In a recent article, the Wall Street Journal, Disney has given an inside look into the new Frozen themed attraction coming to Epcot's Norway Pavilion. The name of the new attraction has now been confirmed - 'Frozen Ever After'. This new attraction will replace the closed Maelstrom attraction in World Showcase. Imagineers recently gave WSJ a look into the attraction using DISH, Disney's 360 degree projection experience in California, giving people the chance to experience rides before they are built. The attraction is expected to open in Spring 2016 - rumored to be 1st May 2016.
Details revealed in the Wall Street Journal article were:
- The new attraction will follow the same ride path as the Maelstrom attraction, but with brand new scenes and elements within the attraction - the ride has been "gutted".
- The ride will not re-tell the story of Frozen, but instead the ride will be an opportunity for guests to celebrate the characters.
- Guests onboard will visit a “winter festival that takes place in summer, when residents of Arendelle apparently celebrate their favorite season of the year in the midst of its polar opposite.”
- The queue will be themed to Wandering Oakens Trading Post where guests will be imersed in the interactive queue - guests will be able to 'wipe the steam' from his sauna windows! Guests will also be able to hear Oaken call "Yoo-Hoo!".
- Olaf and Sven will be the start of the ride, setting the story for the Winter Festival. Grandpabby Troll will be waiting in the Troll Valley in order to tell the story about how Anna and Kristoff met. The logs will then begin their accent up the lift hill to see Olaf at the top singing while ice skating alongside Anna, Kristoff and Sven.
- The next scene will be the "centerpeince of the ride - the big, big scene!". The doors will open to take guests into Elsa's ice palace where she will be singing "Let It Go" from the ice palace balcony! Simulated snow is set to fly around the room.
- Guests will then begin travellling backwards (as in Maelstrom where the trolls sent guests "back, back, over the falls!). Guests will pass Marshmallow - the snowmonster Elsa created, along with the Snowgies from Frozen Fever.
- The finale scene, which we expect to be at the bottom of the mini-drop will feature fireworks and a goodbye from all of the Frozen characters!
In an interview, it was said that the audio-animatronics within the attraction would be similar to those on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Trian, which use rear projection, and would thus provide "more lifelike animation".
A new meet and greet location will also be added to the Norway Pavilion for guests to meet Anna, Elsa and possibly some of the other Frozen characters such as Olaf, Marshmallow and Kristoff. The meet and greet location will be called the "Royal Sommerhaus", and will be built between the existing Norway pavilion and the Mexico pavilion. Before the extreme sucess of Frozen, a small meet and greet location could be found at the pavilion, before it moved to the Magic Kingdom.