Norway not happy with Disney wanting to replace Maelstrom with Frozen ride

[Jennasis]

We went on Maelstrom for the first time this June. We thought the ride was too short. I would have loved for it to be longer. And I thought they could have done more to the ride to "see" the country better. I didn't read the article, but they could have Anna and Elsa be the tour guides through the country of Norway. That would please the "Frozen" crowd and keep it real for World Showcase.

THAT might work...like the Gran Fiesta Tour with the 3 caballeros.

 

[LilyWDW]

Pretty much Disney is calling Norway out. It's a situation of "Give us the money to update the pavilion that needs it and we will do it your way OR we will put the money into it the way we want to". In other words, unless Norway puts its money where its mouth is, they don't get a say in what happens to the attraction. Makes sense to me honestly.

 

[surferdave]

This is the problem with trying to build & maintain a theme park with other people's money. We've already seen Future World shrivel and popular pavilions disappear because corporations could no longer justify the cost, it should come as no surprise that some of the World Showcase countries are in the same boat.

 

[Flight]

I can barely stand the ride today in the Mexico pavillion. The ride "Rio del Tiempo" was a magical tour of Mexico's legenday past and a wonderfull snapshot of modern life in the country. Then decisions were made by management that turned it into a silly cartoon - "Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros."

The fabulous mural in the Norway boarding area, the "Maelstom"ride, and the masterful movie at the end are now reported as being in peril by the same management? Are decisions being made to appeal to the very young only?

I guess EPCOT has been an utter failure all these years because there was not enough cartoon theming. Obviously the park has been close to deserted because no one wanted to visit unless there was a response to the latest fad.

People return and recommend Disney to others because most of what Disney has to offer has survived the test of time. Oh, it should not become stagnent, but neither should it destroy value for temporary whims.

 

[DOOM1001]

No, I think that means Disney is basically blackmailing Norway! "Pay 9mil or your country's pavilion turns into FrozenLand!"

That's what it sounds like to me,update the pavillion or we'll be forced to change it to Frozen.I know a lot of people didn't like the Mexico boat ride change but that one doesn't bother me that much.That ride was a little boring before and it's still a Mexico ride,just with the Three Caballeros thrown in there,plus I like the 3 caballeros song.If the land in Frozen isn't Norway then it has no business replacing the Maelstrom,these are pavillions showcasing the countries and I agree that it's just lazy on Disney's part.The ride could use some updating and a change in the way the movie at the end is shown but i don't want the ride getting replaced by frozen.

 

[Tomh]

I would love to see them ditch the movie all together (as movies by nature become outdated every few years, and Disney never updates that often) and turn that little "fishing village" facade into a shopping village. They could turn those little individual buildings into entrances to shoppes. I think that would be a wonderful way to end the tour, shopping in what looks like an authentic Norwegian seaside fishing village.

 

[mousehockey37]

With all the Frozen stuff EVERYWHERE in WDW, at the MK, EPCOT (was moved to MK, but there's the ride still being talked about) and now Frozen at DHS...

What's going to happen when the hype from Frozen blows over and the next movie takes its place?

The reason certain movies have gotten rides seems to be somewhat that they've stood the test of time. Others not so much.

Is a Frozen ride really worth it right now? Does Frozen really stack up to other classics to the point that Disney would want to sink millions into a ride in the Norway pavilion? Only to be left with a ride that is a walk-on because it's "so 2014"?

If Disney is running out of room at the MK, which it seems they are, and other lands are coming to DHS and AK. The WS at EPCOT shouldn't be the default place to put any kind of ride (like others have said, look at the Mexico pavilion).

Maybe it's time Disney start to entertain the 5th gate? Dare I speak it, but it's true. There are so many things Disney that WDW itself can't contain it all, even in 4 parks.

All that said, all the attractions should be kept up with and refreshed when needed to keep them current or futuristic....

 

[disneymagicgirl]

No, I think that means Disney is basically blackmailing Norway! "Pay 9mil or your country's pavilion turns into FrozenLand!"

that is how i read it too

 

[Polydweller]

People really need to learn their history. Norway hasn't supported the Pavillion since it's last contract ran out in about 2002. Disney has been running it for years. There are reports that Norway is unhappy with both the state of the Pavillion and Frozen. But with no stake in the Pavillion Norway has no say. Disney isn't blackmailing anybody ( and people here should go read the actual definition of that word ) but simply says that if Norway wants a say in the operations of the Pavillion they can have one and this is the amount needed. Just a negotiating amount that says if you want to run the Pavillion again here's our starting position now let's hear yours.

 

[hakepb]

I found this part of the article particularly hilarious...

The report claims that Disney has offered Norway the opportunity to pay roughly $9 million to update and maintain the pavilion as a promotional platform for the country -- instead of the hit movie

Seriously?? Am I reading that correctly? They want Norway to pay 9 million to help finance the makeover??

Wasn't most of EPCOT built with the generous support of many sponsoring companies and countries?

 

[jco_direwolf]

Wasn't most of EPCOT built with the generous support of many sponsoring companies and countries?

Nope only Morocco was built with money from the countries government. All the rest where built with sponsor companies.

 

[yankeepenny]

I am still in shock that Maelstrom is a fast pass attraction.


Personally, I may be the only person who despised that Frozen movie. My DH and I watched it and we both thought it was ........boring.


I get that we are in the minority.

Just my cent worth.

 

[Glenn]

Epcot's World Showcase should be just that, not a Disney movies showcase. Seems like everything they do over the last few years it to just push the current product and forget everything else. Now for the government of Norway. I do think just as an advertising tool they need to update the movie. Yes it would cost them money but are they sending out 25 yr old travel brochures when folks ask them for information? Right now many skip the movie because either they've seen it many times or it looks so outdated. A new one might get lots for folks to actually stop and watch it.

 

[aacvacation]

Perhaps we should all send correspondence to Disney, letting them know that people are opposed to the Frozen ride taking over Norway. I know it is far fetched that it would make a difference considering this Frozen-craze, but it has worked for other things in the past.

(Also I'm not saying this to sound rude, I truly mean it.)

I love Norway and I love the Norway Pavilion. It saddens me that they are being threatened to update it. Yes, it needs it, but that price sounds steep... And they already have princess dining there, why impose more fairytale on them??? Doesn't make any sense.

 

[sbmorasch]

I might get in trouble for this a little bit but I don't hold back.

world showcase is all about showing the world. getting rid of a ride that shows Norway and its past and present for a frozen ride would be a step in the WRONG direction. Don't get me wrong a frozen ride would be a great investment for disney but epcot is not a place for it. maybe in hollywood studios where they need something new and the new frozen summer fun will not last past summer and after that all hollywood will be is a park with rides and disney is much more then that

 

[Goofyuk]

My issue is that if they revamp the existing attraction then they are not actually increasing capacity, all they are doing is giving a ride which already runs at full capacity a makeover. If they built a seperate Frozen ride, wherever it is, then they are increasing the number of attractions and thus the capacity.

 

[jhaig]

Surely there must be a corporate sponsor somewhere in Norway that will step up and prevent Disney from turning their pavilion into Little Arendelle. Yes, it sounds like Disney is laying it on the line to Norway, but if their country can't step up, then I say take over their pavilion and start over. Which would be a shame because it's one of our favorites as it is right now.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

Hi Guys!

Let's take a step back, shall we? We are talking about an attraction in a theme park. The Norwegian Consulate is in Washington D.C. Disney can do whatever they wish inside of their theme park. The government of Norway can be upset all they want, but if they want to make changes, they need to ask and pay for it. If not, they can change it to Denmark, Frozen, Timbuktu or anything else.

 

[surferdave]

Let's take a step back, shall we?

Thanks for reminding me of Tom Cruise's finest hour (by a wide margin).

But don't worry, we don't need mediation. I'm sure someone will be along momentarily to tell us that a theme park in a foreign land building a monument to your country with your money and then threatening to fill it with cartoon characters if you don't keep paying them is a "first world problem".

 

[sonofanarchy]

I am still in shock that Maelstrom is a fast pass attraction.


Personally, I may be the only person who despised that Frozen movie. My DH and I watched it and we both thought it was ........boring.


I get that we are in the minority.

Just my cent worth.

You're not alone. I fell asleep when I took my kids to see it in the theater. They watched it at home the other day and I found the princesses to be annoying and the songs to be pretty awful.