Malestrom Becomes "Frozen Ever After"

[tsme]

It sounds completely boring....

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I found Nemo and Little Memaid rides underwhelming.

I hope this is better but I'm kind of like "meh" about the whole thing even if it is.

 

[Mikie]

I laughed out loud about how dismissive Tom Staggs was about people's concerns regarding the location.

“If the goal is to give people a taste of something like Scandinavia with the Norway pavilion, then ‘Frozen’ would only increase the extent to which people would be drawn to it,” he said. “To me it doesn’t seem out-of-character at all.”

http://www.magicofmainstreet.com/a-first-look-at-frozen-ever-after-at-epcot/

I don't do much international travel, so I can't speak to the authenticity of any of the pavilions except UK, but I thought the intent of each country's pavillion was to give a taste of that country. . . i.e. Norway pavillion gives a taste of Norway, not a taste of "some thing like Scandinavia". I have "frozen fatigue" in a way I haven't gotten about any other Disney movies and don't particularly look forward to this, except as a cool break in WS.

 

[Mikie]

Barf.


On the other hand it should attract crowds from other attractions, so i hate it less. Especially if they open WS at 9am.

Never thought about that. . . Do you think they'll open just Norway that early? Obviously you can already walk around an empty WS if you want, but I wonder if they will start opening shops and restaurants in addition to Akershus.

 

[maxiesmom]

When this ride does open, it will consistently have loooong waits. That's a given much like we see at SDMT in MK. It'll help draw more people away from the small amount of headliners Epcot does have (Test Track and Soarin') which will hopefully drop their wait times. One can hope.

This is what I hope too!

But I have to wonder, will they open it earlier than 11 am? And how much will the jack up the price of the Princess breakfast that takes place there?

 

[maxiesmom]

Never thought about that. . . Do you think they'll open just Norway that early? Obviously you can already walk around an empty WS if you want, but I wonder if they will start opening shops and restaurants in addition to Akershus.

But you can't wander around World Showcase until it is open. They will let you in as far as Norway, if you have a breakfast ADR. But that is it.

 

[Mikie]

But you can't wander around World Showcase until it is open. They will let you in as far as Norway, if you have a breakfast ADR. But that is it.

Didn't know that - we've done the breakfast a few times and I assumed it was empty just because there's no appeal to going back there with everything closed. I've never paid attention - is there a rope, or a CM at the transition to WS? I think we've done our breakfasts pre-park opening (the whole park) so I've never seen/noticed how they keep you out of WS when the front is open.

 

[Zimbing]

To a person fed up of Frozen, this ride sounds horrific

But at least the queue for Test Track should hopefully get shorter!

 

[piccolopat]

I was really hoping that Disney would have used the Frozen characters to be tour guides through neighboring Norway. I agree that as a Frozen ride, this should have been done in DHS. I will be very disappointed if this is just the start of a move away from the culture, goods and food of each country.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

This has made me even less excited about this ride. But I'm sure kids will love it.

I do like that they're doing something with the queue I guess... It was pretty bare before.

They are going to have to something to the queue, the line will be ridiculous.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

And there go any remnants of hope that they'd actually incorporate Norway at all.

Norway had a chance to keep the pavilion about Norway. They chose not to do so.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Norway had a chance to keep the pavilion about Norway. They chose not to do so.

That's because Frozen has done more for tourism that than the Maelstrom ever did. The whole reason countries sponsored the pavilions was to promote tourism which Frozen has done without beating you over the head with travel posters.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

That's because Frozen has done more for tourism that than the Maelstrom ever did. The whole reason countries sponsored the pavilions was to promote tourism which Frozen has done without beating you over the head with travel posters.

Still, it was their choice. They opted to let Norway become Arendelle.

 

[crewmatt]

Swing and a miss there Disney. Frozen was a huge hit sure. DHS is dying and would have been an ideal spot with an expanded pixar place type setup. I mean when 1 ride goes down thats a major percentage of the park's attractions.

Maelstrom was quite nice and I'll miss it - and I would have been fine if Disney was axing it for something AMAZING related to frozen, but reskinning it. Really? Thats cheap.

 

[crewmatt]

I found Nemo and Little Memaid rides underwhelming.

I hope this is better but I'm kind of like "meh" about the whole thing even if it is.

I liked Nemo - but Little Mermaid is awful. Its a convenient break from the heat. I love the queue with that ride, so detailed. But then you get in and its like hmm, its a small world is nicer. And 40 years old. What did we miss here.

 

[tlmadden73]

See my post below...



The Donald Duck ride takes place IN Mexico. And, while cute, the overlay, rather than adding a new attraction even back then was lazy at best.

Having watched he TMC showing of Three Caballeros, I discovered it was made TO showcase Latin America culture. So it made sense to add to Mexico.

While Frozen is in a fictional place, I still think it fits. Just how Lilo and Stitch are seen at Ohana.

 

[anniemae]

Malestrom was one of my favs and I am sad to see it go. I will be curious to see this ride, it sounds cute to me. My only hesitation is that the whole Frozen-mania is totally gone from our house. My kids were Frozen crazy for a long time, now they are so over it. I guess it's still popular and will go down as a Disney classic but my kids are just like, "whatever, I'm done with Frozen." I know they will go on it and probably enjoy it, but I agree with the others that it is just not the right place for it.

I would have loved to see it at DHS since they already have a wandering oaken store set up, the snow play area, the frozen parade, the frozen sing along, the frozen summer of fun, the frozen fireworks etc. Just seems like it would fit better there.

 

[bellyrunnersix]

It sounds completely boring....

I was really hoping that Disney would have used the Frozen characters to be tour guides through neighboring Norway. I agree that as a Frozen ride, this should have been done in DHS. I will be very disappointed if this is just the start of a move away from the culture, goods and food of each country.

Honestly, this ride is going to be dead within a few years (1-3?) time of opening. People complained because it was "just another dark ride." So they went and made it a dark ride but now with the story of Frozen!

If I wanted to watch Frozen again I'd...watch it again at home and I think many parks guests, including those with kids, will eventually feel that way too. Just like Snow White, Little Mermaid, etc.

The only dark ride that's just a retelling of the movie that consistently has a long line is Peter Pan and even the CMs think it's abnormal. Are the higher-ups really banking on the fact that there are so few rides in Epcot that this is going to be out the door daily?

I don't even care that it's Frozen. I wish it wasn't JUST a retelling of Frozen though. It's such an unimaginative, boring cashgrab. WDW needs to work a little harder to wow (but I know the money still pours in so what do they really care?).

 

[tlmadden73]

Swing and a miss there Disney. Frozen was a huge hit sure. DHS is dying and would have been an ideal spot with an expanded pixar place type setup. I mean when 1 ride goes down thats a major percentage of the park's attractions.

Maelstrom was quite nice and I'll miss it - and I would have been fine if Disney was axing it for something AMAZING related to frozen, but reskinning it. Really? Thats cheap.

I still think thy have a grand plan for DhS we don't know about yet. While frozen summer fun was easy to add I don't think it belongs in DHS like Pixar stuff Disney junior and Star Wars stuff.


Really. Frozen deserves to be in Fantasyland.

 

[jeepwreck]

I think the whole frozen this has been done to death. there has not been this much hype over a movie ever I think.