Since 1988, we have been patiently waiting for a new pavilion to grace World Showcase at Epcot, filling one of the many expansion pads around World Showcase Lagoon. Well, the addition of Frozen to Norway at Epcot will apparently include a large meet and greet pavilion for the Frozen characters that will take up one of these plots.
Filings with the South Florida Water Management District discovered this week by StitchKingdom reveal Disney’s plans for the space next door to the existing Norway pavilion.
The 13,000 square foot building will be located just across from the restrooms, Kringla bakery, and Stave Church. The space at the very least includes a Frozen character meet and greet and new women’s restrooms (we expect the existing restrooms will be remodeled and made into a larger men’s restroom). Behind the building, parking spaces and needed facilities for the pavilion will be constructed. The new building may also house something else because of the size of the structure, but it seems likely Disney will make the most of the space to make sure as many guests could meet Anna, Elsa, and Olaf as possible with a minimal wait.
The former Anna and Elsa meet and greet space in Norway was too small to handle the long queues and guest demand for the characters, thus prompting Disney to build this new facility which will have its very own entrance. While the historical facades of Norway will not be altered, we can expect this meet and greet’s facade to be themed to the fictional kingdom of Arendelle from Frozen.
I sure hope they use some of the revenues generated by the Frozen additions to expand EPCOT attractions beyond just this franchise.