World of Frozen has opened at Disneyland Paris – here’s what it’s like

“I can see Elsa’s palace!” my five-year-old exclaims with the purest of joy, the first time it comes into view at Disneyland Paris.

The other side of a 7.5-acre lake is the realistic-looking snow topped North Mountain in the distance, Elsa’s Ice Palace perched atop.

World of Frozen, an immersive experience based on the popular film franchise inside the newly named Disney Adventure World, has opened to the public and we’re among the first to peek behind the walls that have been shrouding the secrets of this huge new section of the park for several years during its construction.

There’s nothing quite like seeing Disney for the first time through the eyes of a child. My daughter Seren, in her carefully chosen Princess Anna dress, takes off on a run towards the village square of Arendelle, the film’s main setting and home of characters Anna and Elsa, the sisters torn apart by Elsa’s powers to conjure and manipulate ice and snow.

Fans can now wander the streets and shop fronts of the set-like town, watch boats sail in Arendelle Bay and meet the princesses in the palace. The town’s design has been inspired by Scandinavian architecture, colourful facades are adorned with traditional Norwegian rosemaling, a central fountain showcases the famous Frozen star, and there’s the royal palace.

And life really is imitating art – just like in the films, Olaf the friendly snowman has come to life. In a first for any Disneyland worldwide, a free-roaming, talking animatronic Olaf has been unveiled to the public, after years of development.

Olaf the 89-cm tall, 15kg interactive robot is so realistic that Seren is defiant in her belief that I’m wrong and “he’s real”. So the magic truly is alive and well. Even as an adult, I can admit the realism is impressive.

He plays pre-recorded lines from Olaf’s voice actor Josh Gad and moves just like the film character, thanks to ‘reinforcement learning’ technology developed with AI company Nvidia and Google DeepMind, alongside Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development.

The big ticket item, and what fans will be queuing in their droves for is the new ride – Frozen Ever After. We hop in the front of a boat, and as the water takes us into darkness with twinkling lights, audio-animatronic Olaf and Sven, the loyal reindeer, come into view as the familiar words ‘Do You Want To Build A Snowman’ start to play.

Seren’s face is the picture of wonderment as the boat weaves through scenes – from the trolls to Kristoff and Anna, and a crescendo of Elsa singing ‘Let It Go’ – using immersive projection and well thought-out visual and sound effects.

But it wouldn’t be Disney without a bit of drama, and at one point a storm brews, and we come face to face with the giant, icy, menacing monster (a.k.a Marshmallow), who keeps intruders out of Elsa’s ice palace in the film – and a stomach-dropping ending. Despite the “scary part” – Seren’s words not mine – she’s completely mesmerised and gives it top marks.

It’s worth catching one of the performances of ‘A Celebration Of Arendelle’ (on several times a day) where characters Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and robotic Olaf perform on boats on the water in front of the palace. New music has been composed for the performances by the very songwriters behind the hits from the Frozen films. It’s a chance to really witness the state-of-the-art Olaf in action, as he interacts with Kristoff, or you might catch him wandering around Arendelle at other times.

Here, off the new main avenue, Adventure Way, is also the brand-new family attraction Raiponce Tangled Spin – inspired by the film’s Lantern Festival, to the music ‘I See The Light’, and perfect for younger children.

At night, the lake becomes an open-air stage for a new Disney Cascade Of Lights show – think projections and pyrotechnics inspired by Moana, Mulan, Hercules, Zootopia, Up, and Marvel, using more than 300 drones.

The World of Frozen is part of grander plans to keep extending Disney Adventure World (which was previously Walt Disney Studios Park), the second of Paris’ two parks and home to World of Pixar and Marvel Avengers Campus. The next iteration will be the world’s first Lion King-themed land, while the original Disneyland Park which opened in 1992 houses many of the well-known classics like Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s A Small World and Thunder Mountain.

We’re staying at the Disney Hotel New York, a smart four-star conveniently located next to ‘The Village’ – a street of shops and eateries outside the two main parks.

It means a short stroll back on tired legs at the end of long days, and guests of the seven Disney hotels get early access to the parks, from 8:30am – if you have early risers for kids and want to avoid long queues later. For our weekend stay, we’re immersed in a sort of Disney bubble; with Avengers posters on the walls when we wake, and characters popping up here, there and everywhere.

For Seren, it’s the equivalent of spotting celebrities in the wild. We’re queuing for the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel when she sees Rapunzel and Cinderella strolling though Fantasyland – and actually weighs up exiting the queue to meet them.

This section of the park – a land of pastel pinks, purples and blues, and weaving water and bridges, entered through the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle that even non-Disney fans will recognise (and where the spectacular Tales Of Magic nighttime show takes place), has a real air of magic for younger children.

It’s where we find gentler rides, like the Mad Tea Party spinning teacups and Dumbo The Flying Elephant ride. But we also also enjoy the family-friendly La Cabane des Robinson – a treetop walk – in Adventureland, and Orbitron (flying spaceships) and Autopia in Discoveryland. Even five-year-olds can drive their very own cars around a track, with an adult in passenger seat controlling the break. We needed a slower pace after an ill-advised decision to go on Thunder Mountain, the classic runaway mine train rollercoaster.

While the classic rides still remain popular, animatronic Olaf at the World of Frozen signals a new wave of innovation and a glimpse into the future of robotic film characters roaming around theme parks. Who knows what might be next.

How to book:

Prices from £179 pp, per night on selected summer school holiday dates at Disney Hotel Cheyenne plus ticket package for unlimited access to Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World, based on two adults and two children (age 3-11 years old), two-night/three-day stay, for selected arrivals between July 31 to August 29 2026. Prices may change. Find out more at www.disneylandparis.com.