WDW Daily News

While Maelstrom fans cry into their school bread, Frozen enthusiasts received the news they had been hoping for. Disney Parks Blog announced last week that Maelstrom, the main attraction of the Norway Pavilion in Epcot, would be closing on October 6th to make way for a new Frozen inspired attraction.
The overwhelming popularity of Frozen has created exceptionally long lines to meet the Scandinavian princesses, a frenzy of moms desperately seeking the desired Elsa dress (the likes of which has not been seen since since Tickle Me Elmo), and a bevy of YouTube parodies of “Let it Go”. While Frozen seems to have taken Disney fans by storm, not everyone is thrilled about the coming changes. Traditionalists and Maelstrom fans are definitely disappointed that a classic Epcot attraction will be gone in just three weeks. The news took to the Twitter-sphere within minutes of the announcement and #Maelstrom was trending in the US for most of the day.

It is always hard to see a beloved attraction close its doors. Maelstrom was a favorite of my family, and it will be missed by many. It is important to remember though, that Walt Disney planned for his parks to never be completed, and this means that some things must change. I do think Frozen has become a Disney classic. Like movies such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast”, it’s characters, music, and storyline appeal to a wide audience, and it is likely to remain a popular franchise for the foreseeable future.
In typical Disney style, few concrete details of the new Frozen attraction have been released. The new attraction is expected to open in early 2016, and will take guests on a musical journey through Arendelle. A permanent royal greeting location will be part of the pavilion refurbishment where guests can meet Anna and Elsa. This should then free up space in the Magic Kingdom’s Princess Fairytale Hall for alternate and any future princesses.

In the meantime, Frozen fans can continue to visit Arendelle’s royal family at Princess Fairytale Hall, and beginning in November Elsa will transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace each night. Anna and Elsa will be joined by Kristof and Olaf who will be part of this year’s parade at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and some elements of Frozen Summer Fun! are being extended, with an expanded Oaken Trading Post where you can find Frozen merchandise and play in real Florida snow! Whether this announcement brings a smile to your heart, or you prefer to just “Let it Go”, it looks like Frozen, my friends, is here to stay.

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit some of the locations I have never been to at Walt Disney World. My family and I found ourselves wandering around the resorts in the Magic Kingdom area and boy did we discover some amazing hidden gems.

It all started with our trip to The Wilderness Lodge for dinner. Traveling by boat from the magic kingdom we stepped into what seemed to be another world. You would never know you were in busy and bustling metropolis that is Orlando, but you are rather one with nature. The grounds are kept in a way that makes it appear as if the lodge is a natural element of the surrounding woods rather than a resort. As you pass the resort’s pool, the look and feel of a natural Florida spring. As you enter the lobby you feel as though you have stepped into a colossal log cabin. The carvings in the at the tops of the pillars looks as though they were handcrafted by some of the most skilled artist around. The entire lobby is just beautiful. One of the things my family found most enjoyable was grabbing some hot chocolate and wandering up to the second floor. There we found a nice area with a fireplace and comfortable seats where we could people watch and just enjoy the view of the lake and wilderness outside the large window.

On our way to the campground we found another wonderful treat. Boarding our boat the “Navigator” our captain was very friendly and greeted us all. As we pulled away from the dock, Marty, our wonderful captain, began to sing, quite well i may add, some of our favorite Disney tunes. This went on the entire way to the campground and made the trip absolutely wonderful. We did stop along the way so Marty could show us the “Shoe Tree”. This is a tree that guests have attached tennis shoes too at some point and rather than taking them down, the Disney cast members have made it into a joke for their guests. Just before we exited to boat, Marty sang a special song for a young lady on our boat who was celebrating a birthday. The child couldn’t stop smiling. Cast members like these make a Disney vacations even more magical.

As we explored the campground we were greeted again by several cast members and learned a bit about many of the exciting activities we can expect to experience on our trip. We can’t wait to make s’mores at the campfire with Chip and Dale, or take a sunset hay ride around the woods.
Returning to the Contemporary again by boat we were given a unique view of the Wilderness Lodge. Our boat captain pointed out that only from this angel, guest can see the large bear face that makes up the resort. looking at the resort you can see the eyes, nose, and open mouth that make up this ferocious beast. It was a great way to see a part of the resort that you normally don’t get to see.

We finished our evening at the Contemporary. Relaxing and enjoying drinks at the Outer Rim lounge right next to Chef Mickey’s. When it was time, we wandered on to the back balcony of the concourse to watch fireworks. We noticed however the walkway to Bay Lake Tower had the door proper open. The family and I wandered down a bit and found the perfect spot to see from and in that area they play the music to accompany the show. It was one of the best seats in the house.

All in All, exploring the Disney Resorts can lead to so many amazing discoveries. Be sure on your next vacation to take time, rent a surrey bike, explore the common areas, just get to know your resort, or other resorts that peak your interest. You never know what you might find.

Take a look at photos and video from WDW Daily News’ Morgan Turner from the 2014 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

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