New details about "Frozen" ride

[DDLand]

My impression based on what has been announced previously is that it's going to lean more-or-less heavily on video screens to tell the story. Plus, if Rio del Tiempo is a precedent, maybe some fairly unspectacular fiber optic or projector effects. The concept art looks to me like it could be a large video screen in the middle with some digital projections on each side (or more video screens) with lasers or mirror-ball type reflections to create swirling sparkles all around.

The press release about the Frozen ride didn't contain any words or phrases such as innovative, unique, ground-breaking, next-generation, state-of-the-art, etc. I assume that if they were doing something amazing, they would hardly have left it out of the press release that kicked the whole thing off. For example, the Mine Train was announced like this:



So re-check the press releases ... if they don't say "amazing" anywhere, it doesn't seem likely that you're going to get "amazing". You might get a very nice ride with nice music that tells a good story though.

Yeah, but we also know for a fact:
1) Disney is spending 80 million on essentially sets. For comparison the Monsters Inc. conversion over at DCA cost a mere 30 million.
2) We know that the Elsa scene will be animatronic,(Edit, not so sure anymore. I thought I read that. I'll see if I can find that quote) and there will be other animotronics in the ride too. We don't know all the details, but Martin and the linked WSJ piece have said as much.
3) Martin has said they're really trying to impress with the animotronics they're installing. Cutting edge in our region.
4) We know that they're using the same basic tech that brought us the hatbox ghost, paint the night figures like Mike, and of course King Trident in Tokyo in their brand new show. Behind the face projection. Still very new stuff, and that basic projection tech was first deployed on 7 Dwarves Mine Train. No mention to that was made in the initial press release, but make no mistake, that was a big deal.
5) Disney has been getting more and more secretive on the details. How much do we know about Avatar officially? Not much except that it will be cool, and that it will glow in the dark. They haven't specifically said they'll be innovative things in a certain ride, but that doesn't mean it won't be innovative.
From what I've heard from multiple insiders, and of course the pieces leaked to the WSJ, I think they're really trying to impress.

For your viewing pleasure:
"The audio-animatronic characters will be cutting edge, Ms. Mangum said, using a new technology that includes projectors behind the faces to enable more lifelike animation. It was first used on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride that opened in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom last year."

 

[DDLand]

@Josh Hendy Here's the quote...
"...and Elsa belting her song "Let It Go." They will become animotronic characters that Epcot visitors float by on a log..."

 

[DanBoris]

My impression based on what has been announced previously is that it's going to lean more-or-less heavily on video screens to tell the story. Plus, if Rio del Tiempo is a precedent, maybe some fairly unspectacular fiber optic or projector effects. The concept art looks to me like it could be a large video screen in the middle with some digital projections on each side (or more video screens) with lasers or mirror-ball type reflections to create swirling sparkles all around.

The press release about the Frozen ride didn't contain any words or phrases such as innovative, unique, ground-breaking, next-generation, state-of-the-art, etc. I assume that if they were doing something amazing, they would hardly have left it out of the press release that kicked the whole thing off. For example, the Mine Train was announced like this:


So re-check the press releases ... if they don't say "amazing" anywhere, it doesn't seem likely that you're going to get "amazing". You might get a very nice ride with nice music that tells a good story though.

From the article...

"The audio-animatronic characters will be cutting edge, Ms. Mangum said, using a new technology that includes projectors behind the faces to enable more lifelike animation"

 

[rteetz]

From the article...

"The audio-animatronic characters will be cutting edge, Ms. Mangum said, using a new technology that includes projectors behind the faces to enable more lifelike animation"

This part actually excites me because every time there is another projected faced animatronic is gets better. Look at buzz then to the cars characters in disneyland and now seven dwarfs.

 

[Andrew015]

From the article...

"The audio-animatronic characters will be cutting edge, Ms. Mangum said, using a new technology that includes projectors behind the faces to enable more lifelike animation"

I suspect that this "cutting edge" technology will be the same technology that was used on 7DMT. While a great effect, I wouldn't bank on Elsa being much different than what we have previously seen with the dwarfs.

"Our Imagineers take you behind the scenes to see how they’re bringing to life some of the most advanced Audio-Animatronics characters ever created. According to them, the process involved working with Walt Disney Animation Studios and going back to the original film to study each Dwarf’s individual motions and even facial expressions in order to get them just right. The end goal: To make them look as if they just jumped off of the screen..."

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...matronics-to-life-at-seven-dwarfs-mine-train/

 

[waffles77]

The comments on the wsj article are interesting. Obviously the dis is mostly filled with Disney fans (or ex-fans, etc), so we don't always 'see' the opinion of the masses. The commenters on the wsj article as a whole probably are not similar type fans. I'd say about 85% of the comments were negative.

 

[DDLand]

I suspect that this "cutting edge" technology will be the same technology that was used on 7DMT. While a great effect, I wouldn't bank on Elsa being much different than what we have previously seen with the dwarfs.

"Our Imagineers take you behind the scenes to see how they’re bringing to life some of the most advanced Audio-Animatronics characters ever created. According to them, the process involved working with Walt Disney Animation Studios and going back to the original film to study each Dwarf’s individual motions and even facial expressions in order to get them just right. The end goal: To make them look as if they just jumped off of the screen..."

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...matronics-to-life-at-seven-dwarfs-mine-train/

That's what I'm worried about. They weren't good enough for Elsa. Though like @rteetz said, they just keep getting better and better. So two years can make a profound difference. Hatbox looked great, better than the dwarves. I'm hopeful that with this technological progression we'll get some amazing figures.

 

[DDLand]

The comments on the wsj article are interesting. Obviously the dis is mostly filled with Disney fans (or ex-fans, etc), so we don't always 'see' the opinion of the masses. The commenters on the wsj article as a whole probably are not similar type fans. I'd say about 85% of the comments were negative.

Interesting. Just remember that link is posted all over the Disney fan universe. Traffic may be disporportionly Disney fans. Still interesting nontheless...

 

[Josh Hendy]

I didn't see the P.R. about the advanced AA, I was thinking of an older P.R. that gave "just the facts ma'am".

I'm sure it's going to be a very nice little ride.

 

[DanBoris]

The comments on the wsj article are interesting. Obviously the dis is mostly filled with Disney fans (or ex-fans, etc), so we don't always 'see' the opinion of the masses. The commenters on the wsj article as a whole probably are not similar type fans. I'd say about 85% of the comments were negative.

There were even a large number of negative comments on the Disney Parks Blog post about this. I am surprised that some of these didn't get removed.

 

[rteetz]

There were even a large number of negative comments on the Disney Parks Blog post about this. I am surprised that some of these didn't get removed.

I think there were so many negative comments on there that they just left them.

 

[only hope]

I'm surprised there aren't more negative comments here. Though a Frozen ride is inevtiable, I don't think a fictional ride belongs in the World Showcase.

 

[rteetz]

I'm surprised there aren't more negative comments here. Though a Frozen ride is inevtiable, I don't think a fictional ride belongs in the World Showcase.

Most here don't think it belongs but since we can't do anything about it now it is what it is.

 

[Planogirl]

I would just like to know where they plan to put 5 hours worth of queue in that small area. The theater isn't big enough to handle all of that.

IF I ever end up at Epcot again I'd like to be able to get to Kringla. There might be a literal wall of people there though.

 

[Dis4Heather]

I'm still not sure how I feel about this....I'll miss Maelstrom (spelling?)

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Sure sounds like a cheap cop out and ill advised to me...

So nothing really different than day 1...if you ask this camper

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

Looking foward to it! Really think the ride should still be in HS instead, but nonetheless, looking foward to it. Especially the new animatronics.

 

[rteetz]

I would just like to know where they plan to put 5 hours worth of queue in that small area. The theater isn't big enough to handle all of that.

IF I ever end up at Epcot again I'd like to be able to get to Kringla. There might be a literal wall of people there though.

World showcase is most defintely not going to be able to handle five hour lines.

 

[DanBoris]

I would just like to know where they plan to put 5 hours worth of queue in that small area. The theater isn't big enough to handle all of that.

IF I ever end up at Epcot again I'd like to be able to get to Kringla. There might be a literal wall of people there though.

My understanding is that the queue will start somewhere over by Canada.

 

[rteetz]

My understanding is that the queue will start somewhere over by Canada.

I thought it was going to start by the tombstones...