When Frozen Ever After opened at EPCOT in 2016, it was billed as a technical leap forward. The Norway Pavilion boat ride replaced Maelstrom with state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics of Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf – and at the time, they really did look different from anything else in the park.
One of the biggest changes back then was the use of projected faces. Instead of fully sculpted, mechanically moving facial features, the characters had animated expressions digitally projected onto smooth, pale surfaces. The bodies were fully electric figures with fluid movement, but the faces were essentially animated overlays. For 2016’s standards, the effect was expressive and film-accurate. But over time, and when things weren’t working perfectly, the illusion broke fast. As the years passed, we all started to notice the misaligned projections, difference in coloration, and in rare cases, blank faces if the system glitched.
Nearly a decade later, we have the next chapter of Frozen Ever After Audio-Animatronics technology.
Earlier this month, Frozen Ever After closed for a brief refurbishment focused primarily on upgrading the main animatronics. When the ride reopened today, Anna and Elsa (along with other key figures) featured fully sculpted, articulated heads instead of projection-mapped faces.
The difference is immediately noticeable in before-and-after comparisons.
Previously, the faces appeared flat under certain lighting conditions. The projected features didn’t always blend seamlessly with the three-dimensional bodies, especially when viewed from the side. In photos, the eyes sometimes looked slightly off, and skin tones didn’t quite match up due to projection brightness.
Now, the characters have dimensional silicone faces with physically moving eyes, mouths, and brows. Each of the scene’s lighting also been updated, offering more depth, as well as giving the characters a more colorful and natural look.
Importantly, the original 2016 figures were already electric-powered, which allowed for smooth body motion compared to older hydraulic systems. The 2026 update builds on that foundation with refined movement and improved show control, making gestures and timing feel more natural overall.
For a longtime EPCOT fan like myself (who may still miss Maelstrom), this update feels like a long-overdue polish… for the first time in forever, as they say. It’s great to see Disney World continue to refresh some of their more-popular attractions to keep up with their own newer global destinations. How do you feel about the updated Audio-Animatronics?
