Amazingly, it’s been 10 years since Frozen first hit the big screen and took the movie industry and Disney fans by storm. The past decade has been good for the franchise as the film was so popular that characters of Elsa and Anna were too big to be part of the Disney Princess merchandise line, it spawned a massively successful sequel film, multiple specials and shorts, a Broadway musical, its own land at Hong Kong Disneyland, and now a 12-episode podcast series for kids.
If you’re reading this, it’s because you’re curious about that last addition, the podcast. This summer ABC Audio announced that Frozen Podcast: Forces of Nature would debut in the fall and a long last, the audio drama has arrived. Forces of Nature is geared towards fans ages 6-12, but it will appeal to anyone who loves Frozen. The season consists of 12 episodes, each about 15-18 minutes long performed by a full voice cast and enhanced with sound effects. It’s one continuous story set after the events of Frozen 2.
Forces of Nature takes place in Arendelle and is narrated by General Mattias, who’s entertaining his military troops on the job (working right alongside them) making work a bit easier for all involved. Anna is Queen and Elsa is spending most of her time beyond the Enchanted Forest. Arendelle is full of visitors including Queen Disa from a neighboring kingdom, Lord Wolfgang the Duke of Weselton’s nephew, and two talking magpies Astrid and Magnus. Notably, Queen Disa loves science and has lots of questions about how Elsa’s magic works; and Wolfgang tries to make amends for his uncle’s bad behavior while simultaneously highlighting his entrepreneurial ambitions and encouraging trade with Arendelle. Of course, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven are present too and each have a role to play in this adventure.
A series of small problems arise in Arendelle but the trouble seems to extend beyond the gates reaching to the various Spirits of Nature. The story takes the characters to many places throughout the kingdom as well as the Enchanted Forest and emphasizes friendship and teamwork while encouraging self discovery. While this doesn’t qualify as an educational podcast, it’s ripe with opportunities for discussion and learning outside of the story. I was most impressed with the vocabulary (bovine, captain of industry) and how the show knows its young audience is smart. As for discussion, there’s plenty for parents and kids to talk about like Anna’s choices, Elsa’s cautiousness, Disa’s scientific mind and curiosity, and how to “do the next right thing.”
Anna, Elsa, and Queen Disa – Frozen Podcast
Most of my childhood entertainment came from the radio and books versus television and movies, so I’ve been a fan of podcasts since the beginning. Having sampled dozens of audio story products like Adventures in Odyssey, Left Behind, Recorded Books, Serial, This American Life and many others, I’m impressed with the quality, clarity, effects, and most importantly the cast for Forces of Nature. Nothing is poorly executed or unintentionally cheesy—Lord Wolfgang is supposed to be that silly!
One thing I cannot understand is why ABC Audio has not published any information about the voice cast. Seriously, I could not find anything about the actors on any of Disney’s official channels discussing or promoting the podcast. We can all tell that it’s not the voice cast from the movie and, sure, for an adult, it breaks the illusion a bit. However, this is a talented group of actors bringing Arendelle and its visitors to life yet we have no idea who’s behind the voices. Perhaps at the end of the show there will be credits listing all of the cast but, in the meantime, I’m disappointed in the lack of recognition given to the actors.
Another topic of note is that the show does feature two versions of ads for Macy’s read by ABC News’ chief meteorologist Ginger Zee. The podcast is actually presented by the retail giant so it makes sense they’d get some promo plugs. There are two ads played in each episode (one during and one at the end) and fortunately, they are only 30 seconds long.
Overall, I’ve found my “audio-first” journey to Arendelle to be a delightful one, and I’m sure that parents who are looking for creative ways to entertain their kids beyond “screen time” will appreciate this podcast. ABC Audio has delivered another top notch program and one that families can enjoy together. So gather your crew and see how the Forces of Nature affect you!
Starting October 11, two new episodes of Frozen Podcast: Forces of Nature will be released each week on 13 streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple, Google, Pandora, and more The entire season is available now ad-free for Wondery+ subscribers.