10/28/2023 0 Comments Maelstrom ride disney worldNo matter how good the substance of the attraction, it does not belong in World Showcase. Frozen is not Norwegian in any meaningful sense of the term.įor me and many others, this was destined to be the threshold issue with Frozen Ever After. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a modern American animated film set in a fictional country. Sure, the story upon which the film is based has Scandinavian roots, and that is displayed in the architecture and design elements in the film. I suppose it could be argued that Frozen is somehow different. I doubt many Disney fans would get behind that idea. It would easy post an hour-plus wait, so who cares about thematic integrity…right? If popularity were somehow a proxy for theme, then I’m pretty sure you could justify an intense, exposed rollercoaster in front of Cinderella Castle. It’s an attraction based on one of the most popular animated films of all time and is a cultural touchstone with undeniable staying power. It could have been located at Rafiki’s Planet Watch and would still draw multi-hour waits. Wait times are not indicative of the ride being in the thematically-proper location. In the weeks since Frozen Ever After debuted, I’ve read many people express vindication based upon the long wait times the attraction is posting. It seems that many Walt Disney World fans just want something– anything–new so badly that they are willing to justify the denigration of theme. Just because an attraction is past its prime doesn’t mean any new replacement–irrespective of the replacement’s theme or substance–is an appropriate replacement. If that were the scenario, I think most fans would’ve recognized Maelstrom had a good run, and was due an appropriate replacement. I don’t think the response would have been nearly as negative if a replacement for Maelstrom were announced that focused on Norse mythology or Norwegian culture. There was a lot of anger, and from my perspective, that was directed more at the replacement and its appropriateness to World Showcase than it was about defending Maelstrom. This brings us to the Frozen Ever After announcement. Most fans realize this, and that dated attractions and experiences–even those we personally love–must make way for new, fresh attractions. Walt’s ‘Disneyland is not a museum’ line is often spouted to justify any change, but I think the more apt statement would be that the parks are not time capsules. Whatever the explanation for Maelstrom’s cult following, I think most fans are sufficiently reasonable that they know campy experiences like it are viewed quite differently by first-time visitors and on guest satisfaction surveys. It’s like you’re part of a lovably weird inside joke…or something like that. There’s an unexplainable nostalgia for things that have quirkiness. Long before Frozenstrom was announced, I wrote a post over at TouringPlans lampooning Maelstrom that I dubbed, “ A Salute To All Things Norway, But Mostly Trolls, Anorexic Polar Bears, Oil Rigs, and Children of the Corn.” It’s a loving(ish) look at the bizarre campiness of the attraction, covering some of my favorite (and least favorite) aspects of its cheesiness.Īlthough others might not take quite as derisive of a tone, I think the words “campiness” and “cheesiness” encompass why many longtime Walt Disney World fans loved Maelstrom. Others were excited, noting that Maelstrom was unpopular and had not aged well. If you are a Disney fan, you’re probably aware of Maelstrom, the attraction that Frozen Ever After replaced, and the outrage among some members of the fan community when it was announced that Frozen was replacing Maelstrom. If you think the ‘Arendelle is a fictional country’ thing is a dead horse that was long-ago thoroughly beaten, you might skip down to “The Attraction Itself” heading. Not being one for brevity, I have a lot to say about Frozen in Norway before we even get to the attraction itself.
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