Originally Posted By leemac <<This means that the high-end top-dollar Norwegian merchandise (sweaters, ski jackets, troll figurines, etc) will probably be displaced and in very limited supply around WDW (if any is left at all). >> It isn't as easy as that. I've no idea what the current deal is but in the past brands have even paid for placement in Epcot. I'm sure Helly Hansen had some agreement about their product being prominent in the store. I think the Norway store is WDW Co. O&O but not 100% sure - that isn't the case for all of the WS retail outlets.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA As a young single male Cast Member in the late 80s, I always enjoyed visiting the various beautiful girls in World Showcase. Norway - what beautiful people
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn I still have my $220 wool sweater that I bought from the Norway store. Love it. It's a special issue for the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I have a couple things that were purchased at the Norway store, though not quite that old. I have a light jacket that I got in 2009, and a more medium/heavy duty one that I got in January 2013. Both have seen a lot of use and are holding up remarkably well; wearing them also brings back fond memories of those trips, despite not having anything "Disney" about them. They weren't cheap purchases, but I'm glad I got them considering how often they get used! >>Norway - what beautiful people << Indeed!
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn The Norway hostesses were certainly more that half the reason to visit the "attraction"!
Originally Posted By rhodisney I like learning about the different countries, and feel like they could have put this FRozen attraction solely at the H.Studios.
Originally Posted By phruby >>The Norway hostesses were certainly more that half the reason to visit the "attraction"! Too bad the Norway hostesses assets will be Frozen.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: Well, as long as we're talking about attractive Norwegian female types, let's not forgot how gorgeous most of the young MALE types have been over the years. They were MY main reason for visiting that area of the park and I'll never forget a certain waiter named Newt from back in 2002 who waited on me, personally. To this very DAY I have regrets that I didn't bring him back to Morva with me....
Originally Posted By FerretAfros The Disney Parks Blog has an update on the Frozen ride. Although it's exactly what I was expecting (100% Frozen, nothing Norwegian, basic retelling of the story) I'm incredibly disappointed that they decided to go in this direction. From the sounds of things, it may not open until closer to May 2016, so hopefully they'll at least do a decent job with it <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/06/first-look-frozen-ever-after-at-epcot/">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...t-epcot/</a> I'm also curious how the capacity will work out, since it's not exactly a people eater. Epcot used to be known for its ability to absorb huge crowds, but it seems like the more recent attractions have significantly reduced it from the golden years
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: My sisters and I aren't happy with this whole project either, Ferret. When we go to visit Norway we want to see an attraction which represents Norway--not Arendale. We'd love to have a FROZEN attraction in a more appropriate location. Is that too much to ask? ORGOCH: Must be. 'Course I been askin' fer better sisters fer years an' that prayer ain't been answered yet neither!!
Originally Posted By magic0214 Everything about this angers me. Same track, SAME DANG BOATS, same low capacity attraction, and not mentioning Norwegian culture. Concept art is pretty. That's all I got.
Originally Posted By Moon Waffle I'm sure the AA's will be amazing. And the crowds will flock to it and wait for hours on end. Disney gets to market this glorified overlay as a new attraction, at a fraction of the cost. And the gift shop will rake in the sales of all things Frozen. If I'm Disney, there is no downside here.......
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>The Disney Parks Blog has an update on the Frozen ride. Although it's exactly what I was expecting (100% Frozen, nothing Norwegian, basic retelling of the story)<<< I didn't expect anything Norwegian, but you are right, it is a disaapointment that WDI is just retelling the movie. Like they did with The Little Mermaid at DCA and at the MK. Wasn't it supposed to open in late 2015?
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>basic retelling of the story<< Oh .. joy! They couldn't find a more boring format. Just retell the same story. * Saw it in the theater * Saw it video ... Now- * You get to see it in The Ride. They got it right with Star Tours 2.0, Radiator Springs Racers, and Indy .. all .. using same characters, same type of situations audiences are familiar with .. but told in a new original story just for the ride. Too bad they couldn't at least follow that format.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Disney gets to market this glorified overlay as a new attraction, at a fraction of the cost.<< But the old attraction always drew somewhat of a wait (even if it was short), meaning that it was constantly running at capacity. It was already serving as many people as it could. By adding this uber-popular franchise to it, they're just setting themselves up for disaster. Epcot in 2016 will have the same capacity as Epcot in 2014 (plus an extra Soarin' theater, so ~600 guests/hour) but is expected to have a significant jump in attendance. Where will all those people go, exactly? There really aren't that many attractions left in the park these days >>I didn't expect anything Norwegian...<< Neither did I, but the original announcement (and the PR folks working it) were sure to say that it would be a mix of Frozen and Norway and would compliment the rest of World Showcase. This is a Frozen ride that just happens to be in the Norway pavilion. I have Norwegian roots and lived a few years in an area of the US with strong Norwegian ties; it was kind of nice to go somewhere in the 'real' world and see people recognize Norway, since I feel like it's a part of me that is often completely overlooked by the general public. It was a refreshing addition to the lineup of typical countries that always end up in "highlights of the world" type presentations. It's a shame that it will now be "highlights of the world NOW FEATURING FROZEN!"
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I'm not a fan of this as part of Norway, but it doesn't bother me too much. My Frozen fatigue is more or less why I'm not excited about it.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "But the old attraction always drew somewhat of a wait (even if it was short)," I've never waited.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Maelstrom always had mixed reviews - no love lost for me - thought it was weird. Maybe the long lines and fast passes will get more youngsters into EPCOT or Epcot or whatever it's called now. Forever EPCOT Center!!
Originally Posted By leemac <<Maelstrom always had mixed reviews - no love lost for me - thought it was weird.>. Ahem to that. As much as it had a great piece of tech - it was just a weird attraction with no storyline - and incredibly short. The execution was pretty pitiful. The Norway pavilion is a stunning example of World Showcase architecture though. I'm not particularly happy that they are adding a lot of Arendelle to the pavilion. It is unnecessary and the location just won't be able to handle the popularity IMHO. It's a very bad idea. I've heard some folks compare to the Gran Fiesta Tour but that was an attraction on its knees. It just wasn't resonating with guests. In addition the integrity of the rest of the pavilion has remained (largely) intact. I just hope that the mix of Arendelle and Norway works.
