‘Frozen Ever After’ Ride Is Disappointing For Many Disney Fans
Frozen Ever After has opened at the World Showcase at Epcot. Walt Disney World’s latest ride has replaced Maelstrom in the Norway Pavilion. While the company kept many of the same elements of the ride (it’s still a dark ride that takes place on a boat), Disney fans have been complaining quite a bit. Aside from the ridiculously long wait times (which were over three hours at times this week), many feel that the ride does a disservice to all that is the World Showcase.
For many, visiting Epcot’s World Showcase is a learning experience. It’s a place to be immersed into different cultures and to enjoy different cuisines without stepping a toe outside of the United States.
Frozen Ever After is a pretty solid ride! The animatronics are pretty amazing! pic.twitter.com/uqzxoz4q0m
— Attractions 360° (@SoCal360) June 21, 2016
Frozen Ever After seems to forgo the traditional educational element of the attractions at the World Showcase. Its predecessor, Maelstrom, offered riders a unique way to explore Norway and learn about the country through audio-animatronic figures. Walt Disney World guests seem to be disappointed with Disney’s decision to make this attraction purely movie-based.
Theme Park Tourist suggests that Frozen Ever After may be the best ride at Disney World. The site claims that the animatronics are simply incredible and that Disney has “raised the bar” when it comes to bringing these animated characters to life in one of their attractions.
Check out the newly released POV video that a rider posted on YouTube below to get a sense of what you can expect on Frozen Ever After.
Walt Disney World fans aren’t completely agreeing with Theme Park Tourist’s bold statement.
“The thing that irks me is that Disney could have easily kept this educational. Why not have Anna and Elsa go through the sites/culture of Norway? They could have done it like the Mexico ride with Donald Duck. That said, the effects of the ride look nice but I still think the animatronics look a little weird,” said one Facebook user.
“I saw the POV and wasn’t impressed. I agree with some of the other comments in that it could have been more educational about Norway’s culture instead of a Frozen takeover,” said another.
Frozen Ever After may “fit” in Norway because that’s where Elsa and Anna are from — Arendelle is a fictional town in the Northern European country. However, many Disney fans feel that the ride would have been better suited at the Magic Kingdom as it doesn’t offer anything special to the Norway Pavilion in particular.
“This ride should’ve been in the magic kingdom or MGM (I’ll always call it that),” read a Facebook comment.
“This ride should be in magic kingdom or Hollywood studios,” read another.
Frozen Ever After still seems like it’s a great ride. For those who have endured the insane wait times, the ride has been really enjoyable. It’s obviously a hit for families with small children, many of whom visit the parks just to meet Elsa and Anna!
Wait time for Frozen Ever After is now 300 minutes. Was told it is the longest time ever for a ride at Epcot. pic.twitter.com/7NHQwHjZvH
— Jon Busdeker (@jonbusdeker) June 21, 2016
Have you ridden Frozen Ever After? Do you think that Disney made the right move putting this particular attraction in Norway?
[Photo by Central Press/Getty Images]
