Disneyland Paris has introduced a new daily live show at its recently opened World of Frozen area, offering guests a boat-based ceremony set against the backdrop of a purpose-built “Scandinavian fjord“. Titled “A Celebration in Arendelle,” the event has been running since March 29 and centers on the fictional Snowflower Festival, during which characters from the Frozen franchise arrive by water craft to commemorate the moment Anna saved her sister Elsa through an act of true love.
The show was conceived by directors Françoise Baffioni and Matteo Borghi, who say the idea took shape when they first reviewed architectural plans for Arendelle Bay, the fjord-style waterway built as the centerpiece of the new land at Disney Adventure World. “We knew straight away that it had to be here,” Borghi said of the location. The narrative begins with the arrival of Kristoff and Olaf by boat, joined by villagers who attempt to recreate a snowflower symbol as a surprise for the two sisters — with predictably chaotic results courtesy of Olaf.
A fleet of elaborately decorated boats serves as the show’s primary stage, each vessel designed around the character or group it carries. Set designer Thomas Gallou collaborated closely with the directors to develop the visual concept, treating the fjord itself as a theatrical space in which each boat functions as its own moving stage. Baffioni noted that working on water introduced significant logistical challenges, requiring extensive coordination between boat operators and production staff before the show could be performed reliably at scale.
Costuming was given careful consideration, with Anna and Elsa appearing in their Frozen II gowns alongside ceremonial attire created specifically for the show. Lighting was engineered to perform across varying conditions — full sunlight, overcast skies, and after dark — to ensure the visual experience remains consistent for park goers attending at any time of day.
Perhaps the show’s most notable creative achievement is its original score, anchored by a new song titled “Snowflower,” written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the songwriting team behind both Frozen films. Music producer Guillaume Coignard worked directly with the duo to weave the song and its variations into the show’s dramatic arc. “Behind the simplicity of a tune that anyone can sing along to lies a real depth,” Coignard said, describing the collaboration as both creatively stimulating and artistically generous.
The resulting score blends a full orchestral sound with more intimate passages featuring traditional Nordic instruments, among them the nyckelharpa (a Swedish keyed fiddle), the dulcimer, and Norwegian flutes. The symphonic portions were recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with a near-90-piece orchestra, while the folk instrument recordings were captured separately at Disneyland Paris’s own studio, performed by musicians of Nordic heritage. Tyler Koontz, who previously served as orchestrator on Disney Tales of Magic, handled the orchestral arrangements, while Guillaume Coignard and Samuel Sené oversaw vocal production.
Sound distribution across the open fjord presented its own engineering challenge, with technical designers tasked with projecting the layered audio mix across an outdoor waterway. Coignard described the process as a collaborative effort spanning composition, spatial audio design, and live testing with the boats on the water.
The production team characterized the show as the largest of its kind ever staged at Disneyland Paris.
Cover image courtesy of Disneyland Paris.
