Frozen Ever After

[JungleSkip]

The "legacy" of Epcot died a long long time ago.

And now they're pissing on its grave.

What a great company.

 

[Nick]

The original vision of Epcot is never coming back.

Oh, and Maelstrom was only a "beloved attraction" because there are so few attractions at Epcot to begin with, especially in World showcase.

Sorry not sorry.

 

[Shucker]

Accountants and Finance in most cases do pull the strings. However short term gains dont always pan out. Thank god the accounts didn't win out in the mid 80s at Disney. This is a short term money grab without a doubt. EPCOT needs more, not replacements, no matter if the replacement is the best ride ever. People are going to flock to this regardless of what they do, so I understand why they are doing, but that doesn't mean its the right thing. Disney has the luxury of the best theme park in Orlando by far (MK). Their other three parks would would have substantially lower attendance in there current state if it was not for the MK pulling people in. The other three parks attendance is not a reflection of the park itself, its is reflection of MK and very good marketing. So Disney doesnt have to create a new unbelievable experience at EPCOT to bring people in, which is a shame.

This is so different than Jaws/Potter. You got an entirely new land with two brand new rides and new experience all over. This is going to just be overlaying, like Deamflight/Buzz Lightyear. Will it make a lot money, yep. Does it make EPCOT better, especially in the long term, nope.

 

[JungleSkip]

The original vision of Epcot is never coming back.

Just like Disney's creativity

 

[MrRoamer]

I'm looking at it as the beginning of the end of what Epcot and the World Showcase is. I know a lot of people have already stated the original concept of Epcot is dead, I always preferred to look at it as it got lost and misguided but would return one day. Them adding the Frozen ride to a country in the World Showcase is upsetting because Frozen isn't directly set in Norway.

To me this is the start of World Showcase getting slowly replaced and turned into a strip mall version of different character environments. While this could actually end up being pretty cool, I don't have a lot of faith in them. Food & Wine, Flower & Garden, and the other special events are some of the main things keeping Epcot relevant still. It will be interesting to see how the erosion of the World Showcase could effect it.

 

[GAcoaster]

Just like Disney's creativity

Truth! They went from Walt's philosophy of "How can we make more magic?" to "How can we make more money?" And the thing is, magic made money and lots of it. Now it's just make more money, which eventually will kill the goose that has kept laying golden eggs for years.

 

[rhino4evr]

As usual the distaste for Disney on this site is nuts. ALL parks are a business. Do you think tearing down Jaws (an expensive to operate ride) for MORE POTTER!!!...more stores/rides/etc wasn't for business purposes? Universal saw an opportunity to expand a very lucritive part of their park, and torn down a classic ride to do so. They may have created a superior attraction and land out of it, but ultimately it wasn't done "for the fans" it was done for the fans "wallets"

I agree that Disney should be doing something more grand for it's most popular movie in decades, but at least it's doing something..and relatively quickly for them. Let's hope they pull it off. I would love to see some concept art...

All the folks that are asking for it at HS are forgetting that SW land is in the cards...and we all know what's going down in AK in a few years.

Epcot makes the most sense in terms of putting something new in each of their stepchildren parks. MK just had a huge update..so I'm assuming WDO wants to put it's budget on the other parks for a while...

 

[JungleSkip]

As usual the distaste for Disney on this site is nuts. ALL parks are a business. Do you think tearing down Jaws (an expensive to operate ride) for MORE POTTER!!!...more stores/rides/etc wasn't for business purposes? Universal saw an opportunity to expand a very lucritive part of their park, and torn down a classic ride to do so. They may have created a superior attraction and land out of it, but ultimately it wasn't done "for the fans" it was done for the fans "wallets"

You're assuming that "business" and creativity/theme are mutually exclusive. They are not.

This is a cheap, lazy move.

 

[Brian G.]

As usual the distaste for Disney on this site is nuts. ALL parks are a business. Do you think tearing down Jaws (an expensive to operate ride) for MORE POTTER!!!...more stores/rides/etc wasn't for business purposes? Universal saw an opportunity to expand a very lucritive part of their park, and torn down a classic ride to do so. They may have created a superior attraction and land out of it, but ultimately it wasn't done "for the fans" it was done for the fans "wallets"

I agree that Disney should be doing something more grand for it's most popular movie in decades, but at least it's doing something..and relatively quickly for them. Let's hope they pull it off. I would love to see some concept art...

All the folks that are asking for it at HS are forgetting that SW land is in the cards...and we all know what's going down in AK in a few years.

Epcot makes the most sense in terms of putting something new in each of their stepchildren parks. MK just had a huge update..so I'm assuming WDO wants to put it's budget on the other parks for a while...

I don't think anyone has a problem with Frozen coming as a ride, just it's location and a seemingly (although to early to really judge) quick overlay.

 

[shiekra38]

Haaaaang on. Uni are allowed to ditch Jaws, a completely classic UOR ride, for MORE Potter. TDO remove an older attraction for an IP that is (albeit currently) extremely popular like Potter, and they can't do anything right.

Regardless of the difference in implementation, complete tear down vs overlay (or rushed small trackless ride), this is still in essence exactly the same situation. Bit of a pot and kettle situation we have here!!

Closure of JAWS = E-ticket ride, D-ticket ride, Highly themed immersive land.

Closure of Malestrom = D-ticket ride overlayed with new projectors and decorations...still a D-ticket ride

With the new Frozen ride there is no added capacity, nothing really new to visit...just an old attraction rehashed to capitalize on a popular movie...Universal may have capitalized on the success of a movie franchise as well, but at least they went all out and gave us something we've never seen before..

The comparison would better be made by comparing the Hitchcock to Shrek transformation or Ghostbusters to Twister

Aaand to add salt to the wound...Epcot has plenty of open space and shuttered buildings...at the moment it has the charm or an office park

 

[kingcooger]

Closure of JAWS = E-ticket ride, D-ticket ride, Highly themed immersive land.

Closure of Malestrom = D-ticket ride overlayed with new projectors and decorations...still a D-ticket ride

With the new Frozen ride there is no added capacity, nothing really new to visit...just an old attraction rehashed to capitalize on a popular movie...Universal may have capitalized on the success of a movie franchise as well, but at least they went all out and gave us something we've never seen before..

The comparison would better be made by comparing the Hitchcock to Shrek transformation or Ghostbusters to Twister

Or keeping within Epcot, Test Track to Test Track 2.0.

 

[adjjb]

With the new Frozen ride there is no added capacity, nothing really new to visit...just an old attraction rehashed to capitalize on a popular movie..

I think it will bring people in for the ride being new to visit. Look at the waiting time for Anna and Elsa. Those wait times were what people were waiting for Gringotts. 4+ hours just to meet Anna and Elsa. I think adding a Frozen ride when it opens will be a big attraction for Epcot, where there isn't that many for kids.

 

[Nick]

I think a Frozen ride is a great idea. However I think the ride should be in either Fantasyland or DHS.

TDO chose the cheap route by redo-ing the attraction, rather than coming up with a brand new idea and building a ride from scratch. That's where most people have a problem.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

Haaaaang on. Uni are allowed to ditch Jaws, a completely classic UOR ride, for MORE Potter. TDO remove an older attraction for an IP that is (albeit currently) extremely popular like Potter, and they can't do anything right.

Regardless of the difference in implementation, complete tear down vs overlay (or rushed small trackless ride), this is still in essence exactly the same situation. Bit of a pot and kettle situation we have here!!

Uhhh, not even close. Universal tore down Jaws to create an entire new game changing experience. Disney is going the cheap route of creating a Frozen ride by placing it in an existing building and doing an overlay so they can advertise a Frozen ride and make bank off it. That isn't even mentioning how horrible of a fit this is. The World Showcase's main attraction now is a ride based on a fictional animated film. It just goes against everything the WS is about. I can't see how anyone can justify this for Disney, it is an obvious quick and easy cash grab. If they decided to make a new awesome experience in DHS they would be applauded for it. If you want to upgrade the WS create some rides based on culture of these countries, not throw in Disney movies and characters. I really don't mind the M&G's there and the Gran Fiesta doesn't bother me a ton either since it still showcases Mexico in some way. But there is no way this Frozen ride is going to be about Norway in any way and if it is it will be kind of stupid. DHS and MK are the places for this, no Epcot and especially the WS.

 

[kingcooger]

I think it will bring people in for the ride being new to visit. Look at the waiting time for Anna and Elsa. Those wait times were what people were waiting for Gringotts. 4+ hours just to meet Anna and Elsa. I think adding a Frozen ride when it opens will be a big attraction for Epcot, where there isn't that many for kids.

He means that this ride is not going to be able to take in MORE people at an hourly rate than Maelstrom already did. It will still be the same amount of people getting on the ride everyday, just the lines will be longer now because the ride will be more popular.

 

[Brian G.]

I think it will bring people in for the ride being new to visit. Look at the waiting time for Anna and Elsa. Those wait times were what people were waiting for Gringotts. 4+ hours just to meet Anna and Elsa. I think adding a Frozen ride when it opens will be a big attraction for Epcot, where there isn't that many for kids.

This obviously is purely speculation, and in no ways me discrediting the popularity of Frozen but....

We're still within a year of it's release so obviously it's still fresh in every one's minds hence why we've been seeing 5 hour waits for Frozen. Can we honestly expect the same demand when 2016 rolls around (outside of it's opening month)?

 

[Shucker]

As usual the distaste for Disney on this site is nuts. ALL parks are a business. Do you think tearing down Jaws (an expensive to operate ride) for MORE POTTER!!!...more stores/rides/etc wasn't for business purposes? Universal saw an opportunity to expand a very lucritive part of their park, and torn down a classic ride to do so. They may have created a superior attraction and land out of it, but ultimately it wasn't done "for the fans" it was done for the fans "wallets"

I agree that Disney should be doing something more grand for it's most popular movie in decades, but at least it's doing something..and relatively quickly for them. Let's hope they pull it off. I would love to see some concept art...

All the folks that are asking for it at HS are forgetting that SW land is in the cards...and we all know what's going down in AK in a few years.

Epcot makes the most sense in terms of putting something new in each of their stepchildren parks. MK just had a huge update..so I'm assuming WDO wants to put it's budget on the other parks for a while...

I wouldn't call it hate, more disappointment. I am very happy they are putting in a Frozen ride, but very disappointed on where and how they are doing it. And that pretty much seems like the consensus.

I loved what Disney did with new Fantasyland, and would have liked to have seen that type of creativity for this. Doesn't need to be the scope of fl, but not just an overlay. To me that's not very creative, its just a money grab. But I am hopeful and will of course have to go see it once it opens.

 

[JungleSkip]

Okay, so, even if Epcot is the best park/needs Frozen the most (if doesn't, but let's just go with that for discussion's sake), Disney is yet again not expanding parks where it has ample room to do so. Huge empty plot of land sits right next to Norway, yet we're getting a ride replacement.

 

[adjjb]

The same can be said for Harry Potter, look how long ago the last movie came out. Nobody knew if the crowds would come for Diagon. Yet they did, Frozen is extremely popular and for kids it will be a classic. Kids from the 4+ hour lines this summer may still go, not to mention kids who are too small now but will be of age in 2016. It will be an attraction that will always have new kids growing up and being of age for it. Like Aladdin's ride, Little Mermaid, Toy Story etc..

 

[Cole]

This obviously is purely speculation, and in no ways me discrediting the popularity of Frozen but....

We're still within a year of it's release so obviously it's still fresh in every one's minds hence why we've been seeing 5 hour waits for Frozen. Can we honestly expect the same demand when 2016 rolls around (outside of it's opening month)?

I think time will answer that question. If Disney chooses to make frozen relevant with it's shorts and sequels then absolutely it'll be popular. However if the next movie comes out in the 2020's or Disney milks it to the point where the general public is sick of it then probably not. I don't think it will be completely forgotten by the time this comes out but it's hype will definitely die down