Disney invested heavily in bringing Frozen Ever After up to modern standards earlier this year, introducing brand-new Audio-Animatronics at EPCOT. Now, visitors are reporting that several of those upgraded figures are already experiencing technical difficulties.
Frozen Ever After has welcomed guests to Arendelle since 2016, when it replaced Maelstrom inside EPCOT's Norway Pavilion. The attraction sends guests aboard Viking boats through scenes featuring Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and the Snowgies, accompanied by music and moments from Disney's Frozen.
For years, however, one element continued to divide fans. Anna, Elsa and Kristoff relied on projected facial features rather than fully sculpted faces, even as Disney's animatronic technology continued evolving.
That changed after Hong Kong Disneyland opened World of Frozen, where the attraction featured highly expressive Audio-Animatronics with articulated faces. Disney later announced EPCOT would receive the same enhancements.
Frozen Ever After closed on January 26, 2026, to begin the refurbishment after Disney Experiences confirmed the project in advance. Disney Parks Blog explained: “in a full circle moment of innovation, the Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff Audio-Animatronics figures will soon receive new updates after ten years of delighting fans in Frozen Ever After. Taking inspiration from the advancements seen in figures at World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland, the Frozen Ever After figures will face the future of Audio-Animatronics.”
The refurbishment extended well beyond replacing three figures. Speaking with the Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney Imagineering executive creative development team member Ken Ricci said: “Anytime an attraction goes down, we take an opportunity to freshen up what we can. So, we touched up a lot and some show lighting, so it should look refreshed.”
The updated attraction now features Anna, Elsa and Kristoff with sculpted silicone heads capable of more detailed facial movement than the original projected faces. To complete the installation, Imagineers also modified the existing figures.
“Then we literally had to modify the figures' necks to accept the change in the heads,” Ricci explained. “And that took a few days, but we did a lot of pre-planning with technology and software to make sure that we were ready to port over these figures.”
Lighting, scenery and show systems also received updates while the attraction was closed. Frozen Ever After officially welcomed guests back on February 12, 2026, without any changes to its storyline.
Fantasy Springs opened at Tokyo DisneySea in 2024 with Anna and Elsa's Frozen Journey, while Disneyland Paris launched World of Frozen on March 29, 2026, following the park's transformation into Disney Adventure World. EPCOT's refreshed attraction now shares much of the same technology introduced at those newer destinations.
Despite the extensive refurbishment, reports from guests visiting EPCOT on July 23, 2026, suggest several of the attraction's upgraded figures had crashed and were not operating correctly, according to Kenny the Pirate.
Visitors reported that Olaf's head remained angled downward during his scene instead of moving normally. Later in the attraction, Anna reportedly experienced an eye issue while her right hand repeatedly jerked beside Kristoff and Sven.
Guests also observed Elsa's eyes fixed toward the right throughout the attraction's signature “Let It Go” sequence. The closing scene featuring both royal sisters reportedly displayed additional eye malfunctions.
Individual Audio-Animatronic issues are fairly common across Disney attractions, but guests indicated this visit featured multiple problems affecting several headline figures in a single ride-through. It has not been confirmed whether the issues were isolated or if additional maintenance will be required.
For guests heading to EPCOT, Frozen Ever After continues to showcase its upgraded figures, with the new silicone-faced versions of Anna, Elsa and Kristoff offering a more realistic appearance than the attraction's original designs.
At the same time, recent guest reports suggest visitors may encounter occasional technical issues involving several of the attraction's major characters. Combined with wait times that frequently exceed an hour, it's something worth keeping in mind when planning your day.
What are your thoughts on the new Frozen Ever After changes at the EPCOT theme park? Let us know in the comments down below!
