Any chance of riding the frozen ride without a huge standby wait?

[Ratpack]

The day it opens (June 21) is the day we are going to EPCOT in the evening and it is EMH for the evening, so we are going to hope we can get on possibly later that night after Illuminations, possibly during Illuminations as we have seen it many times.

 

[dreiwhit]

I would definitely get a FP for this one.

IMHO, I'm afraid this ride may be one of those rides where you will say when you get off the ride "I'm glad I got a FP for this one and didn't wait in the standby line."

 

[Klayfish]

Only time will tell how crazy the line stays after the first month or two. If you ask my $.02, I'd lean towards the side of it staying very busy. It's Frozen. It's going to be big. I agree with the comments about 7DMT not being an e-ticket ride but still staying mobbed. Don't get me wrong, I think it's really cool, but it's not as "exciting" as some other roller coasters. Yet it remains one of the most popular rides on the entire property. I'll bet this one joins that list.

So, what is the entrance like for RD at IG? Never tried it. Main entrance is a stinkin' zoo. Wait outside the front entrance, then a stampede to try to get in...just so you can run back to the fountain area and wait again behind another set of ropes...while a bunch of rude people try to squeeze their way past (my wife and I don't let people do it). Is the IG crowded at 8:45am? I think my concern with it would be there are only a couple of scanners to let people in, so would it go slowly?

 

[wdwlver]

That's 60 days out. I'm stuck with 30.

I just tried getting a fp 30 days out for FEA and there is availability. So there's hope!

 

[Blue32]

The difference is those rides are actually pretty cool. By all accounts, Frozen is just going to be a cutesy little boat ride with some sparkles and snow. The charm will wear off when people realize it's not that great.

Have you ridden this ride already? How do you know it will be a dud? I think it may surprise you even if you are not the biggest frozen fan, especially if they have used the same animatronic technology used in 7DMT.

 

[JimmyV]

With the boats, it is going to be a slow load. Malestrom always had long lines during peak times.

Maelstrom loaded approximately 900 people per hour. That is about the same pace as Splash Mountain and slightly more than Peter Pan. So those attractions can bu used as a fair comparison. BUT....Epcot has far, far, far, far fewer attractions than the MK, especially ones designed for young children. So expect the wait at FEA to be epic (think TSMM) for a long time to come.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

Frozen will definitely be INSANE! I mean picture 7DMT opening, lol, times that by about a gazillion for all the kids out there that are Frozen fanatics and thats your wait time, lol...honestly I think right now getting FPs might be easier because the ride hasn't officially opened and since Soarin is or has released the new video for that ride I think a lot of people might lean towards that...but once Frozen has opened and people start reading reviews on the ride and you tubing the ride videos I think it might instantly become INSANE, lol...which for July people puts you right in the middle of the insanity, bc you will get all the Stand by people that didn't choose a FP for it but have read reviews or seen the ride videos on you tube and just HAVE to ride that ride, lol. I would more than likely get a FP for Frozen, RD Soarin, and then use the single rider line for Test Track

 

[Miss Frankie J]

I'm going multiple days, so my hope is that I can focus on one headliner each day. However, if I cannot get a FP+ for the frozen ride and the standby time is crazy im just passing it up on this trip. I did the same for SDMT and I waited till the following year when I was able to get a FP+, and I'm glad I did.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Besides, I don't think your average grade school Frozen fan reads social media.

Except grade school kids don't usually book vacations. Parents do.

Further, having been on the DIS and a WDW visitor for many years, it is clear to me that a solid percentage of parents don't even discuss touring plans with their own children/family at ALL!

 

[mom2rtk]

Except grade school kids don't usually book vacations. Parents do.

Further, having been on the DIS and a WDW visitor for many years, it is clear to me that a solid percentage of parents don't even discuss touring plans with their own children/family at ALL!

I guess I just don't expect anyone to book a trip (or not) based on one ride. I was looking at it in terms of whether they would ride once they are there.

 

[HM]

We changed our Soarin' FP to a Frozen FP.
I feel like waiting for 3 rooms of Soarin' will go faster than the Frozen ride wait which is (if no changes to the entry) a slow loader.

 

[mom2rtk]

We changed our Soarin' FP to a Frozen FP.
I feel like waiting for 3 rooms of Soarin' will go faster than the Frozen ride wait which is (if no changes to the entry) a slow loader.

I think Soarin will be busier than ever because of the new movie, but on balance, I still agree the line will move faster than FEA because of the new theater.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Right now I have a PPO Akershus ADR, once reports start coming back about how that's working out I will decide on whether or not to keep it. My date to pick FP+ is July 4th, so I have until then to decide about a FP for this. We normally split Epcot up into multiple days, so may have to use that option also for the headliners.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is fairly new, and is already regularly a walk-on.
Mission Space had insane waits when it first opened.
Ditto Expedition Everest.

I have seen sad piles of unsold Anna and Elsa costumes post-Halloween, when the rest of the costumes were long gone from Target! Frozen is yesterday's annoying cliché. The repetition of Let it go, let it go, let it go, doesn't thrill kids. It makes them cringe.

I'm sure there are Disney fans- especially adults (and parents who don't know Frozen is now OUT)- who will flock to experience the NEWEST WDW attraction for 4-6months. After that, not so much. It wont be popular again until today's newborn's discover it. (See, "Potter, Harry".)

We should not assume the new loading will be the same as the old. I trust WDW's fine engineers studied improvements. Unlike Dumbo, BOAT rides have a tremendous ability to modify capacity as demand warrants! Just add/remove boats. I'm not dismissing the possibility that CM's will MANAGE Frozen so that it appears full.

For a whole year, the Disney store didn't carry Frozen merchandise! That fed the craze, but also a sour taste. Kids moved on, but they haven't forgotten the frustration they felt.

 

[wilkeliza]

For those asking about getting to Norway through the International Gateway before 11 am. Here is what you will do.

When you come in from IG walk to the UK, then Canada, through the Plaza, through Mexico and then you'll be at Norway. It is the same path they have had open for years for people with breakfast reservations at the Princess Dinning Hall (I can't spell the name so not trying haha). If you go towards France you will be turned around so no use in trying. Also I don't believe they will be opening Mexico as the ropes for that pavilion are at the top of the steps. So basically Norway will be the only country actually open between 9-11 with the exception of the French Bakery as well.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

On the other hand....families plan vacations together will actually discover DORI is the HOT new WDW character this summer!

I expect waits for all the NEMO attractions to go up this summer!

If you want to avoid a long wait, I'd put Nemo on your Epcot FP list.

Soarin' will probably get some demand, but personally, I've also moved on already. It was fun when it was new, but IMO, Disney should have revised it AGES ago to keep it fresh.

Meanwhile poor, sad, Energy has so much potential to be new and amazing. If only it had a decent sponsor!

 

[mousestruck]

We are going early July and I'm already writing off Frozen until next trip! Of course I don't have little ones, so we're not huge Frozen fans, and we'd much rather FP+ Soarin - though I realize stand-by lines may be better with the third theatre. I really miss the old FP system! Remember when you could get a FP for Soarin and TT in the same day... and Spaceship Earth was a walk-on?! I honestly hate the tiered FP+ system. We're way past our commando days, and I have teenagers who are impossible to get out of bed for RD, so we ride Soarin together and do TT as single riders, which isn't nearly as fun. And now we'll probably skip Frozen altogether. It just isn't a great system when you can no longer FP your favorite 3 or 4 attractions in one day. Okay... rant over!

 

[mom2rtk]

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is fairly new, and is already regularly a walk-on.

VOTLM is in a park full of rides for little kids. That really makes a difference here.

I think waits for FEA will stay high for some time, although I do question what they have done with Norway more than 2 years after the release of Frozen. I know there's a sequel coming, but still think the whole thing was a bit risky.

 

[mm522]

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is fairly new, and is already regularly a walk-on.
Mission Space had insane waits when it first opened.
Ditto Expedition Everest.

I have seen sad piles of unsold Anna and Elsa costumes post-Halloween, when the rest of the costumes were long gone from Target! Frozen is yesterday's annoying cliché. The repetition of Let it go, let it go, let it go, doesn't thrill kids. It makes them cringe.

I'm sure there are Disney fans- especially adults (and parents who don't know Frozen is now OUT)- who will flock to experience the NEWEST WDW attraction for 4-6months. After that, not so much. It wont be popular again until today's newborn's discover it. (See, "Potter, Harry".)

We should not assume the new loading will be the same as the old. I trust WDW's fine engineers studied improvements. Unlike Dumbo, BOAT rides have a tremendous ability to modify capacity as demand warrants! Just add/remove boats. I'm not dismissing the possibility that CM's will MANAGE Frozen so that it appears full.

For a whole year, the Disney store didn't carry Frozen merchandise! That fed the craze, but also a sour taste. Kids moved on, but they haven't forgotten the frustration they felt.

Except this is an attraction tied to a huge franchise that is still very popular and has a sequel in production.
Also this boat ride can't just add or remove boats, it has a very specific operating procedure since it features the backwards section of the ride and it has to time and coordinate exactly with the track switchs. They can't just add as many boats as they please.
Also this is a family attraction in a park with very few family rides. It will be popular. Expedition Everest still gets long lines, Toy Story Mania still gets long lines, Soarin, the list goes on. So will this attraction.

 

[ziravan]

This is exactly my thinking as well. There were times when Malestrom would get a decent wait....I can't imagine what it's going to be like for the first few months with Frozen. Especially in the small-ish setting that is Norway. I'm guessing there will be some people queued up in the hot FL sun waiting standby!

This is why we FPd FEA and will standby Soarin'. We hope the extra theater will make Soarin' faster but even if it doesn't, the wait will be air conditioned.