Walt Disney World nerds cry over the replacement of Maelstrom with Frozen attraction

The only people with a legitimate beef here are Norwegians and Norwegian Americans, who may object to their home country being depicted as a land of talking snowmen. And they can get in line behind Mexico.

(I was going to post something about replacing it with a terrain flume ride, but then I realized the Mexico pavilion in fact offers that. Which is probably why it was deemed necessary to add Donald Duck.)

Channeling Ted Nugent and his opining on Native Americans...(with *all* due eye-rolling)...

If those Norwegians don't like it, they should go back to Norwegia where they came from! (heavy sarcasm and winkies).

The current budget figure for the Frozen makeover is around 75-80 millions. Sound like big bucks, no? But to Walt Disney Imagineering, it is pocket change. The Little Mermaid ride at Magic Kingdom was 115 millions dollars and the 3 off the shelf Intamin rides in Paris the same figure. Yep, 115 million dollars for a Half Pipe coaster, a musik express and a junior parachute tower. The theming? Fake toys.

The tragic makeover that ripped out the original Journey into Imagination at Epcot and left a bunch of screens (Journey into YOUR Imagination) cost 52 millions. According to witnesses, after the initial ride through, Michael Eisner turned to Tom Fitzgerald, current high boss at Imagineering, and screamed: what did you do with my money? 52 millions was the budget for that "defurb".

So, I am worried that if Disney is only spending 75 millions on a ride that need extensive work just to remove the mold and rot, what will we get after for a "Frozen" experience?

P.S: Frozen is the most popular film ever in Japan and thus, Oriental Land are no fools. Oriental Land own and operate the Tokyo Disney Resort and a proposal from Imagineering for a full Frozen area has been pitched to them. Rumors point to a large expansion pad in Tokyo Disney Sea that had been originally earmarked as "Glacier Bay". A huge show building would be constructed and inside, a smaller family attraction and a huge E-Ticket using the Disney trackless dark ride system would be installed. Also, a large restaurant where you would eat under perpetual auroras would be a part as well. Budget for that? 450 millions and from my very conservative estimation, would take attendance for the park from 14 millions to over 17-18 millions guests a year. Combine that with Tokyo Disneyland and they will outdraw WDW.