New ‘Frozen’ Summer Fun – Live at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, July 5 – Sep 1

New Entertainment Options Worth Melting for (Literally) Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Since Andy and I rarely visited Walt Disney World in the summer, we *may* not have realized what we were getting into when we relocated to Central Florida. The summers are H.O.T. here! I mean, straight up melting when you step outside. I am really not sure how people do the summer vacation thing here where they are outside for long periods of time in Florida heat and humidity.

As Oaken would say, “yoo hoo”… I guess I better get back to the topic at hand. This summer, last year’s hit blockbuster ‘Frozen’ is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in a big way with some immersive new “Frozen” experiences each day July 5 through September 1, 2014.

The highlights as per the Disney Parks Blog are bulleted below with some additional scoop from the press release added in green and my two cents added in italics in between.

• Olaf on Summer Vacation – Olaf the snowman is having the time of his life on his very first summer vacation! He chimes in throughout the day to keep everyone updated on all his adventures. Plus, you can pick up your very own Take-Along Olaf from locations in the park, so he can join you on your summer vacation. And when you share your photos with Olaf on social media, be sure to tag them with #OlafSummerVacation. They may just get selected to appear in the day’s grand finale.

Disney is getting more social! They have been experimenting with hashtag use by general guests and it seem to be catching on quickly, (not to mention it’s gotten Disney trending a few times)! Hashtags now appear on Times Guides and even in-park signage on special events like the #DisneySide 24-hour party and Star Wars Weekends. Speaking of Star Wars Weekends, Disney started pulling guest photos into the grand finale presentation and it seemed to be a hit. It looks like that will be happening again here with good ‘ol Olaf. From the description. I would guess that we’ll see Olaf in a paper or cardboard form, kinda like the Duffy Kidcot activity in Epcot. Folks can take photos with him throughout the day like many people do with a Flat Stanley. It’s just my guess at what a Take-Along Olaf will be like. Can’t wait to get one!

• Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome – At 11:00 a.m. each day, Elsa and Anna arrive in Hollywood as part of their goodwill tour of neighboring kingdoms, making their way down Hollywood Boulevard in a horse-drawn sleigh. Kristoff is along for the fun, too, joined by a flurry of skaters, skiiers, ice cutters and more! The entire procession culminates in a special moment at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage to officially welcome the visiting royalty to this kingdom of Hollywoodland.

KRISTOFF is going to be here!? Awesome! It sounds like the Christmas parade “skiiers” may have a new summer job too. I am sure they will all be dressed in full winter gear, and all of us, including those lining up to see this parade, will be melting in the Florida sun. Oh, poor Kristoff too.

• For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration – Cool down inside the Premiere Theater, where Anna and Elsa join the Royal Historians of Arendelle for a fun and comedic retelling of the unique history of their Kingdom, filled with delightful, sing-along moments from “Frozen.”

This sounds cute, but potentially could send parents over the edge — if they haven’t already been sent over the edge with endless singing of songs from ‘Frozen’ for the past seven months. Still, I’m looking forward to checking it out. I bet all the kids will be super excited and adorable! And, I’m definitely interested in hearing the ‘comedic retelling’ of what sounds like previously untold back story! Neat!

• Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post & Frozen Funland – Inside Soundstage One, Oaken and his cousins have created a Frozen Funland filled with cold weather activities, unique photo opportunities, and more! There’s a frozen pond with ice skating demonstrations, wintertime fun for kids in the “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” play area, a “big summer blowout” with plenty of “Frozen” merchandise, and special “Frozen”-inspired food and beverage offerings.

Part of the Oaken’s Frozen Funland will be an ice skating rink with demonstrations by some of Oaken’s talented cousins on the Arendelle ice.

In addition, icy artisans will put their talents on display, creating carvings of favorite “Frozen” characters from giant frozen blocks. Kids can enjoy frozen wintertime activities in the “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” area. 

For all of his Frozen Funland friends, Oaken has plenty of merchandise at his Trading Post, along with hot cocoa and sweet treats available for purchase.

Haha. Of course he does! You can’t go to Wandering Oaken’s (or any Disney special event for that matter) and not buy some merchandise and themed food! This actually sounds like an excellent place to cool off. Soundstage One is pretty large, but they do have a lot of things planned in here. Can’t wait to see the set up! Oh, but I most definitely do not want to build a snowman if it involves actual snow. I wonder how cold it’s going to be in there?

Guests can take pictures with the film’s animated characters in a virtual setting, and then email them or share on their social media channels.

When guests want to escape the icy atmosphere of Oaken’s outpost, all they have to do is look for the door marked “Sauna,” where they once again will exit to the warm Florida sun.

I see what you did there, Disney. Hilarious! And the Lord knows it will be a sauna out there. 

• “Coolest Summer Ever” Dance Party – Starting at 5:30 p.m. each day, a dance party takes over the area around the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage, with a DJ, live band, and more! The band plays a variety of classic and contemporary summer rock & roll hits, as well as a cool, rocking medley of “Frozen” favorites. It’s going to be hot!

Just a few days ago, Disney Parks announced a different dance party / live band event called “Rock Your Summer Side” that will take place each day now through Aug 22, 2014. That event is scheduled for 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., so it sounds like the “Coolest Summer Ever” party is only 30 minutes long, and the entertainment changes at 6 p.m. It also seems “Rock Your Disney Side” will be cut short for the 9:45 p.m. finale described below.

• “Frozen” Fireworks Spectacular – Everything wraps up at 9:45 p.m. when Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf come together at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage for a grand finale to the day’s festivities, kicking off an awe-inspiring fireworks display set to the glorious music of “Frozen!”

The giant Sorcerer Mickey Hat on Hollywood Blvd. gets the full Frozen treatment with special projections of snow and ice images, in an eye-popping spectacular above Hollywood Blvd. Set to the film’s soundtrack, the fireworks show will feature some special guests – including a very magical appearance from Elsa in which she will show how her powers flurry “through the air and to the ground” to produce magically icy blue and white gleaming fireworks. 

Ooooooh! It sounds great! Folks have been clamoring for more Anna and Elsa, so adding Frozen at Hollywood Studios makes sense to me. I think ‘Frozen’ fiends are going to love it. It will be interesting to see how guests fit these events into their probably-already-scheduled summer touring plans and Fastpass+ reservations!

Hope you all have a cool summer!