Frozen Ever After at EPCOT is officially closed for a major Audio-Animatronic upgrade — Disney is enhancing the Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff figures with updated technology inspired by the newer versions at Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
What’s Actually Changing
When Frozen Ever After opened in 2016, it introduced a brand new type of Audio-Animatronic — the first all-electric figures that combined electric motors with 3D printing. They were groundbreaking at the time, but nearly a decade later, Disney’s animatronic technology has advanced significantly with attractions like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the World of Frozen rides overseas.
According to Disney, the updated figures will feature more expressive facial movements, refined body animation, and a closer resemblance to the film characters. The enhancements draw from the same technology currently in use at World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2023, and Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey at Tokyo DisneySea.
When Does It Reopen?
The ride closed on January 26 and is expected to reopen sometime in February 2026. The Norway Pavilion remains open during the closure — guests can still visit the Royal Sommerhaus meet-and-greet and other pavilion experiences.
The Bigger Picture
This upgrade is part of a broader pattern of Disney investing in improving existing attractions. EPCOT’s Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure recently switched from 3D to 2D animation (ditching the glasses), and Soarin’ Around the World is getting a temporary swap to the original Soarin’ Over California film starting February 6.
A fourth version of Frozen Ever After is also coming to the soon-to-be-renamed Disney Adventure World in Paris on March 29, along with an entire World of Frozen land.
If the Hong Kong and Tokyo versions are anything to go by, this upgrade is going to make a real difference. Those figures are noticeably more expressive and lifelike, and it’s exciting to see EPCOT’s original getting the same treatment nearly ten years later.
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