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Some things never cease to amaze me. For the last few years the inter-webs have been abuzz with how Disney is so slow to role a new attraction out and to capitalize on what could be a lucrative addition to the parks. The comparison is always made between Universal and Harry Potter. Yet Disney is always lambasted for being slow to react and implement new things in the parks. Now comes Frozen and Disney is moving much quicker, yet the inter-webs are upset over Maelstrom? Maelstrom? Really, Maelstrom? A sub par ride, with horrible capacity and no real story. Be honest has anyone ever visited Epcot to solely ride Maelstrom? I think not. Those of you that are so upset of the removal of Maelstrom, have you ever ridden Maelstrom? Sorry it does not stack up to other Disney rides, Trolls, Oil Rigs and Polar Bears Oh My... My head hurts. They aren't removing Its a Small World or Splash Mountain for a new Frozen attraction, its Maelstrom. Did I mention its Maelstrom, a disjointed story of Norwegian Propaganda. The original version was to solely be based around trolls, not Oil Rigs and Polar Bears Lets talk about Frozen. Frozen is the most successful animated film of all time. Of All Time, just in case you missed it the first time. Almost $1.3 Billion worldwide, if that isn't an instant classic I am not sure what is. For those that like rankings and lists of such it is currently the 5th highest grossing movie of all time and won a few Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and a few others, but who cares what the industry and critics think. I can tell you what my daughter and her friends think. Frozen has become ingrained in their minds and their social interactions. Be it singing Let it Go, pretending to be Queen Elsa (Much more popular than Anna) or just discussing how cute it would be to have a pet reindeer. Frozen is still on the tips of their tongues and the front of their minds a year after watching the movie in the theaters. I have never seen anything like it and when discussing going to Disney and the possibility of meeting Anna and Elsa, well the screams are so high pitched only dogs could hear it. In the end Disney has set the bar so incredibly high that fanboys are always abuzz over displeasure in Disney's inability to bring new attractions to market quickly, the removal of older less popular attractions for new experiences, and how dare a crane show up during my Disney vacation. Follow some of the Disney News Sites out there and watch how they make a big deal over cranes and construction walls, yet make the same big deal that Disney never installs new attractions around current popular characters in a timely manner. Basically when you are as big and successful as Disney and do so many things right you cannot please everyone. Yet Joe Park Guest and his family will love the new Frozen attraction, will not realize it replaced a lackluster Norwegian boat ride, and Epcot will be a must visit park now. Let it Go...

I had almost forgotten that I acquired these tickets a little while back...supposedly these were purchased during Coney's final weekend of operation. Either way, I felt really lucky to get these little pieces of history.

Canada isn't Michigan. Canadians are much hardier weather-wise.

I've seen this discussion quite a bit on KIC regarding the backpack leashes, they usually always end with no real results. So to save this thread being hijacked, let's leave it at this: Only one person can truly make the decision of how to parent a child and know what they need to be properly supervised. Some kids are more likely to run out of sight without a care in the world and therefore need the backpack leash, whereas some kids are more likely to stay with the parent and freak out at the sight of no parent in sight such as my daughter.

Preventative maintenance in this case probably would've been repainting the track every few months. It would've been smarter to have just ensured that the track was designed to be practically submerged in water to begin with. Supposedly Paramount Parks opted NOT to weatherproof Tomb Raider: The Ride since it was going to be indoors anyway. Nevermind that they created a sub-tropical environment of fog, mist, running water, artificial dried cool air, and artificial hot air inside the building.

This message board, like the rest of the internet, is a big echo chamber. We hear/read the info that we like to see/believe and it makes our opinions grow deeper. If we are to look at it purely from an economic side, the ride is aging and the company needs a fresh way to bring people to that park. This move is no different than putting Aladdin and Jasmine in their land in Epcot. From an artistic point, yes it's sad but it's not a museum piece. One day all rides will give their last rides to be replaced by something that some will say is a shoddy replacement. There are a few of us who despise that Stunt Coaster replaced the Antique Cars. But we tend to ignore the price of gas, and maintenance of those vehicles. When SC leaves there will be a generation or 3 that will mourn its loss and hate it's replacement. Movies like Frozen do not happen all the time. If Disney wanted to put this in New Fantasyland that would be great, but they have a land that is in need of an influx of new blood and energy. If the Norway Tourism board was concerned about the way they are being represented in Disney then I would have expected them to be making monetary donations or payments to help upkeep that land. Odds are this will be a great ride experience that many will enjoy.

Per the Ital International, Inc. listing, SkyRider has been sold: click. That was unexpected, but it's definitely appreciated (as long as the ride is rebuilt somewhere I'll have a chance of riding it!) Hopefully it wasn't bought for scrap.

I miss Reptar at Nickelodeon. Always like the topiary designs at the park. Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

^LOL honestly? No. And I'm not really sure why. I guess I just felt like Nemo was a good fit for The Living Seas or perhaps it was because I didn't really ride it too much when it was just The Living Seas, so I didn't really care as much. I've always liked Epcot. I feel that it's a totally different type of place when compared to the other parks at Walt Disney World. I love World Showcase and seeing other types of cultures and experiencing attractions that aren't necessarily based on a Disney movie or character. Now I know that in the Mexico Pavilion, they refurbed the Mexico boat ride and added the characters from the Three Caballeros. I didn't really mind that too much. Why? Because I still felt like it was honoring the Mexican culture. It was still, somewhat, educational. It felt like it belonged there. The make believe Kingdom of Arendelle from Frozen shoved into the Norway pavilion? Eh...not so much. And I know it seemed like I'm all fired up, but honestly, I'm not really. Just a bit disappointed and confused. I just feel like they're removing something from the Norway pavilion and replacing it with something that's less unique and strays from the actual culture of Norway. It feels like they're cheapening the World Showcase in my opinion. And if this happens, then what next? What will the World Showcase turn into? That's about all I have to say about that.

Or, dare I say, impastas! Wow that was dumb...

Re: Cars, I'm not surprised. Disney's Hollywood Studios is in desperate need of a full, California Adventure style re-build from the ground up. Cars Land was at one point rumored to be the anchor of that renovation. Supposedly, Walt Disney World management didn't like the price tag, so they pared it down to just Radiator Springs Racers (the headlining ride) then got nervous about that cost and decided to copy the dark ride portion but leave out the race / Cadillac Range / mountain peaks. In other words, they'd reduced Cars Land to a 5 minute dark ride in a big boxy show-building. Because Hollywood Studios doesn't have enough of those. Back to Maelstrom, I think it's silly for either party to pretend it's black and white. Johnny has fantastic memories of Adventure Express. Adventure Express is the first ride he ever rode at a theme park that would become one of his favorites (so much so that he joined an online discussion board about the park) Adventure Express was the last ride he rode with his grandpa. Adventure Express is a fun ride that his whole family can ride together. Adventure Express reminds him of how Kings Island "used to be" back in its "glory days." Getting rid of Adventure Express would fundamentally change the feeling of Kings Island to Johnny. Sure it doesn't match up with the park's newest additions, but Adventure Express is special to Johnny. "My wife and I were planning a trip to [Kings Island] next month and when I found out [Adventure Express] was going to be closed, we changed our plans" "With it's removal, it was one less thing there that I liked to do." "It might not have been the BEST ride at [Kings Island], but it was rather unique in my opinion." - versus - Jack couldn't care less about Adventure Express. Adventure Express is the ride that scared him as a kid. Adventure Express always has a long wait and he just can't understand why. If you ask Jack, Adventure Express is a leftover remnant of a bygone era. Jack has seen was Paramount Parks and Cedar Fair can do, and Adventure Express is way below par. Adventure Express gives Kings Island a bad name, in Jack's opinion. The land Adventure Express sits on could be used by something much better that would make the park more money. "[Adventure Express] is a sub par ride, with horrible capacity and no real story." "Be honest: has anyone ever visited [Kings Island] solely to ride [Adventure Express]?" "Those of you that are so upset of the removal of [Adventure Express], have you ever ridden [Adventure Express]?" Who's right? Who's wrong? Replace "Adventure Express" and "Kings Island" with Maelstrom and Epcot and you'll find exact quotes from users here. It's overly simplistic to say "I don't care for this ride for x, y, and z so anyone who cares about its removal is dumb." It's equally simplistic to say "I have cherished memories of this ride and always loved it for a, b, and c so it should stay open forever." It's always upsetting to see a ride closed - even one I didn't personally enjoy - because I know there are Johnnys out there for each and every attraction from Son of Beast to "it's a small world," Geauga Lake to Conneaut. As for Maelstrom going Frozen, I maintain that I'm neither jumping with joy NOR inconsolably upset... yet. There were those who lamented the loss of the parking lot to Disney California Adventure. Were they right or wrong? Hmm...

Love seeing these old pics. Takes me back to being a kid and riding 5 hours in the car to visit KI. That was back in the 80s! I have a nice pic of my dad, brother, and myself in the park. Will try to find it and post. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It all boils down to a question that seems far simpler than it is...one we as a society have not answered. What IS a reasonable accommodation?

^ I remember that, I wish the Character Carousel actually had characters on it still...

Dino! I remember loving riding the two carousels as a child. Seeing my youngest niece and nephew as happy now to ride them as I was then...that is a great feeling. This was taken in 1983.

Or, it could be another announcement of an announcement. Tony, you will get a reputation as the little boy who cried wolf if this announcement isn't something to stand up and cheer about, then sit down comfortably.

Come visit my back yard! SkyRider will be renamed for the 2015 season, standby for the announcement of the announcement date! " In all seriousness, I am excited that it has been bought and hopefully it'll land somewhere close. KK? Indiana Beach?

So it would reopen as Kings Island's Soak City and then be renamed simply Soak City and then possibly close after that? What is it you say, running for the door?

Exactly. These ride operators are, for the most part, teenagers working minimum wage (perhaps slightly more, but not much) as a means to have a little extra cash in the summer. These aren't people who are trained in these complex issues. These are not decisions that ride operators should need to make. I think the best approach is to have very thorough and detailed guidelines on who can ride and who can't, with a policy of when in doubt, they don't ride until a supervisor or higher park official gives the OK. If someone has to tell a young handicapped child that he can't ride this ride, it will be upsetting for sure. Dealing with their parents may be even more so. But ultimately, worst case scenario, such dealings might ruin the employee's day. I'd be willing to be there are members of the 2011 Ride of Steel crew that are still haunted to this day by the memory of what happened. It may not even have been their fault in the least. But humans are weird like that. If we're involved in a situation like that any way, it's going to haunt even the toughest of us for the rest of our lives. These decisions need to be reserved for professionals who understand the forces of the ride, any laws regulating who can ride, manufacturer guidelines, etc. If someone has a good grasp on the situation, they are less likely to make a bad decision, and when the time comes that someone must be turned away, they will have the knowledge to convey WHY they had to do what they had to do. And personally, I think that's way too much for a ride operator, who, as you said, is a teen just making summer money. The problem with asking persons with disabilities to defer to a professional staff is that they would have to voluntarily consult the professionals, they cannot be escorted. My Irish mind thinks, "What they don't know won't kill me." and I would bypass the consultation and try to get on rides. It would backfire if something awful were to happen, but as I would be thinking with my Irish Mind, nothing bad could ever happen to ME. I'll just hope the bad away. That guy on the New England Superman ride tried several times before he was allowed to board the roller coaster; it was the one time that he succeeded that ended in his demise. He knew there were regulations, but he kept pushing it.

Please note the topic title and posts have been edited.

Hopefully that news is that they weren't serious. Peasant James, go away. Tomorrow is Tuesday. Helpful Terpy.

I remember the dinosaur. He just retired recently. Terp, running for the door.

Muskegon gets far worse weather than Toronto, too, being on the Great Lakes. It gets lake effect snows and high winds that Toronto doesn't. As an example, Muskegon's average winter snowfall is 102 inches. Toronto gets less than half that, at 48.

Its not just Cedar Fair that has turned away from Intamin rollercoasters, its seemingly everyone in North America. After a decade plus of installing at least 1, often 2 sometimes more than 2 rollercoasters (according to RCBD.com) a year in North American Parks, they built none in 2013, 2014 and have nothing on the books for 2015 yet. Sure they've got some towers going up in North America, but with the problems and delays (perhaps not all their fault) in the big droppy things at New Jersey and Tampa, it makes me wonder if they'll lose some luster there as well (at least from the park perspective, those who have ridden and enjoy big droppy rides have raved from what I've read, they are not my thing). Cedar Fair is no different from any other business, they want things that are reliable and constant. Missing nearly an entire summer at Busch had to be extremely fustrating. Not being able to operate both rides in New Jersey at the same time (while perhaps not their fault) has to be frustrating. While they've remained somewhat active in the rest of the world (though far less active than the 1st decade of this century), they appear to be very silent in North America. Obviously there is time to mend relationships, and rebuild their North American Brand, or perhaps other companies are filling that void. B&G appears to be filling that 300+ foot void, now they've added launched ride to enhance their winged coaster brand. There's a 4D being installed at Six Flags this offseason, lots of awesome looking hybrids the last couple of years, etc..... Perhaps their time has simply past, perhaps they'll make a comeback, they're not that far removed from creating top end coasters. In either case, Cedar Fair will mix in other coasters than B&G at some point.

Yea I think that everytime I walk by it. I love the Character Carousel when I was kid. I always rode on Jabberjaw. Wish it still had characters now. Could have it themed around Woodstock, Snoopy, and his family and maybe some of the bench type seats with some of the other characters like Charlie Brown and Linus.

^ Details have yet to be released. Lights-on tours of mazes almost certainly won't happen at night, as they are scheduled to operate then.

I experienced two of the new attractions this weekend. Hexed is well done with great set designs, decorations and detail. Midnight Syndicate Live is an amazing show, a definite must see as it take Live E to a new level.

^Yes, yes I have ridden Maelstrom. In fact, my wife and I were planning a trip to Epcot next month and when I found out Maelstrom was going to be closed, we changed our plans. We'll be visiting Hollywood Studios instead. See, Maelstrom was one of the few rides I always looked forward to at Epcot. With it's removal, it was one less thing there that I liked to do. Yes it might not have been the BEST ride at the Walt Disney World Resort, but it was rather unique in my opinion. I think it felt unique because it wasn't "up to Disney standards." There is one other problem with this whole thing and that's the manner in which it was handled. First, get on any Walt Disney World forum and read the numerous complaints from people who've scheduled trips to Epcot in the upcoming months who've already scheduled their Fast Passes for a ride on Maelstrom. Now they're finding out that it's closed AFTER THE FACT that Disney had already let them schedule their rides. What's wrong with this? Perhaps Disney should've planned this out a bit better and when they had the slightest idea that they might be shutting it down, removed the option to Fast Pass Maelstrom. Now they have many upset vacationers scrambling at the last minute to update their plans. Should we also mention Norway's opinion in all this? How would you feel if you're sponsoring a pavilion at Epcot based on your customs, culture, and folklore and all of a sudden you hear that a section of it is being replaced by something that's based on a fictional land that's sorta kinda based on your country, but not really. So now instead of people coming to that area to learn about your country, 2-8 year olds and their parents are flocking there to take a ride through Arendelle instead, completely overlooking the TRUE country it was based on. Not only that, but Disney still expects you to sponsor that pavilion for the upkeep of the buildings and area around that ride. It's just sad really. I just feel like it's not just about a Frozen ride being put at Epcot, that has nothing to do with it. Heck yes put in a Frozen ride, and a Tangled ride, a Hunchback of Notre Dame ride, and maybe even a Pocahontas ride, but do it someplace else because there's plenty of room. Don't tear the Norway pavilion apart and fill it with a bunch of make believe characters loosely based on the country you're putting them in - that's not what Epcot is about. Leave Norway, and the rest of the World Showcase, intact and find another place to put the fictional stuff. Heck, I bet Disney is kicking themselves in the pants for not making a Frozen area in the New Fantasy Land. And now with that new realization, they're scrambling to find a place to shove this ride into. The Norway Pavilion is the closest thing they could come up with and it shows. With everything I've mentioned above, it just feels like a rushed decision to me. Only time will tell. On a final note - I'm an animation addict/junkie, a huge Disney fan, lover of musicals, and as most of you know - I'm obsessed with dark rides. So, will I ride this ride when it's open? Yes I will. Will I like it? Probably. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. What's done is done and once the Frozen ride is installed, I'll accept that change happens and move on with my life and enjoy the new additions. However, I'll still miss the uniqueness that was Maelstrom.

Could it be because Atlantis was a major flop? http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2003/08/11/165.aspx You may enjoy and watch Atlantis, but I could not tell you anything more about that movie other than Michael J Fox (maybe?) was the voice of the guy who somehow was leading an expedition to find the lost city, or something. I think people have a tendency to hate things that are popular in a proportionate amount. If Frozen did poorly, it would get the kind of hate it is getting. But because its so wildly popular with people of all ages, has catchy music, has influenced pop culture, and has found a way to really get that sweet spot of taking over, more people hate it. We will take a look at Atlantis vs Frozen Box Office: Frozen: 400 Million Atlantis: 84 Million (to date) I think we could look at CD sales, merchandise sales, etc. But its all Frozen. Disney didnt force this on us. It was a solid film that hit people in the right way. Similar to Lion King, Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Etc.

I smell foul things here. I don't keep up on Basketball, nor how good or not LeBron James is. Alls I know is that I like coasters and I like trains, especially the new kinds.

A simple question that's not always simple. If we are talking about sidewalks it's pretty simple. You lower the curb to a ramp so all people are able to safely make it out of the street. At a restaurant it's so everyone has an opportunity to order and eat food (Braille, picture menus, have someone read it, etc). AAC devices for the non-verbal, chairs for the non-mobile, etc. But when it comes to an entertainment company that advertises thrill rides..... What's reasonable to you and I may not be reasonable to someone else. Heck not all paraplegics are the same so that even muddies the water some more

And I'm sure if they did, the park and Cedar Fair wouldn't have attorneys represent them, right? Terp, who likes to ask questions.

There is a tasteful and appreciable difference between a ride that promotes cultural education, and a cartoon showcase shoehorned into an area themed in stark contrast. I have no problem with a "cartoon showcase;" I like cartoons, and I am not naive to the economic benefits of commercialism, but I'm disgusted when said commercialism comes before artistic integrity- as I said before, the two can work in tangent. That bygone era of Epcot was exemplary of this, which is probably the reason its image has resonated so well with so many who only know it through second hand. Disney could learn a lot from its own history.

Like many of the rides in the era, mostly fog effects. Constantly being surrounded in misty water apparently doesn't bode well for certain fabrication styles... Adventure Express: Fog in valleys and tunnels, idol standing over final lift hill poured mist / water onto train as it passed. Top Gun: Mist along the track in the station to imitate jet carrier conditions. Tomb Raider: Mist, fog, fountain spray Backlot Stunt Coaster: Splash down pool, fog Diamondback: Splash down pool Banshee: Fog They just never learn... Literally. At least B&M track seems to stand up constant dousing in a way that the rest apparently didn't think to prepare for.

When the hardest decision of the day was which character to ride. Well...that and to ride either the car or motorcycle.

Nik Wallenda 8/15/09. Sent from my iPhone using Taptalk

The truth is that if Maelstrom opened today, Disney Parks fans would decry it as a flop. They'd point out its non sequitur storytelling, its static figures, its "obvious money grab" by appealing to the government of Norway for sponsorship ("Oil derricks in Epcot? Really?!") and deride it as a waste of company resources, not living up to what Imagineering can do. But as the case happens to be, Epcot as it was in the 1980s really burrowed into Disney Parks fans' heads. Even many of my peers (born late 80s / early 90s) who can't even remember the "original" Epcot still cite it as the thing that got them interested in Imagineering. World of Motion, Journey into Imagination, Horizons... All gone. Maelstrom was a last hold-out of that era that they cling to so specifically. As it is now, the question is how much of Maelstrom (if any) will be reused. The Frozen ride is due to open in early 2016, which is, let's say, sixteen months from now. Given THAT timetable, my first instinct is that Maelstrom will be demolished, its showbuilding extended, and a brand new ride built in its place simply reusing some of the old showbuilding's footprint. Simply re-designing scenes and adding Anna / Elsa animatronics to the existing ride would NOT take sixteen months, would it? But it IS Walt Disney World, so...

I'm sort of surprised that people are calling Frozen a fad or a money grab. As others have said it's the highest grossing animated film. The movie is a good one. People loved the Incredibles, Wall-E, and Tangled, but none of those movies stayed in the collective thoughts as much as Frozen did. Did you know the Frozen soundtrack was the #7 top sold CD last month? That's a year after it came out. It's till a top 10 CD sold, at a time when many people own the Blue Ray. Little Mermaid and the likes didn't get rides immediately. But that's not a reason to not put in a current ride or area. The Land has an entire area themed to Cars. Lightning McQueen and Elsa are probably bigger than Mickey for most Disney aged kids. I think we have a tendency to forget the main reasons WDW and DL along with all the other Disney Parks are in operating for. 1. Make money 2. Let families create shared experiences and bonds 3. Let children of all ages meet the characters they enjoy. Someone mentioned the movie the Rescuers. Yes that was a good film but 1-2 years after it was out most forgot or didn't mention them at all. And yes Disney will and has slapped Olaf on lunch boxes because kids want him. You can spend your days upset that the past is the past or you can make the most from today. Plus if Maelstorm was a super popular ride, it wouldn't be changing. Tower of Terror isn't being changed anytime soon.

Michigan's Adventure is primarily a water park. It is also far north of both here and of Cedar Point. People there aren't fond of spending time going in and mostly out of houses that time of night that time of year. The weather after Labor Day is very unpredictable, and it is not all that unlikely that a large snow could hit by early October. So, the ride park closes the Sunday after Labor Day, and the water park closes Labor Day.

Frozen is the highest grossing animated film of all-time. It has an unreal cult following of young girls. You'd have to be an idiot to NOT exploit that.

Just like every other Disney movie ever, right?

I have the pleasure of seeing first hand how big Frozen is. Literally every girl in the park is wearing a Frozen princess dress. Not just the little girls. Full grown women are even coming in here with Frozen dresses on and they all ask "WHERE IS THE FROZEN RIDE???!!!" I know it has only been a year since the movie came out, but it is not hard to tell that it will be a classic, It already is. Why not cash in on it? Not only does it make the park money, it satisfies the consumers because all of them are asking for more Frozen.

This is a Jungle Jim's-themed thread bump! For those of you who did not know, one of the former Lion Country Safari monorails moseyed on over to the Eastgate location of Jungle Jim's. It's an inoperative static display in front of the store located between the entrance and exit. It's on a tall bridge and quite hard to miss, really. Although I'm sure they stripped the cars of running gear, the interiors look to be mostly intact. Plus the inside of the cars lights up at night! It's been repainted in a scheme completely different from the KI paint job. The beer and wine display cases at the Fairfield store came from KI, as well as various benches and tables (from one of the International Street restaurants). In addition, the bumper-cars-turned-display-shelves at the Fairfield JJ's are from Coney. This post is in no way, shape or form related to my employment at Jungle Jim's this past summer.

Not sure where this convo is going. It's a very difficult line to walk. We fight for the rights of all people abled and disabled to experience the same events in similar or the same way. At the same time we accept that there are limits about what can or cannot be possible. Boiling this down to a one liner about lawyers or forged documents or he said / she said does a great disservice to the conversation that needs to be happening. It's easy to say nope can't ride sorry we can doctor the experience or vice versa if you just change this part.....

This is what happens when you allow attorneys to take over the country. Of course I'm sure these same attorneys wouldn't consider suing Kings Island if they had let him ride and he would've got seriously hurt right?

Here is one from Kings Island: "into a rockign boat" from the Congo Falls page

According to that news report, funding from Norway stopped in 2002. The current ride probably isn't drawing many into Epcot, and it's apparently in need of refurbishment. For Disney, unfortunately at times, money talks. That $9 million sounds like cheap advertising, considering the certain popularity of the Frozen ride. For substantially more, they could probably remodel the entire pavilion (including the ride) to fit their tastes. Even if they don't pay, just having the ride (which will likely be the most popular in the park) in Norway is going to a valuable promotional asset. Albeit, less valuable than the entire pavilion celebrating your culture and heritage. It's not surprising that Norwegians aren't happy. It's a huge downgrade for them, and it's a huge loss for World Showcase. I'm cautiously optimistic that renewed popularity will finally spur much-needed investments into that park.

I've never understood the hate when it comes to "money grabs." I understand the hate if this turns out to be a quick and cheap fix, but if they put some time into it and it turns out to be a cool ride, who cares? Why is making money such a sore spot for some people?

Parks are businesses. Never forget that.

Here's a question I have, though... If World Showcase's France pavilion was getting a copy of Disneyland Paris' Ratatouille ride, would people be this upset? It kind of occurs to me that they wouldn't be... Which is weird. Both Frozen and Ratatouille are incredibly received critically. Frozen earned many times what Ratatouille did. Is that the problem? Is it that Frozen is too mainstream? Is the problem that its princesses? Is it that Ratatouille would be a technologically advanced E-ticket ride in a French pavilion whereas this is assumed to be a quick fix to a C-ticket that will result in the entire pavilion going icy? While some here are saying Frozen is getting a ride too soon, I feel it's too late. That Disney is allegedly preparing Frozen-themed events for NEXT SUMMER seems a little out-of-touch to me. I get that it was an unexpected hit, but we're now approaching a full year post its release... I guess there's a sweet spot where a film gets a well-done attraction to coincide with its release, and another sweet spot 10 years later when you can call it a "classic." But now.... I don't know. It reads as hokey and forced. Especially if it's a simple re-theme of a short C-ticket boat ride. Alright, characters don't belong in World Showcase. Sure. But remember how when Epcot opened, it didn't have characters and folks revolted? They didn't want to take their kids to a science center... they wanted fantasy and to meet their favorite characters! Now, most EVERY World Showcase country has a meet-and-greet at LEAST. Aladdin and Jasmine in Morocco; Belle in France; Mulan in China... The Three Caballeros took over an entire ride in the Mexico pavilion. Is it that Frozen is the straw that broke the camel's back? Or is the Ratatouille vs. Frozen argument valid, where maybe there's more at play?