Frozen Ever After Now Closed for Audio-Animatronics Overhaul at Walt Disney World

17 days ago in "Frozen Ever After"

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New Frozen Ever After Audio-Animatronics figures

Posted: Monday January 26, 2026 7:30am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Frozen Ever After is now closed at EPCOT as Disney begins installing upgraded Audio-Animatronics for Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff. The attraction is scheduled to reopen in February 2026 with the enhanced figures.

The closure represents the first major update since the ride opened in 2016. Disney plans to replace the existing animatronics with versions similar to those currently operating at World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland.

New Frozen Ever After Audio-Animatronics figures

What's Being Updated

The new figures feature improvements in several areas:

More expressive facial movements
Refined body animation
Closer resemblance to the film characters

The technology builds on advances Disney has made since Frozen Ever After first introduced all-electric Audio-Animatronics nearly a decade ago. Similar systems now appear in Tiana's Bayou Adventure and other recent attractions.

New Frozen Ever After Audio-Animatronics figures

Timeline and Operations

The refurbishment begins January 26, 2026, and runs through February 2026. Disney has not announced a specific reopening date.

The Norway Pavilion remains open during the closure. Guests can still visit the Royal Sommerhaus meet-and-greet and other pavilion experiences.

This upgrade keeps Frozen Ever After current with Disney's latest animatronic standards. The original 2016 figures pioneered several technologies, including 3D-printed components and designs built around precise gesture mechanics for Elsa's ice-forming movements.

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James Alucobond1 hour ago

I'm not going to complain if they continue on this trajectory with refurbs. We've had or will have Country Bears, Big Thunder, Buzz, Carousel of Progress, Frozen, HS Mermaid, and the Animation building all in relatively short order, all happening alongside two land redos, a half-land redo, and a fully new land. If some Future World pavilions, some Tomorrowland attractions, and some old Fantasyland attractions can get similar attention in the next few years, things will be in significantly better shape than they have been in a very long time.

Architectural Guinea Pig1 hour ago

Ugh this is so smug for the barest of bare minimums I hate it so much 🙄

eddie1042 hours ago

Let’s not get started on that because a lot of things could be said. He was a product of his time.

Chester&Hester Enthusiast3 hours ago

It is clearly a massive improvement, although the bar was pretty low to begin with. That said, the new show lighting is not great and it creates some odd shadows on surfaces that should not have them. The wigs on the Elsas also do not seem to sit flush against the forehead. There appears to be a noticeable gap or deep shadow between the hairline and the skin. I'm not sure if this was also an issue with the old heads and the new lighting is just making it more obvious, but it's especially noticeable in the ice castle scene. Genuinely not understanding the decision to change the show lighting to bright spotlights and warm orange tones in a ride set at night in a snowy ice castle, but welcome to 2026 WDI, I guess. The masterful design firm that thought to place a candle on Madame Leota's table to trick your mind from registering the projection glare on her ball is truly dead and gone, and this is what passes for acceptable attention to minute details these days. 🤷‍♂️ Photos from BlogMickey

Disney Analyst4 hours ago

Saw some clips from today, her head is moving a lot better today. The one thing noted is that it does seem Elsa's new lips cannot keep up as well to the speed of the lyrics, but maybe she just got too much filler?

aladdin20075 hours ago

They must have borrowed some from Gran Fiesta Tour, or had a deal on them, whoever on their team thinks its good show lighting, its not.

Sirwalterraleigh6 hours ago

The fundamental appeal of Disney parks…over six flags over cowabumba…was the atmosphere and feel in the park. It’s a combination of the all the pieces to create a sensory feel that has never been really replicated…not at universal or anywhere…but the gap has closed. You really can’t get that from video. Most old timers had a kinda “euphoric feel” that you really couldn’t put into words. That’s why they are at the top of the food chain. I’m sad you’re not old enough to have felt that. You would have liked it. Now is it “bad” now? No…the strength of the build still is solid. But it feels WAY more like a meat market now than it once did. Lower quality over all with micro transactions everywhere. I advise younger folks to not assume it was always this way or inferior in the past. If you lower your expectations…they will lower their outlays. It’s a race to the bottom. No one wins

MisterPenguin6 hours ago

The orange spotlights on Anna and Kristof are indeed problematic in lighting up a blue background. Throw softer and a bit more whiter lights from more spread out sources, and put blue up lights on the floor behind the AAs.

Disney Analyst6 hours ago

I wonder if Anna’s neck / head is fixed today? It seemed stiff yesterday, like she had a kink in it. Did not seem like it has full motion during the soft.

DCBaker6 hours ago

Jeff Vahle on the updates to Frozen Ever After: "Frozen Ever After" is back and better than ever at EPCOT. Walt Disney Imagineering used new Audio-Animatronics facial technology, inspired by World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, to refresh the Anna, Elsa and Kristoff figures. The Global Engineering & Technology and Facilities Asset Management teams also played a big role in this update, completing paint touch-ups and work on the flume. This is a great example of how we continue to invest in attractions to enhance the experiences our Guests know and love, and I am excited to share more attraction updates with you as they open throughout the year.

Animaniac93-987 hours ago

Disney was already making AAs for the DLP version of the attraction that's opening March 29 It's possible that during development they decided then to duplicate certain parts knowing they were going to make them anyway and install them in this version when they had the chance.

James Alucobond8 hours ago

This is my one complaint. I’m assuming it’s because they’re lighting the scenes in a manner similar to other recent iterations of this ride, but the back wall is way closer in this version. They definitely need to do something to mitigate that, even if it’s reverting to cooler lighting so that the contrast with the projected wall isn’t so stark.

Naplesgolfer8 hours ago

I see things I like about each version of the faces and sure use these it the future with more refinement. But I would rather they had put this money toward refurbishing a ride that needs it vs tweeking a ride that is fine as it is. Spaceship earth needs love. They make so many strange spending decisions. I often have wondered over the years if the process has too many voices and a straight forward vision and priority list gets lost in the process.