May 7, 2024, 5:24 PM ·

Tokyo Disney Resort today hosted a press preview for its new Fantasy Springs land in Tokyo DisneySea.No, I did not get to go, but in conjunction with the event, Tokyo Disney owner Oriental Land Co. has released many new photos of the land’s attractions. They have POV video of the rides, too, but those files are about 30GB each, so… it might be a bit before I have those downloaded to share with you.

In the meantime, let’s start our look at the stars of Fantasy Springs with the attraction that probably has the most familiar point of comparison for Theme Park Insider readers – Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey.Disney’s third Frozen boat ride plusses the concept once again, beyond what Imagineers accomplished with the recent installation of Frozen Ever After in Hong Kong Disneyland. This Frozen Journey is once again a “book report” retelling of Disney’s first “Frozen” animated film, but this time depicted with far more detail than the EPCOT and Hong Kong versions.
All photos courtesy Oriental Land Co.We enter the ride at the side of Arendelle Castle, with Elsa’s ice castle peeking above, in a tease of what’s to come inside. And there, we wind through multiple rooms of Arendelle Castle and environs, on our way to the ride’s loading station.Every room offers plenty of detailed callbacks to the film, but the dollhouse version of the castle, with its Anna and Elsa dolls, is especially worthy of visitors’ attention.
The load station also impresses, with its detailed high ceilings.The rock trolls again open the story, framing the ride as a retelling of what in Arendelle is the famous story of how Elsa revealed her powers and Anna sacrificed to save her sister, protecting the kingdom. But we have to start that story with young Anna and Elsa, whom we see on other side of that closed door.Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey uses show lighting to great effect in the attraction, amplifying the sense of warmth and coolness when needed. Eventually, the castle opens for Elsa’s coronation, and Anna welcomes us. Then she finds what she thinks is the true love that can save her, depicted by some nifty animated projection work.But, of course, Elsa knows what she has been hiding…And soon enough, those powers are revealed.Humiliated, Elsa flees to the mountain where she will create her ice palace.Anna follows to search for her sister, finding new friends Olaf and Kristoff along the way.But Hans has plans to eliminate Elsa and take over Arendelle.Which Anna prevents by sacrificing herself… (again, projection mapping really helps sell the transformation)…Fulfilling the “true love” that would save her, setting us up for the finale.Even though Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey is a new take on the Frozen Ever After concept, it still delivers the moments of Elsa in the Ice Castle singing her anthem that fans of the original versions of the ride have come to expect. And the Tokyo Disney version also employs the direction-changing flume switches that the original EPCOT installation carried over from its previous life as Maelstrom in the park’s Norway pavilion.Stay tuned for more looks inside the other attractions at Tokyo DisneySea’s Fantasy Springs. If you are planning to visit to see these new rides in person, there are ticket deals on our partner’s Tokyo Disney Resort tickets page.To keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.