Credit: Brett Kiger, FlickrDisney has confirmed guests will be in for a treat next week when Frozen Ever After reopens at EPCOT theme park.
Frozen Ever After debuted at EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion in 2016, replacing the long-running Maelstrom boat ride with a family-friendly journey inspired by Frozen. The reimagined attraction sent guests gliding through Arendelle aboard Viking boats, joining Olaf, Anna, Elsa, and their friends for a festive “Summer Snow Day,” complete with familiar songs and sweeping show scenes pulled straight from the animated film.
Since its opening, Frozen Ever After has featured an impressive lineup of Audio-Animatronics, including Olaf, Sven, Kristoff, Marshmallow, and the Snowgies. It was only two years ago that Disney proved how far its technology had come when an updated version of Frozen Ever After debuted at Hong Kong Disneyland’s new World of Frozen.
Now, those advancements are making their way back to EPCOT. Disney closed Frozen Ever After indefinitely in January 2026 to allow Imagineers time to complete major updates. The company has since confirmed that the attraction will welcome guests again on February 12, 2026, with operating hours already posted on the official website.
Late last year, Disney Experiences confirmed that Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff would receive upgraded figures influenced by the lifelike designs introduced in Hong Kong, promising guests a closer match to the characters seen on screen.
“…in a full circle moment of innovation, the Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff Audio-Animatronics figures will soon receive new updates after ten years of delighting fans in Frozen Ever After,” Disney Parks Blog wrote. “Taking inspiration from the advancements seen in figures at World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland, the Frozen Ever After figures will face the future of Audio-Animatronics.”
Ken Ricci, a member of Walt Disney Imagineering’s executive creative development team, discussed the scope of the refurbishment in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, making it clear that the work extended beyond the headline animatronic upgrades. “Anytime an attraction goes down, we take an opportunity to freshen up what we can,” Ricci explained. “So, we touched up a lot and some show lighting, so it should look refreshed.”
From the start, the ride stood out in World Showcase thanks to its layered sets, theatrical lighting, and ambitious use of Audio-Animatronics. Together, those elements created an experience that felt more like a dark ride found in a traditional Disney park than a pavilion showcase. Still, one creative choice quickly became a point of discussion among fans: the use of projected faces on several key characters.
The most visible update involves Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff, whose original projected faces have been replaced with fully articulated animatronic heads featuring silicone skin. This change brings Frozen Ever After more in line with newer Disney attractions and international Frozen rides, where sculpted faces allow for more natural movement and consistent expressions under varying lighting conditions.
Making that transition was not as simple as swapping parts. Ricci noted that the Imagineering team had to physically adapt the existing figures to support the new technology, carefully planning the process in advance. “Then we literally had to modify the figures’ necks to accept the change in the heads. And that took a few days, but we did a lot of pre-planning with technology and software to make sure that we were ready to port over these figures,” he said.
In addition to the animatronic work, the refurbishment included updates to the ride’s show control systems, as well as refinements to lighting cues and scenic elements throughout multiple scenes. While the storyline and layout of Frozen Ever After remain the same, these subtle changes are intended to give the attraction a cleaner, more polished presentation when it returns to operation.
As final testing continues ahead of the mid-February reopening, guests can expect the familiar journey through Arendelle, now supported by refreshed visuals and upgraded technology. For a ride that has been welcoming visitors since 2016, the latest refurbishment represents a significant step forward in keeping Frozen Ever After visually current while preserving the experience fans know and love.
The move away from projected faces highlights how Imagineering continues to fine-tune its storytelling tools. While EPCOT’s Frozen Ever After reflects the technology available when it opened in 2016, the Hong Kong version showcases how far Disney’s figure design has progressed in less than a decade.
Frozen’s presence across Disney parks continues to grow. Tokyo DisneySea expanded its lineup in 2024 with the opening of Fantasy Springs, which includes Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, a newly imagined boat ride that retells the sisters’ story.
Over in Europe, Disneyland Paris is preparing to debut its own World of Frozen on March 29, 2026, as part of the rebranded Disney Adventure World. Each new project builds upon what started at EPCOT, ensuring that Arendelle remains a staple across Disney destinations worldwide.
How do you feel about the updates to Frozen Ever After? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments below!