It seems the nation has been caught up in a Frozen frenzy. Frozen is the highest grossing animated film of all time, the songs are everywhere, and it has become difficult to speak the phrase “let it go,” without prompting a resounding chorus from all those nearby. This phenomenon has not gone unnoticed by the Walt Disney Corporation, and they have already begun to capitalize on it, including in the Disney World Parks. From Olaf-shaped marshmallow sticks to Frozen books to souvenir cups, Frozen has a major presence in Disney World. Love it or hate it, Frozen has planted itself firmly in Disney.

Upon entering Hollywood Studios in Disney World, guests will find banners advertising Frozen Summer Fun hanging from every lamppost. At opening every day, Olaf comes on over the loudspeakers to greet guests and talk about his love of summer, and paper Olaf fans, called take along Olafs, are handed out for free throughout the park. Not only that,  but guests who pose with the fans and share the photos with the hashtag #OlafSummerVacation can have their pictures displayed on the large screen in front of Sorcerer Mickey’s hat.

Take along Olaf fan

The park is bursting with activities – including fireworks, a parade, a show, and photo ops. Visit Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and you step into a well air-conditioned winter wonderland, complete with ice skating (skate rentals are $10), fake snow, hot chocolate, and character cupcakes. The cast members are even dressed in long sleeves and scarves.

If that’s not enough Frozen for your taste, grab a ticket for a scheduled showing of the “For The First Time in Forever: A ‘Frozen’ Sing-Along Celebration” with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and the Royal Arendelle Historians. The show is complete with not one, but two renditions of Let it Go and honorary Arendelle citizenship granted to the entire audience. The performance is finished off with a flurry of “snow.”

It’s silly fun and great for any Frozen fan, especially younger kids. Still want more Frozen? How about the royal procession of Anna and Elsa, along with their friends Kristoff and Olaf, that floats down the street every morning at 11 am? Or the evening Frozen themed dance party? Yet, for some, the thirst for Frozen is unquenchable.

Luckily, every night (until after Labor Day, when the fireworks display will be exclusively a weekend activity) is capped with a fireworks display set to the music of Frozen, accompanying the story as told by Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf. Bright sparks punctuating the music burst in the sky above the packed Hollywood Boulevard. This colorful display is finished off by, you guessed it, a flurry of falling snow.

Frozen Summer Fun activities, originally scheduled to end after Labor Day, have been extended by four weeks.

Hollywood Studios isn’t the only area possessed by Frozen frenzy, though. The Norway pavilion in EPCOT, too, has been swept up in the craze. A model of Frozen characters on ice resides between rows of pastries and sandwiches in the Kringla Bakeri og Kafe, which now also features Frozen themed bundt cakes and marshmallow sticks.  

An entire section of the gift shop, The Puffins Roost, has been filled with Frozen merchandise. So popular are these shirts, pencils, books, and sponges that Disney has instated a five item Frozen merchandise limit per person.

And the dresses – forget about it! According to a cast member, Elsa dresses sell out as soon as they come in. But it’s not just merchandise that’s changed. The small building with a pointed roof known as the Stave Church Gallery that once sported red banner with the word Viking printed in black now bears a blue one with “Norsk Kultur Inspiration for Disney’s Frozen” written on it. The building, which once housed artifacts and plaques educating visitors on Vikings, now contains furniture, tools, clothing, and photos from Norway that served as an inspiration for Frozen.

Yet, perhaps this is not enough. There are rumors that the Norway pavilion will be closing soon, and with the current trend in mind, it is not unreasonable to speculate that there will be more Frozen fun to come.

Kathryn Blanco is the Disney Editor for Wandering Educators

All photos courtesy and copyright Kathryn Blanco