Goodbye Maelstrom, Hello Frozen!
Walt Disney World has announced that a new “Frozen” ride, based on the movie, will be replacing The Maelstrom, located in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot Center’s World Showcase. The Maelstrom attraction has been a fan favorite, ever since it opened in 1988, but the popularity of the Disney’s movie “Frozen” has driven the company to make this decision.
The new “Frozen” attraction “will take our guests to Arendelle and immerse them in many of their favorite moments and music from the film, said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. It will also have a special area in which Anna and Elsa will meet and greet their fans. The sisters were been positioned in Epcot for several months beginning late last year, creating extended queues for waiting guests. The pair later moved to Magic Kingdom to accommodate crowds.
The Maelstrom, is short boat ride, situated in the Norway pavilion at Epcot, and will be completely redesigned and created after the blockbuster movie “Frozen” which was released in theaters in November 2013. It made nearly $1.3 billion at the box office worldwide. It won Academy Awards for best animated film and for best song, “Let It Go.”
Currently, The Maelstrom ride features a chilly boat tour through Norwegian scenes. Scenes range from Vikings to trolls to oil rigs. Midway through the ride, the vessel goes backward down a hill and peeks out through a hole in the exterior of the ride building. The Maelstrom attraction’s last day will be Oct. 5. Disney plans to open the new “Frozen” ride in early 2016.
“Queen Elsa will use her powers to transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace every night starting in early November,” Staggs said. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf will appear in the park’s “Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.” In addition, the “Frozen” sing-along that debuted this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be extended through the end-of-year holiday season, Staggs said.
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