Tangled might be getting a Disney Channel show, but Frozen is getting a ride at Walt Disney World. A ride based on the highest-grossing animated film of all time is taking over the Norway pavilion in EPCOT.
Frozen Ever After will take over the “Maelstrom” ride, which was a short, traditional ride that took visitors through Norwegian mythology. According to The Wall Street Journal, which got a first-look at the ride, it will be much more than just a redressing of the ride. Imagineers even got Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson Lopez to write new lyrics for existing Frozen songs for the ride.
“What we try to do is take you back to the movie without retelling that story,” Imagineering creative executive Kathy Mangum told the WSJ. “This is a celebration of the characters, a way for guests who love the film to experience it in a completely different way.”
The ride will last four minutes and takes visitors to the winter festival in Arendelle, which is actually held during the summer. While waiting in line, visitors will walk through Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post. Of course, the ride will include a visit to Elsa’s ice castle to hear her sing “Let It Go” as the ride’s big moment.
Disney is clearly banking on “Frozen Ever After” to boost visitor numbers at EPCOT, which is why it’s not in Magic Kingdom or at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Some staunch Disney fans might be critical of including a fictional world in EPCOT’s World Pavilion, but thankfully for the company, those fans don’t make the decisions.
The move also comes as prices at the Orlando parks go up. One-day tickets for Magic Kingdom are now up to $105, while one-day tickets for the other parks hit $97 for adults. Disney is also expanding EPCOT’s popular Soarin’ ride.