One of EPCOT’s most beloved attractions is marking a significant milestone. Frozen Ever After at the Norway Pavilion officially celebrates its 10th anniversary on June 21, 2026, a decade since the fan-favorite boat ride first welcomed guests to Arendelle at Walt Disney World.
A Decade in Arendelle
Frozen Ever After opened on June 21, 2016, replacing the longtime Norway pavilion staple Maelstrom using the same ride vehicles and track layout. At the time, the attraction featured some of the most technologically advanced Audio-Animatronics Disney had ever created, with the faces of Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff rendered through projection technology that was genuinely groundbreaking for its era.
In the years since its opening, the ride inspired two subsequent international installations: World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland in 2023, and Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey at Tokyo DisneySea as part of the Fantasy Springs expansion in 2024. A version at Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris opened on March 29, 2026 as well, making Frozen Ever After one of the most replicated Disney dark rides in the world.
The 2026 Upgrade
To mark the 10th anniversary, Disney gave EPCOT’s version a meaningful refresh. As Attractions Magazine reported, the ride closed on January 26, 2026, and soft-opened February 11 with upgraded Audio-Animatronics for Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff, replacing the projection-based faces with the physical facial technology introduced in the Hong Kong version. Disney described it as “a full circle moment of innovation,” with the newer international versions now serving as the template for improvements to the original. The show control system was also updated during the closure.
The refresh has been widely praised by guests who noted that the original projection faces had not aged as gracefully as the rest of the attraction. The updated figures bring EPCOT’s version of Frozen Ever After much closer to what guests experience at World of Frozen in Hong Kong and at Tokyo DisneySea.
Why Frozen Ever After Endures
Ten years after opening, Frozen Ever After remains one of EPCOT’s highest-demand attractions and consistently draws some of the park’s longest wait times. Its combination of immersive scenery, beloved characters, classic songs, and the genuine thrill of its reversing boat drop has made it a must-do for families across generations. The anniversary is a reminder of how thoroughly the attraction transformed the Norway Pavilion and cemented Frozen as a permanent fixture of Walt Disney World’s landscape.
For more EPCOT news, check out our coverage of the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays dates.
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