Experience the Magic of Frozen Ever After: An Exciting Dark Ride Adventure at EPCOT!

Journey to Arendelle and meet up with your favorite princesses, Anna and Elsa, on EPCOT’s whimsical sea-faring dark ride, Frozen Ever After!

Whether you’re young or old, you’ll be a happy snowman as you sail along on this unique adventure! With state-of-the-art audio-animatronics, classic songs, and a winding river, Frozen Ever After is an enjoyable homage to the hit Disney movie.

This ride will definitely be a must for families with small Frozen-loving children. (Is it possible to be a toddler and not love Frozen??) Though adults might not feel quite as invested in the ride, it’s still a genuinely fun attraction in the heart of Norway.

So, come on, what are you waiting for? Love is an open door!

Don’t Get Frozen in Line

Although EPCOT often exudes a laidback aura, Frozen Ever After is extremely popular and, therefore, not as chill as its name would imply.¹

The ride opened in 2016, right on the heels of the first Frozen movie. However, in terms of Disney parks, where some rides are 50 years old, that’s still pretty new! Couple the novelty of newness with the release of Frozen 2 in 2019, and you have a ride with consistently long lines. The Frozen ride wait times usually average around an hour and seem to peak around midday.

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02/19/2024 07:02 am GMT

The best way to avoid the line is to rope drop Frozen Ever After, making it the first or second stop of your EPCOT visit. You can also check the Disney World app, which shows up-to-date wait times so you can gauge a good time to hop in line.

When the line is at its longest, it will stretch outside of the Frozen building. Some guests advise just moving on if it’s beyond Akerhus. At that point, the wait will be more than an hour, and you’re better off squeezing in other attractions and coming back later when the activity has died down.²

As of 2023, Frozen Ever After is part of the Genie+ system at EPCOT, which means you can reserve a ride time and skip the line. However, Genie+ comes at an additional cost and reservations fill up quickly, meaning there’s no guarantee you’ll get a spot even when using the app.³

Get Ready to Let it Go on the Frozen Ever After Ride at EPCOT

While Elsa may have to venture into the unknown, you don’t have to! Here’s a quick rundown of things you may want to know about the ride.

Frozen Ever After Ride Experience

If you’re like me and enjoy geeking out over Disney audio-animatronics, then you need to ride Frozen Ever After! Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff are impressive to be sure, but it’s Olaf and his little slip-sliding snowman feet that really blew me away! How they managed to make him hop and shuffle is truly remarkable and showcases one of the most advanced animatronics in the park.

The ride itself takes you on a journey from snowy hillsides with Olaf and Sven to singing along with Anna and Kristoff. You’ll hear the refrains off all the classics: “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” “For The First Time in Forever,” “In Summer,” and, of course, “Let It Go.”

Elsa’s performance of “Let It Go” is definitely a highlight of the ride. She serenades you as you sail through her ice castle before blasting you backward with her magic. (This moment adds a fun bit of pep to a rather relaxing ride!)

You’ll also see the rock trolls, Elsa’s ice monster (who is, thankfully, in a docile mood when you pass by), and even a herd of adorable mini snowmen!

The evil Hans, we are happy to report, is nowhere in sight. (He doesn’t deserve to have an animatronic!)

With its boat ride/dark ride format, it’s not unlike It’s A Small World (Magic Kingdom) or Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros (EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion). That being said, Frozen Ever After is possibly the most visually stunning of Disney’s boat rides, and thanks to the popularity of its subject matter, it is also the most engaging for younger generations.

Even adults who are tired of hearing “Let It Go” will likely find themselves grudgingly impressed by this ride. (Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone you actually had fun!)

Explore Norway

Once you’ve finished your boating tour of Arendelle, there’s still plenty to do at the Norway Pavilion!

Lean into the Frozen theme and do a meet and greet with Anna and Elsa at the Royal Sommerhus or dine with other Disney princesses at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. You can also stop by the Kringla Bakeri og Kafe for something sweet, as this cozy bakery serves up amazing pastries, sweet pretzels, and rice pudding with strawberry topping!

While you’re there, check out the pavilion’s Nordic souvenirs, shop around at the Puffin’s Roost (more traditional Norwegian items like hand-knit woolens and trolls), The Fjording Shop (Viking and wintry gear), and The Wandering Reindeer (Frozen merch – and lots of it).³

The “Old World” feeling of the Norway Pavilion is beautifully captured in the dark timber architecture of the Stave Church, a gorgeous chapel-esque building brimming with Norse artifacts. Uncover the history of the Vikings and their fantastical beliefs as you look at relics of the past – some of which are on display outside of Norway for the first time!

We love the Norway Pavilion, not only for Frozen Ever After and delicious pastries but also because it’s the perfect excuse to talk about famous Norwegian explorers like Roald Amundsen, the first man to the South Pole! And Fridtjof Nansen, the first man to cross the interior of Greenland. And Hjalmar Johansen, famous gymnast, and fellow polar explorer!

Obviously, Norway is pretty awesome. Whether you’re there to enjoy the history, the flavors, or Frozen, this pavilion is well worth stopping around the World Showcase!

Have you been on the Frozen Ever After ride? What was your favorite scene? Tell us about it in the comments below!

See you on the next adventure!

Featured photo: Theme Park Tourist via Flickr

Gallery photos: UR/UL/LL Theme Park Tourist via Flickr, LR Harshlight via Flickr

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