maelstrom to become frozen?

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designedbydisney's picture
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maelstrom to become frozen?

Ok so it's becoming pretty clear Maelstrom Maelstrom is closing in October, for us as a family it's sad news we love it I remember being 8 years old and riding it the first time thinking the boat was going to go over the edge. it was a great attraction at the time. Over the years it has become a campy fan favourite, but as we know wdw don't really care about mega fans they care about first timers and lets be honest what first timer is going home telling people about how great Maelstom is? Answer NO ONE!

So this paired with Norway wanting the end scene changed, it seems that a change is limey to happen. Now love it or hate it a frozen over lay is very likely.

What do you think?

I'm willing to pay devils advocate and say:

I think its a great idea, firstly I always criticise wdw for not jumping on success quick enough and bring thing to the parks when the moment has pasted , can any one say Kim possible? and secondly think how this will effected the queue for soaring and test track? because you you know come 11am every family is going to be inline for a frozen ride, pair this with a meet and great maybe include Kristof and Hans, heck copy donkey from universal and stick a Sven there. and all of a sudden future world will be a ghost town.

amy1989's picture
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I have posted this before I think somewhere but IMO I would LOVE a frozen ride - just not instead of Maelstrom!!!! build it anywhere but Norway!!!!!

designedbydisney's picture
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I did do a search but there wasn't a stand alone thread. Also I though now closure news is almost public it was worth starting fresh.

I think Maelstrom as we know it is going..... frozen or not

amy1989's picture
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"sobbing face" I don't think it was ever a specific post about it don't worry!!! I think its been going around a while now

definitley going to make the most of it for the few days in September before it closes Sad

designedbydisney's picture
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I think thats a great plan..... will you be planning a next trip to ride a frozen attraction in a year?

amy1989's picture
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2015 holiday already reserved I'm there!!! however still hoping they change their mind and put it in HS instead and leave my Maelstrom alone!!!

I have a friend over here who I have tried to explain the Maelstrom ride to, I showed him videos and even tried to imitate the trolls (it didn't go well!!!) and he just stared me blankly in the face - I honestly think he was close to taking me to the nearest mental institution and have me committed - If Maelstrom disappears he will never understand this makes me very sad!!! (not that he ever plans to go to Disney but if I won the lottery I could take him!)

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Noooooooo gaah gaah gaah

Update the ride sure but not frozen ...

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The Watchmaker's picture
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Mrferret wrote:
Noooooooo gaah gaah gaah

Update the ride sure but not frozen ...

Aye Mr Ferret..Let it go..Let it go... laugh

Allie's picture
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If they're going to rehab it I'm just glad I have the opportunity to ride it as is one last time!

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The Watchmaker wrote:
Mrferret wrote:
Noooooooo gaah gaah gaah

Update the ride sure but not frozen ...

Aye Mr Ferret..Let it go..Let it go... laugh

The ride never bothered me anyway banana

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The Watchmaker's picture
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Mrferret wrote:
The Watchmaker wrote:
Mrferret wrote:
Noooooooo gaah gaah gaah

Update the ride sure but not frozen ...

Aye Mr Ferret..Let it go..Let it go... laugh

The ride never bothered me anyway banana

Lol...Only done Maelstrom once..But I can see why Disney want to capitalise on this Frozen phenom..It's the reindeer I feel sorry for.. sad

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I am really sad to think that Maelstrom could be no more but I do kind of agree with designedbydisney... Sure we love Maelstrom and find its strangeness to be campy and fun but to the one-time Disney visitor it usually gets skipped or done and then they leave wondering what they just sat through.. I'm not sure that I like the idea of movie characters in World Showcase, but Epcot is in desperate need of something new. I also know some people are in an outrage because Frozen isn't technically set in Norway, but really its obvious that region is what Arrendale is based on..

I think in a perfect world I would like it if they kept the basic premise of Maelstrom, but had the Frozen characters kind of as our guides through the ride. That way it could still focus on Norwegian culture and not just be a summary of the movie that won't really acknowledge Norway as a country.

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I thought this was public knowledge for a long time. Yeah... Maelstrom will be turning into a Frozen ride. Don't know what it will consist of... I think a Frozen ride that was a water ride would be weird? But who knows?

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Mase wrote:
I thought this was public knowledge for a long time. Yeah... Maelstrom will be turning into a Frozen ride. Don't know what it will consist of... I think a Frozen ride that was a water ride would be weird? But who knows?

I don't think it's been officially announced yet so at this point it is still just a rumor.

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Nothing official has been released by Disney about what they are doing to Maelstrom. Sept 28 is the last day that FP+ is available for Maelstrom, but Maelstrom isn't on any of the refurbishment lists. It certainly seems that they are
going to change it to Frozen.
I don't have any sentimental attachment to Maelstrom so it really doesn't bother me if they get rid of it. But I do think that putting a Frozen attraction in the middle if WS is a bad idea. The area is far too small to handle the hundreds of parents and children that will wait for hours for a Frozen ride.

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One thing is for sure: turn Maelstrom into a Frozen-themed attraction and it becomes an E-ticket attraction overnight.

Personally, I don't care either way. I like Maelstrom well enough, but not so much that I'll be upset if Sven is suddenly frolicking past my boat.

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crazycatperson wrote:
One thing is for sure: turn Maelstrom into a Frozen-themed attraction and it becomes an E-ticket attraction overnight.

Personally, I don't care either way. I like Maelstrom well enough, but not so much that I'll be upset if Sven is suddenly frolicking past my boat.

rolling rolling rolling

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So far, no official announcement about Maelstrom replacing Frozen. Although there is a TV special coming in September on ABC about the Frozen behind the scenes stuff and they said they'll be announcements about what future projects Frozen will take so hopefully, we'll find out once and for all if a Frozen attraction conversion will happen.

Anyway, I never ridden Maelstrom so I can't really comment if I feel the ride should be replaced or not. There are definitely fears that the changes for the worse made with the original Living Seas and the original Mexico boat ride to the 3 Caballeros and Nemo will undoubtedly happen to Frozen. I think what people don't want is a re-telling of the Frozen story with the Maelstrom boat ride. I mean, I do feel Epcot needs a new ride period but I don't think re-theming Maelstrom to Frozen will be enough. If anything, it'll just make the Norway Pavillion become even more crowded. A Frozen ride will be similar to Toy Story Mania in HS all over again in all likelihood in that it's a race for FPs or the first spot, otherwise, prepare to wait 4-5 hours.

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Aren't they also closing the American idol thing in HS? It seems to me a bigger locale for a frozen something. Simply refurbing maelstrom by adding frozen stuff to it seems pretty lame to me. I'm sure the imagineers are busy working on something worthy of Disney.

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Confession: I haven't seen Frozen.

2nd Confession: Maelstrom is just OK. kind of an odd transition from trolls to an oil field... seems like they were stretching to tell a story that wasn't fully formed.

Observation: EPCOT need to fix the front half of the park before they worry about world showcase. Future world needs a whole new skin. Please kill Captain EO, Ellen's energy adventure, Journey into imagination- these attractions are irrelevant. innoventions is a joke. give us something entertaining and forward looking, or at least theme in into Pixar or other disney properties (Big Hero 6 or the video game world of Wreck it Ralph or TRON might fit the "future" context) When the current model no longer fits the vision, you either lost your way or you need to revisit the vision.

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sputnik wrote:

Observation: EPCOT need to fix the front half of the park before they worry about world showcase. Future world needs a whole new skin. Please kill Captain EO, Ellen's energy adventure, Journey into imagination- these attractions are irrelevant. innoventions is a joke. give us something entertaining and forward looking, or at least theme in into Pixar or other disney properties (Big Hero 6 or the video game world of Wreck it Ralph or TRON might fit the "future" context) When the current model no longer fits the vision, you either lost your way or you need to revisit the vision.

I couldn't agree more. Future World was supposed to be about just that... the future! Now it feels like a weird 80's vision of the future. Probably because thats what it is..

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sputnik wrote:
Observation: EPCOT need to fix the front half of the park before they worry about world showcase. Future world needs a whole new skin. Please kill Captain EO, Ellen's energy adventure, Journey into imagination- these attractions are irrelevant. innoventions is a joke. give us something entertaining and forward looking, or at least theme in into Pixar or other disney properties (Big Hero 6 or the video game world of Wreck it Ralph or TRON might fit the "future" context) When the current model no longer fits the vision, you either lost your way or you need to revisit the vision.

What Epcot needs are original, new attractions period. I think we're already at a point where we would accept any new attraction in Epcot, E-ticket quality or not. Personally, if it weren't for that vile, no good, rotten Universal-Marvel contract, I would've added Marvel to Epcot without hesitation. But since Disney can't do squat about Marvel in the parks, well, that's hard. I suppose in addition to Wreck It Ralph, Tron and Big Hero 6, I also see Wall-E as another film that could be used for new Epcot attractions.
There is potential to greatly disperse the crowds and boost attendance even more and I think the only way to do that is adding more rides. My biggest fear is that Epcot is being complacent right now and milking on Food and Wine and Flower and Garden festivals to be profitable.

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If Disney does change Maelstrom to Frozen, Norway is out and will no longer sponsor their own pavilion.

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I read this but it seems odd to me, nor ways tourism is up like 154% by American visitor! since the release of frozen.
You would think they would love frozen to be in their pavilion, also from what I understand the sponsor ship from Norway has been the most minimal of all the Epcot pavilions, they cut funding since the 2000 due to the focus on oil in the ride and movie.

Now we all know disney doesn't need to do anything with Epcot, the money they make on food and drink covers the cost of the park, also because of the ticket pricing system, you can by a 14 day ticket and go nowhere but magic kingdom or all the parks.... They are making money.

Now IMO the disney park management only really care about one group of people, "first timers staying on site" ap's and disney fanatics? They couldn't care less, they have our money year after year, we talk about it and sell trips on their behalf to our friends and family's. Now first timers... They need to win them over they want them coming back, I've noticed this with my up coming trip with guest services over the phone, cause we have a first timer in out group they will do what ever we ask... I have learnt the phrase 'we come here every year' isn't a big pull with disney costumer service the phrase 'it's our first visit' gets results.

Because of this disney parks don't want first timers standing in lines at fairy tale hall. They want them out in the park spending money, tweeting photos and making memories to sell to their friends and family. They wanna spread these crowds out across the parks and frozen at Epcot would get these people over there, this move won't be about money or funding.

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I hope they don't change the maelstrom it is one of my favorites and as much as my daughter loves frozen she wants the maelstrom to stay the same. She love norway.

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it's official

Just hit my twitter feed

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gaah I really hope its not just another "ride through the movie" type attraction and actually something different and innovative.. crossfingers

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EmFord wrote:
gaah I really hope its not just another "ride through the movie" type attraction and actually something different and innovative.. crossfingers

+1

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It is a sad day

Half mast is too high

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designedbydisney's picture
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Considering Walt through a fit over a cowboy being in tomorrowland, what would he have thought about Arendallians being in Norway?

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Oh boy. All heck broke loose on the other forums that shall not be named.

EmFord wrote:
gaah I really hope its not just another "ride through the movie" type attraction and actually something different and innovative.. crossfingers

Let's hope so. People still will never forgive Disney for changing the Mexico boat ride with Donald Duck. I still think it's just going to make the Norway pavilion even more crowded than it did when Anna and Elsa had their meet and greets there. I am starting to think that this may have been a panic move to counter Diagon Alley or attempts to quell the discontent for FP+ or other aspects.

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"All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day, not above them but part of them.

And out there living in the sun, give me one day out there, all I ask is one to hold forever. Out there where they all live unaware, what I'd give, what I'd dare, just to live one day out there."