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“Frozen” Epcot expansion more than new ride, Walt Disney World plans reveal new meet-and-greet building next to Norway

in Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World

Posted on by Ricky Brigante 39 Comments
Anna and Elsa from Frozen, with their signature braided hair and dazzling costumes, share smiles against a backdrop of snowy Arendelle mountains, capturing the spirit of the magical meet-and-greet experience in Epcot’s Frozen expansion at Walt Disney World.

A new filing made public on the South Florida Water Management District web site reveals Walt Disney World’s plans for bringing “Frozen” to Epcot are much bigger than previously expected and announced.

More than just taking over the former Maelstrom attraction for a new “Frozen” ride, it is now revealed a large themed building will be constructed between the Norway and Mexico pavilions to house additional “Frozen” entertainment. It will be the first major permanent expansion to the World Showcase in many years.

First noticed by Stitch Kingdom, the filing dated January 13, 2015 The filing calls the expansion a “Epcot Frozen Meet And Greet,” to be housed in a new 13,000 square foot building, consuming 1.08 acres of land previously devoted to backstage areas.

Drawings included with the filing show the full layout of the area of this new “Frozen” themed area, noting rock work will be added to its guest-facing facade. Click the images below for high-resolution versions.

Map of EPCOT at Walt Disney World highlighting a spot between the Norway and Mexico pavilions, showcasing a proposed location for a Frozen-themed meet-and-greet venue as part of potential future expansion.

Aerial view of EPCOT at Walt Disney World, spotlighting a designated area nestled between the Mexico Pavilion and Norway Pavilion along the World Showcase Lagoon, rumored to be the future site for a Frozen-themed Epcot expansion or an all-new Anna and Elsa meet-and-greet experience.

Aerial view of EPCOT at Walt Disney World, showcasing the future site for the Frozen-themed expansion nestled between the Mexico and Norway pavilions. The highlighted area marks where Anna, Elsa, and Arendelle will soon become part of World Showcase magic.

The site plan details the layout for Epcot’s Frozen expansion at Walt Disney World, highlighting pathways, themed structures, water features, and boundaries of construction—plus the future spot for Anna and Elsa’s all-new meet-and-greet experience.

After speaking with Disney, WFTV reports the new building will house more than just a meet-and-greet. As popular as Anna and Elsa character meets continue to be, 13,000 square feet is rather large to solely house as meet-and-greet attraction, even if Olaf is added in as well.

That building is written to include “a Disney guest attraction and a women’s restroom.” In addition, there will be “a 2,000 sf modular type building to replace a similar building demolished for the project,” “two small parking lots that have a total of 18 parking spaces” (for employee use), new “sidewalks and planters,” and changes to “the existing restroom in the Norway attraction building.”

Additional drawings included with the permit offer a few more details from the proposed new construction.

Black and white site plan showcasing the upcoming Frozen-themed area at Epcot, featuring proposed buildings like Anna and Elsa’s new meet-and-greet, detailed pathways for guest flow, and immersive landscaping elements designed for the Walt Disney World expansion.

Site plan detailing the winding walkways, themed curbs, strategically placed parking, sculpted stairs, and immersive landscaping designed for the Frozen meet-and-greet building in Epcot’s new expansion at Walt Disney World.

It seems likely that this new construction will be themed to Arendelle, effectively adding a new “country” to the World Showcase, though the exact details have not officially been announced by Disney.

The “Frozen” ride is scheduled to open in 2016. No completion date is attached to this new construction yet.

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