Frozen Ever After, the water-based dark ride at EPCOT in Walt Disney World Resort, is closed as of January 26, 2026. The attraction is expected to reopen in February 2026, though no specific date has been announced. Disney announced plans to install updated audio-animatronic figures. This marks the ride’s first major update since its opening in 2016.
The new audio-animatronics reflect improvements in motion and expression that Disney has developed over the last decade. The original figures used projection to show facial movement, a technique that has since been replaced with sculpted faces and more complex motor control in other parks’ versions of the attraction.
The Updates
The work involves replacing the existing figures of Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff with new versions that employ updated design and motion technology.
The ride originally opened in the Norway Pavilion at EPCOT on June 21, 2016, using all-electric audio-animatronics with projected face features. The attraction’s figures were among the first Disney had built using fully electric systems and projection for facial animation.
Anna and Kristoff in Frozen Ever After at EPCOT in Walt Disney World – YouTube, 4K WDW
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According to refurbishment notices from Walt Disney World, the new figures will have sculpted faces and enhanced body movement similar to those installed in the World of Frozen attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland. Disney officials have described the work as an improvement to the character figures, not a redesign of the ride system or route.
❄️ Say goodbye to the internal-projection faces in Frozen Ever After at EPCOT, because the new Audio-Animatronic figures will debut in February 2026! #EPCOT #FrozenEverAfter pic.twitter.com/xVSNjbbVLg
— DSNY Newscast (@DSNYNewscast) December 3, 2025
The closure for this project is the most extensive the attraction has seen since its opening. In the past, Frozen Ever After has experienced routine maintenance closures, but none on this scale or duration. Walt Disney World has not stated that other aspects of the ride, such as scenes or music, will be changed as part of the current work.
Anna Elsa and Olaf in Frozen Ever After at EPCOT in Walt Disney World – YouTube, 4K WDW
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Disney has maintained that the refurbishment is temporary and part of ongoing efforts to keep attractions up to date. The official calendar shows Frozen Ever After with a February 2026 reopening timeframe, while noting that the date is subject to change.
Planning a Visit
While the ride itself is closed, other experiences in the Norway Pavilion, such as character meet-and-greets at Royal Sommerhus, remain open for guests visiting EPCOT. Park schedules have not indicated additional closures tied to the Frozen Ever After refurbishment beyond the ride itself.
The era of “what happened to that animatronic’s face in my photos?” is ending at EPCOT. Frozen Ever After closed today so Imagineers could swap out the ride’s rear-projection animatronics for much more realistic versions.
Link: https://t.co/clw6HYA0JE pic.twitter.com/54ZMwDZ3q5— Diservations (@diservations) January 26, 2026
Guests planning visits to EPCOT are advised to check updated park calendars and official Walt Disney World communications for the latest information on the ride’s operational status. Disney has not released further details about potential delays or an exact reopening date as of this writing.
This refurbishment coincides with wider seasonal maintenance at Walt Disney World, which commonly occurs in late January and February each year. EPCOT’s schedule also lists other temporary closures unrelated to Frozen Ever After during this period.
Are you looking forward to the ride’s update? Will you still stop in the Norway Pavilion with Frozen Ever After closed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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