Fresh Look at Disney's New 'Frozen' Theme Park Land

November 3, 2022, 1:15 PM · Walt Disney Imagineering is sharing some fresh looks inside the new World of Frozen that will open next year in Hong Kong Disneyland.

World of Frozen features the first recreation of Arendelle Castle to come to a Disney theme park.

Arendelle Castle construction
Photos courtesy Walt Disney Imagineering

"Enhanced by Queen Elsa's icy magic, the castle's design references the Frozen films, and it is accented with icy features," WDI said.

Detail of Disney's Arendelle Castle

The new land is slated to include a clone of Epcot's Frozen Ever After boat ride as well as a new family coaster called Wandering Oaken's Sleighs. Although the land is slated to open next year, Disney has not yet provided a more specific opening date.

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Replies (10)

November 3, 2022 at 1:32 PM

So where are the "icy features"? Are they going to be lighting/projected effects, because there's nothing in those photos of the castle that scream "Elsa was here".

November 3, 2022 at 2:16 PM

Just as the blood is the last thing applied in Horror Nights mazes, I suspect that the ice will be the final decorative touch to the Frozen facades.

November 3, 2022 at 2:36 PM

To be honest, I thought Frozen’s boat ride in Epcot was a disappointment. I was hoping Kong would have an original Frozen dark ride. Not something that is a clone of another ride. Wandering Oaken's Sleighs could be good. We’ll have to wait and see…

November 3, 2022 at 3:50 PM

A clone of that ride is kind of disappointing for them. With its own land that actually looks pretty nice they should have at least a "plus" version of the ride!

November 3, 2022 at 4:45 PM

@Francis 24 Exactly! Being that they’ll have their own Frozen Land…they at least deserve a better ride. Or, as you said, a “plus” version of the ride. I 100% agree.

November 4, 2022 at 9:19 AM

@timbo23 - I actually think Frozen Ever After is incredibly successful given Imagineers had to overlay an existing flume ride that was unusually short and had an awkward backwards section in the middle. The use of "Let it Go" in that sequence is pure brilliance, and I think aside from GotG:MB is the best retheming of an attraction Disney has ever executed.

I do think with a blank canvas, WDI will be able to create a more fleshed out and interesting Frozen attraction, but that should not take away from what they were able to do with Maelstrom.

November 4, 2022 at 9:28 AM

Non Disney owned Disney park does it best, theming looks amazing, the godaweful copy of the frozen boat ride is a huge miss.

November 4, 2022 at 12:36 PM

I would think a different take on the boat ride as they can build from scratch, not have to overlay Malestrom. Maybe a bit less on slides, etc but better scenes, a pure copy seems a bit off.

November 4, 2022 at 6:11 PM

@Russell Meyer, I respectfully disagree. Yes, it’s a popular attraction, but I don’t think it means it’s a great ride. It’s only popular because it’s Frozen. Frozen, and Frozen 2 are very popular movies.

I don’t think the ride is anything special. It’s just basically an overhaul from Maelstrom. Maelstrom was essentially the same ride layout, and wasn’t popular. It was always a walk on. So it’s not popular because of the ride itself…only because it’s Frozen. Disney was smart to capitalize on that. But, to me, it’s not a ride worth waiting 60 minutes for. I actually prefer Maelstrom, to be honest. I think Disney could have come up with a more original Frozen ride. The fact that Disneyland Hong Kong is going to clone this ride, is a bit of a disappointment I feel.

Now, this is just my opinion. You have your opinion as well. No one is right or wrong. Personally, I’m not a fan of the ride…but that’s just me.

November 5, 2022 at 1:40 AM

Frozen at Epcot is a definite downgrade from the original ride - a bit lazy to recreate it in Hong Kong, but who’s is visiting there anyway ?

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