Credit: DisneyIf you’ve ever walked through EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion and thought, “Why does this area always feel like a traffic jam?” you’re definitely not alone. The pavilion is beautiful, but it’s also one of the most crowded spots in the entire park, especially once Frozen fans start flooding in.
This week, though, EPCOT’s Frozen situation reached a whole new level. Guests arriving early were already being met with major crowds, and it wasn’t because of a festival booth, a limited-time snack, or a big event happening in World Showcase. It was all happening because of Frozen, and the lines were already spiraling before the day even officially started.
Frozen Ever After has always been one of those rides that draws huge wait times, but this time, the queue wasn’t just long. It was stretching so far that it was already extending over toward the China Pavilion before the ride even opened for the day.
That kind of crowd buildup is not something you see every morning, even at EPCOT. It’s the type of thing that makes guests immediately stop walking and pull out their phones because it feels almost unbelievable.
The Frozen Ever After Line Was Already Stretching Toward China
A guest on X, RockNstardust, posted an early morning update showing just how intense the Frozen crowds were getting in the World Showcase area. In the post, they explained that the Frozen meet-and-greet line was already stretching down one side of the walkway, while the Frozen Ever After line on the other side had extended all the way toward China.
Currently the frozen meet and greet line on the left, and the frozen ever after line on the right extends to china and it hasnt even opened today. pic.twitter.com/BzIrSjXcvH
— RockNstardust🎸✨ (@Kdodgers24) February 18, 2026
The most surprising part was that this was happening before Frozen Ever After even opened for the day. That detail is what really makes the situation stand out, because guests weren’t reacting to a long wait time after the park got busy. They were reacting to the fact that people were already lining up in huge numbers before the attraction was even running.
That usually means one thing at Disney World: the ride is about to become a nightmare once the park fully opens. If the line is already that long in the morning, the rest of the day tends to snowball fast, and Frozen Ever After is one of the biggest examples of that.
Frozen Still Dominates EPCOT Like It’s Brand-New
It’s easy to forget just how powerful Frozen still is, especially since the franchise has been around for years now. Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019) aren’t exactly new releases anymore, but the demand hasn’t faded. If anything, Frozen has become one of Disney’s permanent “must-do” brands, especially for families.
For a lot of guests, Frozen isn’t just something they enjoy. It’s the reason they planned the trip, and it’s the reason they’re willing to wait an hour or more without hesitation. Frozen Ever After continues to be one of EPCOT’s biggest headliners, and the ride rarely has an off day.
The Anna and Elsa meet-and-greet adds even more pressure, because many families don’t see it as optional. Meeting the sisters is a priority experience, and guests will often line up early to make sure they don’t miss out. When both the ride and the meet-and-greet are drawing crowds at the same time, it doesn’t take long before the entire pavilion feels overwhelmed.
Norway Was Never Built for Crowds This Big
The Norway Pavilion is one of the most charming parts of EPCOT, but it also has a major issue: it simply doesn’t have the space to comfortably handle crowds on this level. The walkways are narrow, the pavilion has tight corners, and there aren’t many wide open areas where Disney can easily manage long queues.
Once Frozen Ever After begins stacking up a standby line, the overflow has to go somewhere. Disney cast members will often redirect the queue along the promenade to keep the pavilion from becoming completely blocked. That’s why it’s believable that the line could extend toward China, because once it spills out of the normal queue area, it starts taking over the surrounding walkways.
When you combine that with strollers, guests stopping for photos, families trying to move through World Showcase, and people heading toward other pavilions, the entire area becomes difficult to navigate. At that point, it’s not just a long wait. It becomes a crowd control problem that impacts everyone, even guests who aren’t trying to ride Frozen Ever After.
This Is a Warning Sign for the Rest of the Day
The most important takeaway from a situation like this is what it usually predicts for the rest of the day. When a line is already stretching that far before an attraction even opens, it’s a strong sign that the wait time is going to explode quickly and stay high for hours.
Frozen Ever After is already known for reaching extreme standby waits, and once the attraction starts falling behind early, it rarely recovers. Guests who show up later often find themselves stuck with 90-minute to two-hour waits, and Lightning Lane return times tend to disappear fast.
The result is that the Norway Pavilion stays packed for most of the day, and EPCOT guests end up dealing with a constant bottleneck in World Showcase. Even if someone doesn’t care about Frozen at all, the crowd buildup still affects their ability to walk through the area comfortably.
Frozen Isn’t Slowing Down Anytime Soon
At this point, it’s clear Frozen isn’t going anywhere when it comes to EPCOT popularity. The franchise still pulls massive crowds, and Frozen Ever After remains one of the most in-demand rides in the entire park. When guests are already lining up so early that the queue reaches China before the ride even opens, it proves that Frozen continues to dominate EPCOT like it’s still the hottest thing Disney has ever released.
If you’re visiting EPCOT soon and Frozen Ever After is on your list, waiting until later in the afternoon might be a mistake. The earlier you tackle it, the better your chances of avoiding a frustrating wait, because once that line starts building, it can take over the entire pavilion in no time.
And based on what guests are seeing right now, Frozen fans aren’t wasting a single minute. They’re lining up early, claiming their spot, and turning Norway into the busiest corner of EPCOT before the day even begins.