Frozen Ever After Update Includes Show Control System and Lighting Changes

Walt Disney Imagineering has shared additional details about the updates coming to EPCOT’s Frozen Ever After when the attraction reopens on February 12, 2026. As previously revealed, Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff are ditching their rear-projection faces in favor of far more expressive, next-generation Audio-Animatronic heads.

But the improvements don’t stop there. Imagineers are also using the brief closure to freshen up other elements of the ride. Ken Ricci, a creative executive with Imagineering who oversees show quality, shared those details with Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel.

According to Ricci, the new silicone heads are more lifelike than the technology they’re replacing.

“I was in awe and got chills seeing Elsa, because it’s literally like she stepped off the screen and [is] standing in front of you now. You will notice the improvement.”

Anyone who’s ever tried photographing Frozen Ever After will appreciate the change. The new faces should perform much better on camera, similar to the highly realistic Audio-Animatronics seen in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

The work involved more than simply swapping out parts. Imagineers had to modify the animatronics’ necks to accommodate the new heads. Even with that, the process only took a few days thanks to extensive pre-planning. The team also used the downtime to update the ride’s show control system and touch up scene lighting throughout the attraction.

All told, Frozen Ever After will have been down for just 16 days. It reopens February 12, 2026.