Disneyland put a lot of time and effort (and money) to bring its most profitable movie to life. Here's what you need to know about Disney's new Frozen Fun.
California Adventure
For the First Time in Forever: A "Frozen" Sing-Along Celebration
If your little one (or you) loves to sing "Let It Go" at the top of her lungs, then this is a show that you cannot miss. You need to get a Fastpass and then return for the designated show time. While the majority of the show is two "historians" retelling the story of Elsa and Anna's journey in Frozen, the characters do make a brief appearance.
Olaf's Snow Fest
Elsa worked her magic and created a snowy play area in sunny California complete with a frozen water fountain. Before our session, a crew of hard working castmembers broke up the snow and raked it even. While I appreciate the effort, it seemed like it took forever. After the snow was ready, they finally let us and the other dozens of people who were waiting in the snow play area. This was the first time my kids had seen snow. My daughter had a blast until she realized her fingers were ice cold. Oops, mama didn't think to bring gloves. My son was mesmerized by the frozen fountain and spent the majority of the time staring at it. There is a sledding hill but my son was not tall (or old enough - I can't remember...mommy brain) to go on it, so we skipped that. If you are interested in trying that out, beware that the line forms fast and castmembers will cut off the line at a certain point as each session is less than 10 minutes. When our time was up, we were all ushered out so that the snow could be prepped for the next round of guests.
The highlight of Olaf's Snow Fest is Olaf, of course. The line to get the pager to meet Olaf can get quite long; but since we went there first after entering the park, we only waited 20 minutes or so. Once we got the pager, we were told to stay in Hollywood Land. It didn't take long for our pager to buzz and the line to actually meet Olaf was only 10 minutes long. I was informed by a castmember that the wait time was a total of 3 hours on Martin Luther King Day so know that this is a very popular attraction. Once it was our turn, the kids immediately ran up to him. The kids loved him; I loved him. He was absolutely adorable!
Wandering Oaken's Trading Post (but no sauna)
If you're in the market for overpriced Frozen merchandise then this is the place for you. The majority of their items can be bought at your local Disney store for much less.
Anna & Elsa's Royal Welcome
The character greeting for Anna and Elsa is located in the Disney Animation along with Turtle Talk with Crush and Animation Academy with "Do You Want to Draw a Snowman." You have to obtain a Fastpass outside of the building and return at the designated time.
This Fastpass does sell out on busy days so if you want to meet them, make getting a Fastpass a priority. We had previously seen Anna and Elsa when they were in Fantasyland in Disneyland. We had to wait an hour then, but this time around we only waited 20 minutes after we returned at our designated time on the Fastpass. In addition to the short wait time, we were in an air conditioned building surrounded by huge screens that are constantly playing songs from different Disney movies. Hello, welcomed distraction! It really made waiting in line go by so quickly.
Freeze the Night! A Family Dance Party
Being that we usually leave the park by 6pm at the latest, I have not personally experienced the Freeze the Night Dance Party. I read that they have ice carvers and a meet and greet with Marshmallow. So put your dancing shoes on, grab your $12 Pina Colada and boogie down at the Freeze the Night dance party.
The Frozen Fun is advertised as a temporary attraction with the majority of the fun ending mid-May, but Olaf's Snow Fest is set to end on April 30th. I did read that the meet and greet with Olaf will continue after the Snow Fest has concluded though.
***Update***
We just visited California Adventure on May 13, 2015, and Olaf's Snow Fest was gone, but Olaf was still there for meet and greets. He's right outside the building where the Snow Fest was located by the Monster's Inc ride.
Disneyland
Of course, Disneyland couldn't be left out of the mix with all of the new Frozen upgrades.
The Royal Theatre
The Royal Theatre
Here, you can see Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones act out in a theatrical manner the story of Frozen with the help of the two sisters, themselves.
You can obtain a Fastpass to guarantee that you get a seat, but it is not necessary. Fastpass holders are allowed in the theatre first and stand-by guests can enter afterwards. We didn't have a Fastpass and we were still able to find seats. Children are encouraged to sit on the floor and parents are allowed to sit as well in the back portion of the floor seating area.
The show itself was quite amusing. There was some fun adult humor, which made siting on the hard floor with two squirmy kids much more enjoyable. Unlike the past Tangled and Beauty and the Beast shows that were previously featured in the Royal Theatre, there is no meet and greet with the sisters after the show. Bummer!
Mickey's Soundsational Parade
Preceding the parade itself is a float featuring Elsa, Anna, and Olaf. It does arrive before the actual parade start time so be in your parade watching spot a few minutes early. We try to be in our spot at least 20 minutes before the parade starts. I usually try to find a spot where I can keep my stroller with me so the kids don't have to sit on the dirty ground. This parade is definitely worth seeing. It has something for everybody. A note to remember is that this parade does not occur every single day so check the Entertainment Times Guide.
***UPDATE***
Anna and Elsa are no longer in the Mickey's Soundsational Parade. They are, however, in the new Paint the Night parade.
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