It’s almost time to open up the gates! As part of the Disneyland Paris media preview machine we got the chance to visit Disney Adventure World and of course, World Of Frozen, to bring you a full look at this brand new area. Let’s go!
Arendelle Town
As you step into Arendelle, it’s immediately clear that no expense has been spared to immerse Guests into the locations from the film. Arguably the area isn’t huge, but it may not need to be to hold just one attraction (sadly), one restaurant and one meet and greet. If you’ve been to World Of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland you’ll recognize a lot of the theming elements – altho they are arranged differently, sometimes designed in a different way or size (the fountain) or missing (the bakery, but the kiosk in the port is a merchandise location when it’s a seating area in Hong Kong). The North Mountain looms over the land here as well, but Paris doesn’t have the same natural mountain backdrop, which brings more attention to the rock work and bring a different feel (possibly closer to the movie). So – same but different!
While the land and its port are tightly themed and immersive, the proximity to the “water stage” that is Adventure Bay is a difficult problem. Imagineers did their best to isolate the land but with crowd access, viewing areas, and the overall setup of the expansion, large empty areas linger and if you look back at the bay from some areas you won’t be able to ignore Tower of Terror, the unsightly Avengers Campus show buildings and the Theater of the Stars. As with all new areas, vegetation will likely grow to alleviate these issues but for now, it is what it is.
Back to the theming, the mini land is incredibly rich in details: props, window dressings, wall paintings, posters and more, it feels alive. It’s also all in English.
New area means new bins and this is the design for World Of Frozen here in Paris.
Frozen Ever After
Frozen Ever After is a copy of a copy with enhancements from that copy that were now also brought to the original. Dizzy yet ? Overall the attraction is closest to the Hong Kong Disneyland version, with adaptations for Europe and additional lighting effects and theming refinements. We can moan about not having something more exciting than a boat ride for this iconic movie but the dual goal of capacity and family friendly needs makes it the most viable options for guest satisfaction. And money.
The queue is fantastic, with plenty of puns and details from the various movies and shorts.
As expected we are also getting the most advanced animatronics. They look great!
At the exit you’ll have the option to view a PhotoPass Attraction picture, and that’s the design.
Royal Encounter
Next to Frozen Ever After is Arendelle Castle where you can get an audience with Anna and Elsa! Up until now, this meet and greet has been very rare in Paris and has been an absolute nightmare to manage due to the Guests starvation for anything Frozen. That is no more and this offering is now permanent and on virtual queue. As guests arrive for their reservations they are directed to a holding room before being taken to meet the sisters.
Again, the queue is amazing and you’ll be able to gaze at some of the most iconic Arendelle Castle paintings and features. Hang in there Joan! While the meet and greet is located “in” Arendelle Castle, Guests don’t get to walk across the bridge which is a bit sad.
The audience room(s) is beautiful and on par with international Disney Parks standards. In many aspects, the experience ressemble the Hero Training Center which has been pretty successful at Avengers Campus so it all makes sense.
And here that are – Anna and Elsa!
World Of Frozen also feature additional roaming character like Oaken.
Entertainment
At Disney Adventure World, the World Of Frozen Marina is not just for atmosphere, it’s also for entertainment!
Several times a day, “A celebration in Arendelle” is performed aboard three gorgeous custom boats and feature (most of the time) the “real-er” Olaf you may have seen everywhere online as Disney promotes its technical innovation. The show is cute and fun, a real addition to the land that you’ll see nowhere else – well done!
You can watch the full show in our YouTube video above.
Disney shares a behind the scenes at the creation of the boats which are a first for the Resort.
The Shops
Arendelle Boutique is a cosy shop (not huge) that features exclusive World Of Frozen merchandise and additional general Frozen and Arendelle themed merchandise. It features a lot of details from the stories but also some (left over?) references to the shop’s name in Hong Kong Disneyland, Tick Tock Toys & Collectibles.
Near the marina, a second location (unique to Disney Adventure World) is Fjord View. It features the build your own figurine wall, Runa the baby troll and .. more Frozen themed merchandise.
Nordic Crowns Tavern
At Nordic Crowns Tavern, you’re dining at Arendelle’s main food joint. It’s a quick service serving Scandinavian-ish theme park food. Theming is – as with all of World Of Frozen – on point with some of the same details as the Hong Kong Disneyland dining location, but laid out differently.
The food, however, is not very regal. This could have been an opportunity to present something new, a renewed era for Disneyland Paris food, but no. We might even be going backwards with dry salmon, meatballs that are worse than IKEA and a series of uninspired deserts. It’s not inedible but, as with a lot Disneyland Paris food, it’s not memorable. Here’s what we tried:
- Salmon Steak w/ Quinoa, €24 menu
- Turkey Meatballs w/ potatoes & Veggies, €22 menu
- Arendelle Swirl
- Everlasting Snowflake
By Night
A constant in the Disney Adventure World expansion is how they really nailed the nighttime experience, and World Of Frozen is no exception. The land looks absolutely beautiful at night, mixing warm white light and cold blues.
