Frozen Attraction Coming to Epcot - Replaces Maelstrom

[tundramom]

My DH'd response when I told him "Maelstrom is out, Frozen is in"....COOL

[yankeesfan123]

My wife (non-disney fan):

Good. That ride was boring.

Followed by:

People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?

[waymickey]

Mixed emotions about this. I love Malestrom and hate to see it go and would prefer that they just added a second attraction to Norway. However the ride was becoming stale and a re-design was way over due.

I have no doubt that it will be fun. I just hope Olaf and Sven are part of it. IMHO they made the movie.

[Terra]

My DH'd response when I told him "Maelstrom is out, Frozen is in"....COOL

My wife (non-disney fan):

Good. That ride was boring.

Followed by:

People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?

Yes! I'm *not* a lone wolf after all

I have no doubt that it will be fun. I just hope Olaf and Sven are part of it. IMHO they made the movie.

I agree! Olaf is my favorite character anyway.

I wouldn't mind if it was a Frozen ride about Norway, not Arendelle. (Ie. have A&E narrate Norway history instead of Odin, and still give the country some seniority over Short-Lived Low-Shelf-Life Mania of the Week.)

That is actually a great idea! Or even if they do/update the movie, that would be great!

[PirateLover]

If they open at the same time will they close at the same time? Perhaps Only extend WS hours for an extra fee as they've already set a precedent for?
If they do open at the same time, that gives a big advantage to Epcot area resort guests.

EricJ, I actually agree with you. Similar to what Tekneek said in another thread in a critique of Three Cabelleros in Mexico- if they are going to add characters into the scenes at least make it somewhat educational. Unfortunately, I don't have high hopes for this; as you pointed out the press release makes it seem like it will be a song-fest. (Which, again, in general I have no problem with-just not a fan of the placement in Epcot.)

[TheVBs]

My wife (non-disney fan):

Good. That ride was boring.

Followed by:

People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?

LOL! Well, she has a good point about the characters. And, while we liked the ride, an update is exciting. Like others, with the time they've set aside to do this, I'm hoping they do a really good job.

I like the idea of the characters narrating info about Norway too! Of course the songs are going to be incorporated, but it would be fun if they could do both. And we loved Olaf!

[Tekneek]

People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?

The fact that they have been inching their way closer to this for years does not actually mean it is alright. That's how it happens, though, in many aspects of life. By pushing characters a little bit more, and already having an attraction with characters in it (sold by WDI as the only way they could get budget to restore/save the pavilion), the acceptance of yet another does not seem like a huge departure at all. It's a real life example of the boiling frog metaphor.

It's not the end of the world. It is just a little hard to let go of a park concept that I really believed in. The fact is that most people don't care about what it was supposed to be about. Disney is good about gauging what their audience wants and taking them above that is perhaps not as profitable as giving them exactly what they want. It is also not this that destroys the concept, it is just another demonstration (in a line of them) of how they have largely abandoned it.

To sum up, I hope those looking forward to it are able to enjoy it and have a great time. To those disappointed, enjoy what you can for however long you are able to.

[redunzl5]

really? replacing an imaginative ride like Maelstrom with another ride ripped from a movie? I agree with previous comments here. This doesn't belong in World Showcase. How sad for Epcot's legacy.

[yankeesfan123]

Some of you guys make it sound like the Collisseum is being torn down so a new soccer stadium can be built.

[Tekneek]

Some of you guys make it sound like the Collisseum is being torn down so a new soccer stadium can be built.

At least it has allowed me to realize that my problem with this is all on me. I continued to be hopeful that Epcot still stood for something more than a revenue source. These things only have names because you've got to call it something. Not because the name has any meaning or purpose within it.

[Tekneek]

That's starting to sound a LOT like Norway's tourism board letting Disney do what it wants, as long as more Let It Goers want to go to the fjords to look for Elsa. We can expect no help from international pride.

It's like the old Wonder Twins from the Superfriends. Short-term thinkers activate!

[TheVBs]

They can do that at the Studios, but when they start confusing that with international diplomacy, Tom really needs to get his priorities in order.
(Unless he likes the movie too, if ya know what I mean... )

No, please tell us, what DO you mean?

[Terra]

Some of you guys make it sound like the Collisseum is being torn down so a new soccer stadium can be built.

I chuckled. Seriously!
At the end of the day they *are* a business and if it brings in more profit then good for them And for those of us that love it, it doesn't mean we don't care or don't know or have been brainwashed. We just don't mind change *shrug* And honestly with my children, having characters in the countries actually peeks their interest to learn more about the country.

They can do that at the Studios, but when they start confusing that with international diplomacy, Tom really needs to get his priorities in order.
(Unless he likes the movie too, if ya know what I mean... )

:scratch head: You lost me on that. What does it mean?

[WDWRox]

Personally, I hated 'Frozen' and found it one of the weakest of the Disney animated films. I think it's insulting to commercialize an educational and cultural attraction like Norway in World Showcase with this garbage. 'Frozen' is a fantasy, and any ride based on it should be in Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom....not in Epcot. I've always enjoyed Maelstrom exactly as it is, and now there will be one more beloved attraction gone and another that I'll simply by-pass in its place. Shame.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Ugh. World showcase is not supposed to be another fantasyland. It's supposed to teach you about other countries and give you authentic cultural experiences. NOT take you on a ride through a fictional land that slightly resembles something Norwegian.
Epcot has once again lost its direction and is becoming a mishmash of random weird stuff strung together.
It's so sad, given what it was supposed to be.

Oh look - ANOTHER M&G!!

I agree ~ sad.

[Septbride2002]

There are many rides prominently featuring Sound Tracks. There is pretty much singing all through out the Little Mermaid Ride, Phillarmagic is a story based on the music, The Lion King stage shows features the music and *gasp* live singing.

Disney would be foolish to not take advantage of the vocal talent associated with this movie. I'll say again - they haven't had this talented of singers since Jodi Benson. I doubt Disney is admitting anything about the story and more acknowledging the strength of the music as a whole.

[Tekneek]

To all who come to this place of joy, hope of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere in the world.
—E. Cardon Walker, October 24, 1982

They had a decent run, but Disney proved itself incapable of maintaining it. They've been unable to establish and maintain working relationships with foreign nations to keep World Showcase vibrant or expanding. They've been unable to maintain or create lasting relationships with industry to supply innovation for Future World. Worse than simply maintaining the status quo, Epcot has been receding over the past decade.

Frozen taking over the Maelstrom is not the problem. It is just another symptom of the problem.

[Septbride2002]

To all who come to this place of joy, hope of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere in the world.
—E. Cardon Walker, October 24, 1982

They had a decent run, but Disney proved itself incapable of maintaining it. They've been unable to establish and maintain working relationships with foreign nations to keep World Showcase vibrant or expanding. They've been unable to maintain or create lasting relationships with industry to supply innovation for Future World. Worse than simply maintaining the status quo, Epcot has been receding over the past decade.

Frozen taking over the Maelstrom is not the problem. It is just another symptom of the problem.

With as fast as technology changes I think it would be dang near impossible to stay ahead of it. Heck - my cell phone is out of date a mere 6 months after I purchase it. That is why I think you see the focus being more on "going green" as that is technology that is still be developed.

[PirateLover]

There are many rides prominently featuring Sound Tracks. There is pretty much singing all through out the Little Mermaid Ride, Phillarmagic is a story based on the music, The Lion King stage shows features the music and *gasp* live singing.

Disney would be foolish to not take advantage of the vocal talent associated with this movie. I'll say again - they haven't had this talented of singers since Jodi Benson. I doubt Disney is admitting anything about the story and more acknowledging the strength of the music as a whole.

But those rides aren't in Epcot. Most of us are saying that we don't have a problem with a Frozen ride, what we are lamenting is where it's being placed.

[Terra]

No, please tell us, what DO you mean?

I may be a bit dense, but I don't understand either.
Teekneek, what is the correlation if he likes the movie?

With as fast as technology changes I think it would be dang near impossible to stay ahead of it. Heck - my cell phone is out of date a mere 6 months after I purchase it. That is why I think you see the focus being more on "going green" as that is technology that is still be developed.

Now that is the truth!