World of Frozen, the world’s first Frozen-themed area opened at Hong Kong Disneyland last November, and Disney+ is now taking a look behind the curtains at the creation and design of this wonderful new land. The new 16 minute special, For the First Time in Forever: The Making of World of Frozen, takes an insider look at the 7 year journey in making World of Frozen.
I was lucky enough to attend the opening of World of Frozen, and I’ve shared plenty of my thoughts about the land already, so suffice to say, it was nice to revisit those memories by watching this special. The special features a number of gorgeous footage of the land, both from its construction and following its completion. Of course, there’s also a number of looks behind the scenes, from concept art and models, to construction and details.
The special delves into all aspects of World of Frozen, from the land-wide concept of Summer Snow Day, to the attractions, shops and restaurants that call the land home. One of my favorite aspects of the land is touched upon here, that being how the land was intentionally designed to make use of the natural Lantau Mountains that can be found behind the park.
World of Frozen’s area music was recorded by a full orchestra in London, and conducted by award-winning composer Andrew Cottee. The composer speaks a bit about bringing the memorable melodies of Frozen songs, as well as its iconic score to life in a new way. He even used a traditional Finnish instrument, the kantele, into his rendition of “All Is Found” from Frozen 2, to add a little bit of Nordic flair. Time is also devoted to the cast members, or citizens of Arendelle, who received intensive training to truly “integrate into the life in Arendelle,” as well as the design of their unique costumes.
The short documentary is narrated in a style that reminds me of the Behind the Attraction series, which definitely can come across as a little childish. The interviews with Imagineers and other creatives also felt a bit rehearsed, as if they were reading from a script with everything they said. I definitely would have preferred some more off the cuff remarks, but I guess I really shouldn’t expect that in a promotional piece like this. That said, this is still a great little documentary, and I’m sure if you haven’t visited, it will make you want to! It definitely made me want to return!
For the First Time in Forever: The Making of World of Frozen is streaming now on Disney+.