Whenever I babysit my six and four-year-old neighbors, they love talking on and on about the new Disney movie, Frozen. I don't blame them; I think that Frozen should be considered one of Disney's best animated movies of the 21st century. In fact, Frozen earned $1.2 billion dollars in theaters worldwide, becoming the highest grossing animated motion picture of all time. I've been waiting for months to hear about the first Frozen themed attractions to appear inside the magical lands of Walt Disney World. This news has finally arrived. A new Frozen-based ride, set in the fictional village of Arendelle, will replace the "Maelstrom" ride in the Norway section of World Showcase in Epcot. However, "Maesltrom" was meant to teach riders about the real country of Norway, something that the new attraction won't be able to truly present.
To me, it makes the most sense to set up a Frozen ride inside Magic Kingdom, where most of the attractions targeting younger children are placed. Then, throughout the ride, Disney wouldn't have to focus so much on the similarities between the American-created Arendelle and the real country of Norway. Maybe Disney hopes to attract more people to the World Showcase in Epcot, using a Frozen ride as the solution? After all, Epcot almost never experiences Magic Kingdom's levels of congestion. I just hope Walt Disney World utilizes this space in the Norway section effectively and attempts to teach people at least a little about the Norwegian nation. As for the "Maelstrom" ride, it seems like it's time for people to "let it go".
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about the Maelstrom ride! At my most recent visit to Epcot my family and I had a really fun time learning about Norway and its awesome culture. I remember my dad pointing out different cities in Norway on the giant map that is placed right next to the boarding area for the ride. It's a shame that Disney wants to replace this wonderful ride with a ride dedicated to Frozen, a movie I adore but cannot see being incorporated into the Epcot region of Disneyworld. One of my favorite things to do at Disney is learn about different cultures on these exciting rides and exhibits, but putting a Frozen-themed ride into the mix will definitely shift the entire feel of the area. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. :)
I completely agree Julie - Epcot should be a place reserved for representing countries and their cultures, not for blending fiction and non-fiction. I remember this ride as well and think fulfilled that purpose very well. I also think an interesting point you brought up was that Disney is trying to attract visitors to Epcot by building a ride based on one of their most lucrative films. While I believe it will work in their favor, it's unfortunate that they comrpimised the integrity of Epcot just to get a few more visitors.
ReplyDeleteJulie, Fince job blogging this term. This post is nicely grounded in personal experience, but it might worth taking a more critical stance on Disney, Epcot, etc. and the degree to which they are really trying to capture the essence of, for example, Norway! What is really at stake in this amusement park decision?
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