• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
Arts & EntertainmentFrozen

Disney Is Bringing Olaf and Other ‘Frozen’ Characters to Its Park

By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Gaudiosi
John Gaudiosi
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 21, 2016, 9:00 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Since launching in November 2013, Disney’s Frozen movie remains hot. After shattering box office records with over $1.2 billion on its way to the all-time pinnacle of animated movies, Disney has been able to market everything from video games to t-shirts to an upcoming line of Playmation toys aimed at young girls.

Now, beginning on June 21, fans will be able to step into the kingdom of Arendelle at the Norway Pavilion in Epcot, part of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

This is part of a bigger push to integrate Disney’s biggest brands and franchises, such as Star Wars and Marvel, into the company’s theme parks, cruise ships, and resorts.

Disney is also integrating a cast of new big screen characters into its Orlando theme park. Ahead of the record-breaking $136 million launch of Pixar’s Finding Dory, Destiny the whale shark (voiced by Kaitlin Olson), Bailey the beluga whale (voiced by Ty Burrell), and Hank the “septopus” (voiced by Ed O’Neill) joined Epcot’s Turtle Talk with Crush attraction.

Disney’s first Latin princess (Princess Elena of Avalor) who debuts in the new Disney Channel animated TV series, Elena of Avalor this June, also will reside at the Magic Kingdom this August. (She’ll debut at Disney California Adventure this fall.)

All of these tie-ins are an effort to boost attendance at the parks. Revenue for Disney’s entertainment unit generated $2.1 billion in the second quarter, a 22% rise, thanks to hits such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Zootopia. And those numbers don’t include recent blockbusters The Jungle Book, Captain America: Civil War, and Finding Dory.

Banking on bringing in more visitors

Disney’s parks and resorts unit generated $3.9 billion in the second quarter, a 4% gain. The parks saw a 10% rise in income ($624 million) thanks to higher ticket prices, including the new peak hours pricing, and customers spending more on food, beverages, and merchandise.

But Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts during a second-quarter conference call that park attendance was modestly down as a result of the new pricing strategy that implements surge pricing for tickets. For the first time in five years, earnings per share missed analysts’ forecasts.

S&P Capital analyst Tuna Amobi expects Frozen Ever After to have a meaningful impact on Epcot attendance in particular, and to Disney World overall.

“Just as Star Wars attractions have infused new life into Disney’s Hollywood Studios park since last fall, Frozen should help Epcot attract more kids this summer,” Amobi says. “Epcot traditionally skews older than other Disney parks, and this franchise caters to young girls.”

Frozen Ever After has new tech

Frozen Ever After is a new boat ride that’s part of an expanded Norway Pavilion area, which was once home to the Maelstrom boat ride that ran from 1988 through 2014. Frozen Ever After serves as an unofficial sequel to the feature film (which has its own theatrical sequel in the works for a reported 2018 release).

Composers Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez created new lyrics to the classic Frozen film songs, which you likely have memorized if there are little girls in your house. And the entire cast of the film, including Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), and Josh Gad (Olaf), have returned to provide dialogue and songs for this new ride. (Bell and Menzel are also confirmed for the movie sequel.)

According to Wyatt Winter, project manager and producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, the ride’s story takes place after the first film. “It’s really a happily ever after story,” Winter says. “Every year Elsa has frozen over the kingdom as part of the ‘Summer Snow Day’ celebration.”

What makes the four-minute ride unusual is that it employs advanced projector technology behind characters such as Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Sven, and Marshmallow to have more lifelike animation as the log boats travel through Arendelle.

“We have taken the audio animatronics and pushed it to the next level, so you’ll see the characters coming to life in this Frozen Ever After,” Winter says.

The new opening comes in the wake of the tragic death of a two-year-old boy by an alligator outside of Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel, which overlooks the Magic Kingdom. Disney has since changed its signs to warn of alligators.

 

 

About the Author
By John Gaudiosi
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

wilt
Arts & EntertainmentAuction
Gen Z entrepreneur found a Wilt Chamberlain Lakers warm-up for $3.07 outside Portland — it was a $90,000 genuine article
By Claire Rush and The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
3 hours ago
‘We all failed’: Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner on Hollywood, video games and the big question of IP
Arts & EntertainmentDisney
‘We all failed’: Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner on Hollywood, video games and the big question of IP
By Joshua HongJuly 21, 2026
4 hours ago
Paramount water tower
LawHollywood
Judge halts Paramount-Warner’s $81 billion merger for two weeks after states warn it would ‘extinguish competition’
By The Associated Press and Wyatte Grantham-PhilipsJuly 20, 2026
20 hours ago
Ferran Torres
SuccessWorld Cup
Spain’s Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the World Cup—but just four years ago, he was in therapy and stuck in a ‘bottomless pit’
By Emma BurleighJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
Christopher Nolan wearing a black suit
SuccessCareers
Christopher Nolan was rejected from film school as a teen. Today, the Oscar-winning director behind  ‘The Odyssey’ is worth $250 million
By Preston ForeJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
nolan
Arts & EntertainmentHollywood
‘Everybody’s a sucker for a dog’: scholars see modern schmaltz in Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey
By Hillel Italie and The Associated PressJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
22 hours ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
Retail
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
Economy
The Treasury is walking a tightrope on U.S. debt by relying so much on short-term rates that are at the mercy of a suddenly very hawkish Fed
By Jason MaJuly 20, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.