Kristoff And Sven's Reindeer Ranch At Disney's Animal Kingdom

Frozen has been such a hit that the characters from the film are making a home for themselves at Walt Disney World in Florida.  Anna and Elsa greet guests in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.  In 2016, the Frozen gang returns to Norway in Epcot with a ride and a revival of their famous 2013 World Showcase meeting location.  Frozen Summer Fun (complete with a parade, store, skating venue, sing-along-show and fireworks) hit Disney's Hollywood Studios in the summer of 2014 and took the park by (Winter) storm.

Why should Disney's Animal Kingdom be left out of the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of success the Frozen characters can bring?

I would like to suggest Kristoff and Sven's Reindeer Ranch at Disney's Animal Kingdom, replacing Rafiki's Planet Watch.  The new Sven attraction could feature live reindeer (of course) and a chance to meet Kristoff.

There's no doubt that the line to meet Kristoff could exceed the wait time for Expedition Everest.  You'd think Kristoff was Elvis the way people reacted to him at Frozen Summer Fun.

Kristoff and Sven's Reindeer Ranch would also need an indoor snow arena, where you could build a snowman or ice skate.  And an indoor merchandise location, too, of course!

Have you ever been to Disney's Animal Kingdom on a Summer Day?  A snow attraction at Animal Kingdom would be the most popular thing the park has ever had.

And it would be funny if Kristoff and Sven's Reindeer Ranch also had a flat ride starring Marshmallow the Snow Monster (as a nod to the Yeti from Expedition Everest).

Guests of Kristoff and Sven's Reindeer Ranch may purchase a package of Olaf Noses (carrots) as a snack or to feed to the reindeer.

Anime Olaf, Elsa and Anna: Disney's Frozen In Japan

Frozen has been a global smash hit for Disney, especially in Japan, where the film's title is Anna and the Snow Queen.  Japan knows how to make cool toys, and put a new twist on the movie's merchandise.

Let's be blunt, the merchandise in Japan (made by companies like Takara/Tomy) is insanely cute, especially for Olaf the Snowman.

This a snowman that is easy to hug.

Anime backpack Olaf has got your back!

Olaf will keep your drinks cold inside his boneless body.

Like Elsa, you can give life to Olaf (in puppet form).

This snowman won't give you frostbitten hands.

Anime Anna is just as friendly as her computer animated American counterpart.

Anna is eager to flee the palace and have fun with you.

When this Elsa grabs on to your keys or cell phone, she won't Let It Go.

Elsa is the warmest Ice Princess you'll ever meet.

Here is a very different Anime Elsa, on a stylish cloth bag.

This stunning artwork makes me wonder if we'll ever see a hand-drawn animated Japanese Snow Queen series from Disney (I really hope so!).  Hey, it happened for Lilo and Stitch!

Disney's Atlantis Beanie Babies And Kida, The Lost Disney Princess

I wonder if children who saw Disney's 2001 animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire begged their parents for bean bag toys of the Martag fish vehicle and the Stone Giant.  Who would not want to cuddle up with a menacing Stone Giant?

With Frozen doing big business these days, it is interesting to look back at Atlantis and wonder how things would have been done differently with Princess Kida today.  Kida (voiced by Cree Summer) is exotic looking and has Queen Elsa's platinum blonde hair.  She really should have been the star of Atlantis.  Think of all the dolls that could have been sold.  Instead, the focus was on dozens of other characters.  This movie could have been Disney's answer to Grease 2 (I know that is not necessarily a good thing, but hear me out).

The main character in Atlantis: The Lost Empire is Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox), a huge nerd.  Milo meets Princess Kida and by the end of the movie, Milo is wearing a Hugh Hefner robe (see the Milo doll) and Kida and Milo are a couple.  Kind of what happens in Grease 2.

There were big plans for Atlantis, including an animated TV series.  The series morphed into the 2003 video sequel Atlantis: Milo's Return.

When I first heard about Disney's Atlantis movie, I really hoped it would be about the legendary race of fish folk living in Atlantis, as portrayed in the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction that opened at Tokyo DisneySea in Japan back in 2001.  That would have been something really different.

The Frozen McDonald's Happy Meal Snowman Toy Gets Thawed, And The Frozen Snow Theme Park

Once Upon A Time, the release of a new Disney movie was a accompanied by a highly anticipated set of toys sold at McDonald's (or Burger King).  If the Disney film "Frozen" had been released back then, we'd probably see an Olaf the Snowman toy similar to this one.

Changes in marketing back in 2006 have made new additions to this popular subset of Disney collecting a thing of the past.

In 2000, Simon Marketing, Inc. posted this clever Snowman toy Classified Ad for a McDonald's Happy Meal Premium Designer.

Simon Marketing, Inc. created some great International McDonald's Happy Meal toys for Disney's The AristoCats and Disney's Lady and the Tramp.  (Check out the links to see them).

In recent years, Disney has partnered with Subway Restaurants to promote the newest films and TV shows.  They usually offer reusable lunch bags or things like WALL-E Digital Calorie Counters to collect.

UPDATE 12/6/13:  I saw Frozen on Thanksgiving Day and thought it was fantastic.  Especially amazing is the "Let It Go" sequence (sung by Idina Menzel) where Elsa finally unleashes her powers, creates her ice palace, lets down her hair, and transforms into the Snow Queen.  It was so good, it gave me chills. Elsa Rules!

And yes, Subway Restaurants have Frozen lunch bags to collect.

UPDATE 7/8/14:
In July of 2014, Elsa and Anna took Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida by storm with Frozen Summer Fun.  The new event includes shows, a parade, and an indoor ice skating rink.

I'm going to make a bold prediction here, and start a very plausible rumor:  I bet there's a good chance that we could see an indoor Frozen snow theme park attraction at Walt Disney World in Florida.  This sort of attraction idea is not new.  In fact, Dolly Parton planned a Snow and Water park for the former site of the Opryland theme park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dolly Parton's water-snow park was announced on January 19, 2012:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Dolly Parton plans a water-snow park in Nashville, described as the first of its kind in the country, to join her other tourist attractions in East Tennessee.

The new $50 million venture, announced Thursday on Parton's 66th birthday, is a 114-acre park projected to open as early as summer 2014. It is not yet named.

It will join her Dollywood theme park and a water park in Pigeon Forge, about 190 miles away in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.

Sadly, Dolly Parton's snow and water park was never built.

However, given the popularity of the (up-charged) ice skating Frozen experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios, I think there's a good chance of Elsa stirring up an eternal (indoor) winter at Walt Disney World in Florida.