As Frozen Mania sweeps through the Kingdom of the Mouse the question for many guests is: Do we want to to build a snowman or do we want to ride the newly-opened Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? If your little princess wants to see the Frozen Girls, you better have a plan.
Anna and Elsa of Arendelle have journeyed from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom, but did the move put an end to the out of this world wait times? Reports of parents standing in line for up to six hours at the Norway Pavilion had become the norm and the hoopla was severely disrupting the traffic of the Norway attraction, shops and eateries. Long lines formed as soon as the park opened.
Parents took turns holding their kids spot in line, the patience of many was tested to unexpected limits and those who had brought tablets with electronic games to occupy their little princess where the envy of those who had not.
Something had to be done, after all, this is supposed to be the Happiest Place on Earth. So Disney decided to relocate Anna and Elsa to the Princess Fairytale Hall at the Magic Kingdom. And while there was some protest from Aurora and other royals, Anna and Elsa were moving in. The domestic shuffle did not solve the problem however as demand for the two heroines continues to soar.
If you are able to get a FastPass+ reservation via MyDisneyExperience.com you are a winner, if not you are out of luck. Even in their new location Anna and Elsa are the hottest ticket in the park.
Like a rock band, the royal sisters are in such demand that Disney simply can’t keep up. The moment the ropes drop at the Magic Kingdom there are two distinguished group. One is running for the newly opened Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride and the larger one – clearly recognizable by the many strollers in the group – is hitting Princess Fairytale Hall.
If meeting Anna and Elsa is a priority and you do not have a Fastpass+ reservation there is only one thing to do-join the stampede. Lines for Anna and Elsa are insanely long, and by 10 a.m. easily exceed 3 hours.
There are thing worth melting for and others are not:
While Anna and Elsa meet and greet do now meet guests all day, (and to accomplish seeing more guests, Anna and Elsa no longer meet together at Princess Fairytale Hall; they meet separately, but in the same room), Cast Members will close the line depending on the projected wait time. So what is a Frozen fan to do?
If you have no Fastpass+ and if waiting in line for more than three hours is not your thing there is one more option and it is hands down, the best way to see the royal sisters at the Magic Kingdom, albeit it is not a one on one encounter.
In the Festival of Fantasy Parade, Anna and Elsa ride a float along with Belle, Cinderella and Princess Tiana. The parade is fabulous and a must see.
If that does not meet your child’s appetite for all things Frozen there is – at least for now: Frozen Summer Fun at Disney Hollywood Studios.
Now through September 28th, Anna and Elsa, joined by Kristoff are daily guests at The Studios. There is a welcome parade at 11 a.m., a Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, ice-skating and snowman building, a dance party and Frozen Fireworks Spectacular at the Sorcerers Hat. Plenty of merchandise and Frozen-inspired drinks and foods are also available.
There is however no meet and greet with the royal guests and guess what? The Frozen Premium packages, which cost $59 per person and offered reserved viewing and seating for all the Frozen Summer Fun events, are already sold out for the rest of the summer! (Ed–with the extension of the Frozen Summer Fun event, additional Frozen Summer Fun Premium Packages are on sale. The Premium Packages are only available for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, as the “Frozen Fireworks Spectacular will only be held on weekends beginning September 5.)
It is still yet to be seen if Disney will extend the Frozen activities at The Studios. Merchandising for the film is huge and at times shops run out of the most popular items such as the dresses, the talking Olaf plush and the Frozen Christmas ornament all of which are really hard to come by.
The best place to shop for Frozen merchandise and Frozen inspired food and drinks is the Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post inside Soundstage One at Disney Hollywood Studios.
Frozen premiered at the El Capitan Theater on November 19, 2013 and went into general release on November 27 of the same year. The movie accumulated over a billion in worldwide box office revenue and ranks as the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Frozen will go on ice and on Broadway, we may even see a sequel but one thing is sure the lines to see the duo at Princess Fairytale Hall will not go away no matter the magic involved.