I Went To Disneyland’s World Of Frozen Theme Park In Hong Kong
Let it go and live like an Arendellian for the day.
Disney is finally opening up the gates to its Frozen-themed land. The newest attraction in the Disney catalog, which made its debut to the public at Hong Kong Disneyland on Nov. 20, is a fully immersive area nestled between the park’s Fantasyland and Toy Story Land spaces, and transports guests to the instantly recognizable Kingdom Of Arendelle as seen in the franchise’s two movies and three shorts. Being the Disney Adult that I am, I went to World Of Frozen days before fellow fanatics could visit the space and it’s definitely more than just a fixer upper.
In an interview with Elite Daily during the grand opening ceremony, Frozen director and Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Director Jennifer Lee says the theming of this new area “hits on every level.” As I entered World Of Frozen from under the large stone bridge that funnels guests in from Fantasyland, I could tell exactly what Lee meant.
Some clever tricks in perspective keep the village hidden until the very last minute, making the reveal as you round the corner into Arendelle all the more jaw-dropping. Combine that with the familiar tunes being pumped out over the loudspeaker and you’re looking at full body chills. “You really don't even feel like you're in Disneyland anymore,” the Walt Disney Company’s Chairman of Experiences Josh D’Amaro tells Elite Daily of World Of Frozen.
As the first of three new Frozen lands coming to Disney Parks across the globe (Tokyo Disney and Disneyland Paris expected to see their iterations open sometime in 2024), Hong Kong’s World Of Frozen is just the beginning of Frozen fever for Disney Experiences. With Frozen 3 and 4 already in the works, the potential these spaces hold is on everyone’s radar. “Jenn’s going to keep creating magnificent stuff and I'm going to be right by her side,” D’Amaro vows.
Elite Daily was invited to be among the first to visit the brand new area for its inaugural Summer Snow Day celebration, a holiday in honor of the time Anna saved Elsa through an act of true love. From Olaf-shaped treats to Oaken-designed rides, here’s everything you need to know about Hong Kong Disneyland’s World Of Frozen:
Navigating Hong Kong Disneyland’s World Of Frozen
Split into two distinct areas, World Of Frozen is pretty easy to navigate. That said, the small size of the land is likely to make it incredibly busy during the first few months of opening, so it’s vital that you know where you’re heading and which attractions are where.
Arendelle Village
If you’re entering under the bridge from Fantasyland, Arendelle Village will be your first point of call. Here you’ll find Elsa’s Friendship Fountain, Northern Delights, and the Golden Crocus Inn, Arendelle Castle (guests can’t enter the castle — it is, devastatingly, for display only), Frozen Ever After, and a lot of authentic Nordic architecture lining the streets.
The North Mountain and Elsa’s Ice Palace are set into the facades that create the background of the land and, thanks to more playing with perspective, will always appear as the tallest point in Arendelle. Decorated with 200 strategically placed crystals, the Ice Palace will sparkle depending on where the light hits it, so it’s definitely worth visiting Arendelle Village at different times throughout the day.
Arendelle Forest
From Arendelle Village you can cross Anna and Elsa’s father King Agnarr’s Bridge into Arendelle Forest. The woodsy area, also accessible via a pathway from It’s A Small World, plays host to Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, Traveling Traders, and Forest Fare, as well as the Playhouse In The Woods show space.
The Food At Hong Kong Disney’s World Of Frozen Isn’t Standard Theme Park Fodder
While there isn’t a table service restaurant in World Of Frozen, the land’s quick service options more than make up for it. Whether you’re looking for a grab-and-go snack, a cold hard sugar rush, or just 30 minutes to sit in some AC and devour a skillet, Arendelle has a spot to suit your needs.
Golden Crocus Inn
World Of Frozen’s largest eatery is located on the land’s main thoroughfare and boasts two indoor seating areas, plus an outdoor area that overlooks the Bay of Arendelle. The menu is relatively small, but guests can expect a good selection of Nordic-inspired dishes that will cater to most dietary requirements.
As a vegetarian, I opted for the Forest Mushroom Pasta, which is served with a poached egg and a delicious truffle cream sauce. Meat-eaters can choose from the Village Chicken Roll Stuffed with Ham & Cheese or the Innkeeper’s Special Braised Lamb Shank (the mashed potato that accompanies this dish was exceptional), and fish fans will enjoy the Bayside Seafood Medley.
Sides include a Prawn Cocktail and Arendelle Meatballs, but dessert is where things get fun. The Celebration Chocolate Fondue is a nod to Anna’s lyric from “Love Is An Open Door,” and serves up to four guests with melted chocolate, and marshmallows and fruit for dipping.
Northern Delights
For extra desserts or just a quick sweet treat, guests should direct their attention to Northern Delights, the “oldest sweet shop in Arendelle.” Inside, you can purchase a whole host of Instagram-friendly snacks, including the Candy Apple Snowball and North Mountain Almond Tart, which is garnished with adorable chocolate silhouettes of Anna and Elsa. The Coronation Sundae (left) is equally cute for the ‘Gram and comes served in a souvenir cup that you can take home for posterity.
Olaf is well represented here too, with multiple items bearing the iconic snowman’s likeness. There’s the Olaf Soft Serve (right), Olaf Snowflake Smultringer (aka Norwegian doughnuts), Olaf Celebration Cake (decorated in the style of 2015 short Frozen Fever — as a carrot cake fan, this was my favorite), and Olaf Muffin, all of which will give your grid the festive feels it deserves.
Forest Fare
Over in Arendelle Forest, just before the entrance to Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, you’ll find Forest Fare. This is your grab-and-go location and, among other snacks, serves the handy Forest Fare Gourmet Box, which is filled with everything a traveling Arendellian might need (crab stick and corn salad, chicken bun with cheese and tomato sauce, and a fruit crepe).
The food cart also serves the seasonally available Sausage Platter (big Scandinavian vibes here), as well as Snowflake Churros and the Forest Friends Stein, which is filled with mango-flavored shaved ice.
The Rides In World Of Frozen Are Tame, But Beautifully Executed
With only two rides, it’s easy to imagine that the lines in World Of Frozen will get pretty intense during peak season. Unfortunately, both are must-do attractions, so you’re going to want to budget at least half a day to explore this area of the park and get the rides in.
Frozen Ever After
Walt Disney World fans will be familiar with this one. The attraction opened in Epcot’s Norway pavilion back in 2016, but don’t think that means you can skip Hong Kong Disneyland’s version. Imagineers were able to start from scratch in World Of Frozen, while WDW’s version was a re-theme of the 1988 Epcot ride Maelstrom. With the extra room to get creative, Imagineers gave Hong Kong Disney’s iteration of Frozen Ever After added scenes, brand new animatronics, and a drop that is almost twice as steep.
With all of those aspects thrown in, the ride is a whopping 90 seconds longer than its Orlando counterpart and, let me tell you, I was impressed. While the drop on its own can’t make this a certified thrill ride, it is sudden and significant enough that my boat of guests all let out a squeal, and the added scenes give even more dimension to what was already a pretty excellent boat ride blueprint.
Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs
If you’re a thrill-seeker, Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs isn’t going to set your world on fire. The Walt Disney Imagineers described it as a “junior coaster” intended to bridge the gap between the park’s universally accessible rides like It’s A Small World and height-restricted options including HyperSpace Mountain and the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars.
The story goes that Wandering Oaken (hoo-hoo!) built the Sliding Sleighs to celebrate Summer Snow Day, so you can expect appearances from Olaf, Sven, and of course Oaken himself throughout the line. But, I have to warn you: this ride is short. Although the coaster is incredibly smooth and gets up to a good speed as it rounds the corners, I needed to stay on for at least another minute to get the proper post-ride rush. That said, it is a great starting point for theme park newbies, and the seamless line-to-ride storyline is worth the visit alone.
The World Of Frozen Merch Takes The Immersion To A Whole New Level
Tick Tock Toys & Collectibles
After riding Frozen Ever After, guests will exit through the Tick Tock Toys & Collectibles gift shop, a “centuries old toy shop” that supplied Anna and Elsa with toys through their childhood. Disney’s merchandising team worked hard to make sure this space wasn’t just filled with your typical Mickey Ears and plushies (though you can find variations of these here too).
Designers spent months researching traditional Nordic toys and patterns to bring a stunningly cute selection of items to guests, including knitted character headbands and wooden toys that feel like they’ve been lifted straight from a Scandinavian toy shop.
There are also a whole host of items geared toward guests that like to Disney Bound, including hair ribbons, tote bags, blouses, and intricately designed sweaters and cardigans. I went for the Snowgie sweater vest cardigan and very much look forward to proclaiming “it’s from Arendelle” when asked about where I purchased.
Traveling Traders
In Arendelle Forest, guests can stop at the Travelling Traders cart just opposite the entrance to Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs. It sells a smaller selection of the same items found in Tick Tock Toys, but be sure to pay a visit as it’s possible the more popular items may be less likely to sell out in this location.
Other Must-Do Attractions In Hong Kong Disneyland’s World Of Frozen
All true Disney fans know that the parks aren’t just about hitting up rides and eating delicious snacks; it’s the periphery entertainment that often brings the most unique experiences to your vacation.
Playhouse In The Woods
Disney has abandoned the traditional meet-and-greet for World Of Frozen, instead opting for a 15-minute interactive show experience that puts guests in the middle of Anna and Elsa’s journey to summon the spirits to Arendelle. The Playhouse, constructed by Anna and Elsa’s parents as a space for Elsa to safely practice her ice magic, is filled with wooden statues of the elemental spirits that Anna has commissioned to celebrate Summer Snow Day.
Each visit to the Playhouse will take on a slightly different plot as Anna and Elsa call different spirits into the room depending on guests’ choosing, so you might want to set aside time to experience this attraction more than once.
Roaming Characters
Oaken, Kristoff, Elsa, and Anna can all be found wandering the streets of Arendelle throughout the day, meaning character interactions are more spontaneous and immersive than the one on one photo opportunities you’ll be used to lining up for throughout the rest of the park. While this does mean it’ll be harder to snap a pic with your faves, the lucky guests that are singled out by characters for an interaction will get a much more fleshed out conversation.
You’ll also spot the Royal Arendellian Troubadours appearing throughout the day to play songs and add to the party atmosphere, and Cast Members throughout the land have their own Arendelle backstories just like those on Batuu in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios and Disneyland in Anaheim. But the true star of the show is Mossy the troll, who rolls out periodically to meet guests in Arendelle Forest. The puppet-meets-animatronic can speak, move, and react to guest’s conversations, making them an absolute must-see during any visit to World of Frozen.
Post a letter from Arendelle
One of my favorite souvenirs from World Of Frozen was the postcard I mailed from Tick Tock Toys and Collectibles. Guests can choose from three paper designs, plus the more expensive wooden postcard option, and mail it directly to their loved ones’ home (or their own, which I made sure to do as well). Postcards include international mailing and on arrival, will be stamped with a unique Arendelle postmark — the perfect snail mail surprise for any Frozen fans in your life.
The Easter Eggs In World Of Frozen Are Hidden In Plain Sight
It’s not a Disney park without some well thought out Easter eggs. The below are just a handful of those you can spot in Hong Kong Disneyland’s World Of Frozen, so keep your eyes peeled as you roam Arendelle Village and Forest during your trip.
Sven & Kristoff’s Prints
In Arendelle Forest, just outside Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, make sure you take a moment to look at the ground. The reindeer hooves are an obvious nod to Sven, but next to them you’ll see large, boot-shaped footprints that belong to Kristoff. Imagineers Michel Den Dulk and Amanda Chiu tell Elite Daily that Kristoff’s real boots were used to create these prints, so know that when you see them, they’re true to size.
Hidden Brunis
Bruni the Fire Spirit was a sleeper hit when Frozen 2 debuted in theaters, so it makes sense that the team behind World Of Frozen wanted to see him represented in the land. There are three Brunis to find all in all, and they’re sized similarly to the Pascal figures fans will be used to scoping out in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland.
All three of the Bruni figures can be found in Arendelle Forest. Take a right turn after crossing King Agnarr’s Bridge and you’ll find a Bruni along the quiet trail. He’s also hiding in the line for Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, on your left as you pass the coaster’s track. The third Bruni is on your right as you enter the Playhouse In The Woods, hiding on a rock among the foliage.
Exterior of the Golden Crocus Inn
You’ll notice the two halves of Arendelle’s quick service location are painted in different colors: on the left the building is purple and blue, and on the right it’s green and yellow. The colors represent the dresses that Elsa (left) and Anna (right) wore on coronation day in the original Frozen movie.
Hong Kong Disneyland’s World Of Frozen Is Galaxy’s Edge For Fantasy Fans
The themed land gets a 9/10 from me. Spending the day in Arendelle made me feel like a true citizen of the Kingdom, and I loved the attention Imagineers paid to providing interactive elements that skewed toward older fans of the franchise — I only wish this land were even bigger. If Disney continues with the trend of constructing hyper-immersive areas that bring guests into the story (see: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Anaheim and Orlando), then fans better buckle up. The rides in World Of Frozen aren’t going to make your stomach somersault its way out of your mouth, but you will disembark feeling even more a part of the story than before. If that’s not healing for your inner child, then I don’t know what is.
