My DH just made a great point that I have not seen anyone mention yet- What are they going to do about park hours? World Showcase does not open until 11am. Are they going to open the one ride earlier? Are they going to let people in from both gates? If the ride doesn't open until 11am like the rest of that area, are they going to allow people to start queuing up early?
I'm trying my best to take Sherri's wait-and-see approach, but from where I stand, it's hard to imagine this being the mind-blowing success some are hoping for. Remember, the original ride only lasts about 3 1/2 minutes. It's not an anti-frozen or even an anti-change thing for me, as much as I do enjoy Maelstrom. I just can't get a handle on the logistics. Hopefully they have it all worked out and will prove me wrong.
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My family and I are extremely saddened by this😞. I'm all for Frozen & change at Epcot but not replacing one of the few rides that they have there. The World Showcase is suppose to be about the World not Disney movie "worlds". I feel like Disney is being really lazy replaceing Maelstrom instead of starting from nothing and making a Frozen ride. There is a lot of extra space in Epcot they could've put it. I also felt like they were lazy putting the trading post in instead of another country. It's like they've got no drive or vision to want to better Epcot so they do the bare minimum to it. We were there in July & my sister & I thought of many things they could put in the Countries for rides. Bobsled ride in Germany (in door rollercoaster & very cold inside), a slowish gondola ride in Italy, water rapid ride in Canada & not a country & I love this ride bu it would be neat if Soarin had a film for all 50 States & it randomly picked which one you saw like they did with Star Tours. Also I think they should put a ride in the Wonders of Life pavilion (i know they use it seasonally for special going ons at Epcot) but how freakin awesome would it be if they brought back HORIZONS & put it in there!!! They need to do a lot more w/ Epcot & replacing Maelstrom is not a good start in my opinion. Luckily my husband& I will be taking his niece for the first time in a couple of weeks so I'll be able to ride it one more time and I'll always have my memories of when I was little & of my nieces getting so excited to ride the "weee boat" ride! Lol.
PirateLover;2433636 wrote: My DH just made a great point that I have not seen anyone mention yet- What are they going to do about park hours? World Showcase does not open until 11am. Are they going to open the one ride earlier? Are they going to let people in from both gates? If the ride doesn't open until 11am like the rest of that area, are they going to allow people to start queuing up early?
I'm trying my best to take Sherri's wait-and-see approach, but from where I stand, it's hard to imagine this being the mind-blowing success some are hoping for. Remember, the original ride only lasts about 3 1/2 minutes. It's not an anti-frozen or even an anti-change thing for me, as much as I do enjoy Maelstrom. I just can't get a handle on the logistics. Hopefully they have it all worked out and will prove me wrong.
The easy answer would be opening the entire park at 9am. They have the character breakfast in Norway already, and the France bakery is open at 9 am well and people can enter at the IG. They might as well just start opening WS at 9 as well, and maybe some of the CS locations can begin serving breakfast too.
Natalie
INTERCOT Staff: Disneyland Resort-California, The Water Cooler
BrerGnat;2433638 wrote: The easy answer would be opening the entire park at 9am. They have the character breakfast in Norway already, and the France bakery is open at 9 am well and people can enter at the IG. They might as well just start opening WS at 9 as well, and maybe some of the CS locations can begin serving breakfast too.
Actually, the easiest answer is to open Norway at 9:00 and the rest of the WS later. As you point out, this is pretty much happening anyway. It also would be cheaper for Disney...
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Although I wish they had built a new Frozen ride (Disney needs more rides, not changing existing ones), I can't say that I'm sad about Maelstrom at all, I never got into that ride ... and I promise I tried!
I do worry about what this means for the rest of Epcot too, I love WS, and think that there is lots that can be done, outside of adding characters everywhere.
Please Disney, build more NEW stuff ... you have the ideas, the space and the money!
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Stu29573;2433640 wrote: Actually, the easiest answer is to open Norway at 9:00 and the rest of the WS later. As you point out, this is pretty much happening anyway. It also would be cheaper for Disney...
Yes, but then you will have hoardes of people who will exit the ride at Norway between, say 9:15 and 10:15 and be stuck in WS with nothing to do, nowhere to shop and eat, etc. If they do that, it would at least make sense to open the Mexico ride. And at that point, might as well just open it all.
Natalie
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BrerGnat;2433646 wrote: Yes, but then you will have hoardes of people who will exit the ride at Norway between, say 9:15 and 10:15 and be stuck in WS with nothing to do, nowhere to shop and eat, etc. If they do that, it would at least make sense to open the Mexico ride. And at that point, might as well just open it all.
There was a time when World Showcase opened at the same time as the reset of the park - perhaps it's time to revisit that.
Linda aka: Faline
INTERCOT Staff: Vacation Planning,Trip Reports and Disney Camping
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I remember waiting for Malestrom when I was younger in the early to mid 90s-the line was forever long! Did Malestrom get lines during peak seasons? Sure. But was it the rest of the time? You know lines are going to be crazy long for this Frozen ride. I'm hoping they do it well, the movie deserves it, and frankly, Epcot deserves a great new ride. Hopefully the first of many.
My DH'd response when I told him "Maelstrom is out, Frozen is in"....COOL;)
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My wife (non-disney fan):
Good. That ride was boring.
Followed by:
People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?
Mixed emotions about this. I love Malestrom and hate to see it go and would prefer that they just added a second attraction to Norway. However the ride was becoming stale and a re-design was way over due.
I have no doubt that it will be fun. I just hope Olaf and Sven are part of it. IMHO they made the movie.
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tundramom;2433652 wrote: My DH'd response when I told him "Maelstrom is out, Frozen is in"....COOL;)
yankeesfan123;2433653 wrote: My wife (non-disney fan):
Good. That ride was boring.
Followed by:
People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?
Yes! I'm *not* a lone wolf after all :blush:
waymickey;2433659 wrote:
I have no doubt that it will be fun. I just hope Olaf and Sven are part of it. IMHO they made the movie.
I agree! Olaf is my favorite character anyway.
EricJ;2433663 wrote: I wouldn't mind if it was a Frozen ride about Norway, not Arendelle. (Ie. have A&E narrate Norway history instead of Odin, and still give the country some seniority over Short-Lived Low-Shelf-Life Mania of the Week.)
That is actually a great idea! Or even if they do/update the movie, that would be great!
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If they open at the same time will they close at the same time? Perhaps Only extend WS hours for an extra fee as they've already set a precedent for?
If they do open at the same time, that gives a big advantage to Epcot area resort guests.
EricJ, I actually agree with you. 
Similar to what Tekneek said in another thread in a critique of Three Cabelleros in Mexico- if they are going to add characters into the scenes at least make it somewhat educational. Unfortunately, I don't have high hopes for this; as you pointed out the press release makes it seem like it will be a song-fest. (Which, again, in general I have no problem with-just not a fan of the placement in Epcot.)
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All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
11 Trips to WDW
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Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me.
yankeesfan123;2433653 wrote: My wife (non-disney fan):
Good. That ride was boring.
Followed by:
People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?
LOL! Well, she has a good point about the characters. And, while we liked the ride, an update is exciting. Like others, with the time they've set aside to do this, I'm hoping they do a really good job.
I like the idea of the characters narrating info about Norway too! Of course the songs are going to be incorporated, but it would be fun if they could do both. And we loved Olaf! :mickey:
Susanne
yankeesfan123;2433653 wrote:
People are mad about characters in the world showcase? We couldn't walk 20 feet without seeing a character in the WS last month. Who cares?
The fact that they have been inching their way closer to this for years does not actually mean it is alright. That's how it happens, though, in many aspects of life. By pushing characters a little bit more, and already having an attraction with characters in it (sold by WDI as the only way they could get budget to restore/save the pavilion), the acceptance of yet another does not seem like a huge departure at all. It's a real life example of the boiling frog metaphor.
It's not the end of the world. It is just a little hard to let go of a park concept that I really believed in. The fact is that most people don't care about what it was supposed to be about. Disney is good about gauging what their audience wants and taking them above that is perhaps not as profitable as giving them exactly what they want. It is also not this that destroys the concept, it is just another demonstration (in a line of them) of how they have largely abandoned it.
To sum up, I hope those looking forward to it are able to enjoy it and have a great time. To those disappointed, enjoy what you can for however long you are able to.
