Frozen Ever After Animatronics Create Some Trippy Photos

I loved Maelstrom. It was an underrated gem, hidden from the masses in the back of EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion. So I was understandably bummed when Disney rethemed it as a Frozen attraction. Before last week, I had only ridden the replacement once, right after it debuted. It was “meh.” But my stance has softened. I now dig the Frozen Ever After, especially its weird animatronics.

Frozen’s characters’ faces are generated using rear projection mapping. In person, these animatronics are a little off. But photos taken of these characters are downright trippy, thanks to the moiré effect.

In simplest terms, moiré happens when a camera’s sensor grid interferes with a screen’s pixel grid (in this case, the projected faces and eyes). If I lived closer to Disney, I’d ride Frozen on repeat, changing my camera’s shutter speed until the moiré effect disappeared. But I haven’t yet. Maybe someday.

Click or tap any image for a larger view.

This photo of Olaf is the only one where the projectors didn’t interfere with my camera. The effect seems to be at its worst when shooting straight on.

Thank goodness Marshmallow and the Snowgies don’t have projected faces. It would’ve ruined this perfect scene.

This is where things take a bizarre turn. I mean, what?!

The same rear-projection technology is used on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train animatronics, but my photos from that ride don’t have the intense colors and patterns you can see above. That’s not to say the Dwarfs look all that great.

Disney has since abandoned rear-projection animatronics. Hong Kong Disneyland’s Frozen Ever After uses sculpted faces, as do the brilliant characters coming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Here’s hoping Disney Imagineers can update these rides with their latest animatronic technology. Until then, keep your camera handy when riding!