Opened in November 2023, Frozen Ever After is the crown jewel of World of Frozen, Hong Kong Disneyland’s (HKDL) eighth and most recently opened land. Tucked away in the back of the land, this attraction is lifted straight from the Norway Pavilion in Epcot and shares many similarities with the Florida attraction. However, it also has a lot of differences that, in my opinion, elevate this ride above the version found in Epcot. How does this attraction stack up against the other attractions at HKDL? Read my review to find out!
Background
World of Frozen was first announced on November 16, 2016 as part of a multi-year, multi-billion dollar expansion of the theme park that included the Castle of Magical Dreams, as well as Stark Expo and other attractions. Since the announcement, a lot of buzz has surrounded the land and what was meant to be its flagship attraction: Frozen Ever After.
I will admit, when Disney announced that Frozen Ever After was coming to HKDL, I was a bit disappointed. I had thought that maybe the version coming to Tokyo would also be cloned for HKDL (sadly, it was not, which makes sense as they wouldn’t have two similar Frozen attractions a three-hour flight from one another) but I was just glad that it wasn’t replacing anything and was instead adding to the ride count of the park (unlike a certain Marvel themed Tomorrowland attraction). So when I went to Hong Kong Disneyland last January to check out the new World of Frozen expansion, I came in with an open mind and low expectations, not wanting to be disappointed by a ride I had seen countless times on video from Epcot.
And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
The Story
The story of the land is tied to the story of Frozen Ever After itself, with the entire land celebrating Summer Snow Day, also known as the anniversary of the day Anna saved Elsa with an unselfish act of true love and thawed a frozen heart (look at me, remembering AND quoting the ride in my review). Hong Kong Disneyland has a habit of centering one land around one attraction’s story (see: Mystic Manor and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars) but I think this one accomplishes its goals the best. Summer Snow Day is a fun context that the imagineers and cast members get to play with. Everyone in the land wishes you a Happy Summer Snow Day. It’s even on their nametags! It also helps bring the land together and gives it a narrative cohesion that helps it stand out from other lands.
The story of the ride itself is that you’ve been invited for a tour of Arendelle, complete with a trip to Elsa’s Ice Palace, as part of the Summer Snow Day festivities. It’s as simple as that, and I will say I think they could have come up with a better concept for the ride. It comes off as basically just another excuse to string together Frozen songs in quick succession. It also lacks tension. There’s no “everything goes wrong”, no ticking clock, no world ending consequences. It’s a trip to an ice palace. That’s it.
Because of that, I have to dock some points from the ride itself. I think the ride is well-done for what it is (and we’ll get to the ride itself in a second) but with a stronger premise and story points, it could have been an even better experience.
Queue and Ride Vehicle
Upon arriving at the attraction, you enter through the clock tower that Hans and Anna are seen dancing on in the number “Love is an Open Door”. After entering the queue area, you’re greeted by Kristoff’s office where he collects and stores the ice needed by Arendelle as part of his duties as Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer. It’s a well-themed, incredibly detailed area, complete with a window that shows some ice in storage. The queue on the whole is very well themed, even if it is a bit on the shorter side. I don’t know how they’re going to be able to manage crowds on very packed days, but maybe there’s a part of the queue I didn’t notice was there that could handle bigger crowds.
In terms of how the queue sets up the story of the ride, this queue falls in the middle of the pack. While being detailed and immersive, it doesn’t really set up the story of the ride itself, with the exception of there being one banner serving as a “royal proclamation” for Summer Snow Day. One could argue that the story of Frozen Ever After is so simple that it doesn’t need to have a lot of setup in the queue, but anything extra that could have been added to the queue to add another story layer, such as explanations for how Summer Snow Day became a holiday in Arendelle or an itinerary of what guests will see on the their tour of the kingdom, would have been neat to see.
After passing Kristoff’s workshop, we enter the Arendelle dock from where boats depart to go to Elsa’s Ice Palace on the North Mountain. It’s here that we see the ride vehicles. They look to be noticeably larger than the Epcot boats and, most importantly, they have a lap bar restraint, something that was missing from the Epcot version. Soon after strapping in, we’re headed towards our first show scene of the ride.
The Ride Experience
We first go through what feels like a cave and, upon exiting the cave, are greeted by Olaf and Sven. Olaf sings us a modified version of “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman”, similar to the version he sings at the Epcot version of the attraction. At the end of the short song, however, Olaf speaks in Cantonese. It’s to be expected given where the ride is located, but what surprised me was how little Cantonese was used throughout the attraction. Including this line from Olaf, there are only 2 lines of dialogue of Cantonese in the whole attraction. Which I guess is an improvement over rides like Mystic Manor, but Iron Man Experience and Ant-Man and the Wasp both have way more Cantonese lines than Frozen Ever After does.
After seeing Olaf and Sven, you turn a corner and come face to face with the trolls from the movie. Grand Pabbie mentions that on this day, Anna saved Elsa with an act of true love, as depicted in the movie. A troll then translates this into Cantonese, the second and final Cantonese line in the attraction. You then reach the lift hill as you go up to Elsa’s Ice Palace. The Frozen theme music plays as your boat makes its way up the hill.
Once you reach the top, you enter Elsa’s Ice Palace. You encounter Olaf once again. This time he’s skating on the ice while singing “For the First Time in Forever”. You then float past him and see Kristoff, Sven, and Anna, who are all singing a new version of “For the First Time In Forever”. They hype you up for your meeting with Elsa as you turn a corner and the doors open to reveal Elsa in all her glory.
It’s at this point that the boat stops in front of Elsa. You then swing to the right (the farther back you are, the more dramatic the swing) and then once she gets to the chorus of Let it Go, you’re sent flying backwards via a small drop away from the castle. Your boat continues flying backwards until you reach an area with the snowgies and Marshmallow the giant snow monster. The boat then swings left (the more forward you are, the more dramatic the swing) and then with a roar from Marshmallow, you’re sent down a drop. The drop actually mimics one of the drops on Splash Mountain, now Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, that goes down initially then rolls upwards then goes back down again.
You then see Arendelle castle at night as fireworks explode above. You make a right and enter the final room that has Olaf, Anna, and Elsa (in their Frozen Fever get ups) as they greet you while singing In Summer. You finally make your way back to the dock before exiting the attraction.
Thoughts
This attraction solved one fundamental problem HKDL had: the lack of a thrill water ride. Sure, the drop isn’t as dramatic as the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure drop, but it’s a welcome addition as HKDL already has 2 boat rides with non-thrill elements (unless you count the ending of the Jungle River Cruise as a “thrill element”).
The attraction itself is very well themed and has amazing animatronics. I’m glad HKDL and the HK government shelled out a few extra dollars to get Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff non-projected faces. Those animatronics in Epcot’s version looked odd and unrealistic because of their projected faces, and this alone makes HKDL’s attraction superior to its Epcot version. And then you add the fact that HKDL’s version has better pacing because of the more spread out scenes, a more intense drop, and a better queue and you have the makings of a good attraction.
Another reason why HKDL’s version shines brighter than Epcot’s version is also simply because of the park it is in and the history associated with that park. Epcot’s version replaced what was a classic Epcot attraction in Maelstrom, and that will always sour its reputation with fans and guests. HKDL’s version, on the other hand, has done nothing but plus the park that it’s in. This will be received as a strong addition to HKDL’s lineup for years to come.
But now we go into the not so positive aspects of this attraction. This ride, although technically impressive, is lacking in the story department. There’s no buildup of stakes, and the ride doesn’t have any sense of danger. While a story centering around summer snow day and visiting Elsa’s Ice Palace is fun, it doesn’t really make for an engaging story. It lacks the story beats found in attractions such as Rise of the Resistance and even Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure compelling by giving us a beginning, middle, and end that is satisfying.
As mentioned, there are also no stakes to this attraction. You don’t stand to lose anything and there is no “lowest point” to speak of. At parts, the ride honestly feels like an excuse to string together Frozen songs and to appeal to a younger demographic, as if a younger demographic can’t comprehend the complexities of plot.
Adding to that, the drop doesn’t serve to heighten the story as well. It just sort of…happens. You don’t drop down for any story reason such as in Splash Mountain. Instead it just happens in the room with Marshmallow and the snowgies. The drop itself is fine, but aside from getting you from the North Mountain back to Arendelle, I don’t really see the point of it.
Maybe they would have been better off cloning Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey from Fantasy Springs. As clunky as that ride is, it tells a story that is compelling with some impressive scenes. But on the whole, this is still a solid entry into HKDL’s lineup.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a welcome addition to Hong Kong Disneyland that will be enjoyed by guests for generations to come. I’m glad I got to experience what is undoubtedly the best version of this attraction, and look forward to my next journey to the North Mountain.
Rating: 8.5/10