrom will get an update. A Frozen themed Norwegean adventure utilizing the rides original design would be great.
I like your comparison to Disney California Adventure where the concern is that many parts of Future World are becoming left behind in the past. Unlike Tomorrowland, which has its own nostalgia that transcends time, Future World in due time will need a facelift. When I see images of Spaceship Earth plaza, I get lost in the age… It would incredible to see a similar facelift to the entrance plaza with a focus on future design.
Tom – I love the way you think. You had some great ideas.
First-I love Maelstrom but agree that it could definitely use some updating, especially the movie. I love Frozen but I really don’t want to see it take over Maelstrom. I also think that the addition of Frozen to Norway will make the lines even worse than they are now. I enjoyed being able to just walk on to the ride. Now there are considerable wait times.
Journey to Imagination needs to go back to its roots with Figment and Dreamfinder. I do not know of anyone who prefers this new version to the old one. I also really miss the play area. I remember taking my 3 year old in1993 and how much he loved it. Then how dumbed down it was in1998 when we took his little brother. My first experience with Epcot was as a 22 year old honeymooner in 1985 when everything was fresh and exciting. This was my husbands first trip to Disney (I had gone previously in1976 and 1979) and so we got to discover Epcot for the first time together which was exciting. I liked the old Living Seas but I don’t really mind the Nemo additions. I think they make it child friendly and as long as you can still visit all the aquariums, I don’t mind. I have always wanted to see another country added but right now I think they should concentrate on Future World. I want Horizons back. I never understood why they got rid of that one.
I’ve been saying EPCOT needs a make over for a few years now. Either another country, a new attraction in world showcase (not a replacement of a former one *cough* frozen), or an updated Ellen energy ride or Figment ride. Hell if anything stick something frozen where the Michael Jackson crap is.
Off topic what do you think of the Magic Kingdom Hub redevelopment which I just saw for the first time today?
I’d rather they ditched Beauty and the Beast in DHS and go a Frozen stage show.
I suspect a Frozen stage show is also coming to DHS, in the place of American Idol Experience.
Another fantastic article Tom. I could not agree with you more on your assessment of Maelstrom. It is in no way a “technically good” ride, yet every year I am excited to ride it. My girlfriend joke around quoting it often and people who don’t know any better look at us like we are absolutely insane. I will be sad to see it go if the rumors are true. I am just glad that the first day of my fall trip is sept 27 so I can at least ride it one more time.
If it is to be replaced, I am actually happy that it would be by a frozen attraction. I am a big fan of the movie and even though it is technically set in a fictional land, when I view it I think of Norway as it was clearly (and admittedly) the inspiration for it.
I am also 200% with you on you vision of Journey into Imagination. The original was one of my favorite rides as a young child. I don’t remember too many rides vividly from that time because I was young but that one has always stuck. Nowadays I have to force myself to do it. The current version is borderline terrible but I still do it every trip for nostalgia sake.
Yeah, I’ll be sad to see it go, and it’s an attraction I always look forward to doing, too. I’m just glad that I’ll have the memories!
Tom, I really like your idea of characters from Frozen guiding guests through an exploration of the culture of Norway. Maybe they could do something that honors Malestorm in some way.
Mike
I’m sure an home to Maelstrom through a hidden prop or cheesy line of dialogue (or both) could easily be accomplished!
You had my curiosity, but at “trackless ride system” you now have my attention…
Logistically I worry about reliving the madness when the meet and greet was in Norway if/when a Frozen attraction comes in and we have a bottle-necked beehive to contend with halfway around World Showcase. But, Maelstrom is one of many attractions in the park that need some TLC, and if it has to be Frozen I 100% agree that it should not be a condensed version of the movie.
As a late-to-the-party Disneyphile and visitor I feel robbed of all the character and wonder that Epcot used to have and would like nothing more to have some of it restored if only referential or just a loving nod. Here’s hopping a few Imagineers are reading this blog.
And I hope I read you’re winky face correct on the “if you can dream it, you can do it” quote. I remembered reading that that was actually Tom Fitzgerald who wrote it, and while verifying it I realized my source was… This blog! =-)
Wonderful post.
I wouldn’t hold my breath concerning an EPCOT Center restoration. While fans have an intense fondness for those long (quite incredible) dark rides and other lost attractions, they were not popular with the general public by the mid-1990s. I suspect maintenance costs coupled with even less general public interest in that sort of thing means that version of EPCOT is gone forever.
Honestly, if you want an experience similar in quality, ambition, and ‘pure concept’, your best bet is Tokyo DisneySea. The actual concept is nothing like EPCOT Center, but it is a pure, ambitious concept park in the spirit of EPCOT Center.
I’m all for but would miss the guy in the mural that looks like Chuck Norris, and being able to get on the ride with a 5 minute wait at night. I love Maelstrom in all of its camp glory.
I like Frozen, and my daughter and husband love it. My daughter is even having a Frozen birthday party in November. But…I was not happy to hear that Maelstrom will be closing. We were there last November, and it was fun being able to take my daughter and husband on it for the first time. My daughter enjoyed it. I was looking forward to us going on it again this November, but it appears it will be closed by our next visit. I am not opposed to seeing a Frozen attraction at Epcot or one of the other parks. I just don’t like the idea of them re-doing a current ride to make it into a Frozen ride. That just makes me sad. I know part of my love for the ride is remembering going to Epcot as a kid with my family and going on it. It was simple, but fun is a cheesy sort of way. And it has the little drop that was thrilling for an Epcot ride back in the day. I think Epcot needs a lot of updating and additions, so maybe Maelstorm being re-done will end up being a positive change. I just hope it’s done in a tasteful way. For now though, I am disappointed about the news.
The Norway pavilion is nice. The ride is at best, underwhelming.
I have been a few times and I can hardly remember anything specific from it other than the very little slide and rushing out at the end so as not to get trapped in the boring movie again.
It really needs something. I like the idea of Frozen characters presenting a new version of the real Norway. Kind of the best of both worlds.
For what it is worth no closing is listed as of yet on the Disney Hub. I just looked at the park specific cast calendar and it usually lists refurbishments. That means very little except that its probably something that is not being broadcast yet.