Frozen director explains why 'Let It Go' lyrics changed to be 'more accessible' in new ride

When it came to a specific line in the lyrics for Frozen's Oscar-winning 2013 song "Let It Go," a new ride had to, well, let it go in order to maintain consistency with World of Frozen land's narrative theme.

About halfway through Hong Kong Disneyland's new Frozen Ever After boat ride, guests float through a scene inside Queen Elsa's (Idina Menzel) Ice Palace, where an impressive audio-animatronic recreation of the iconic character sings "Let It Go" before sending riders backward down a short drop. But, instead of singing "It's time to see what I can do" with her ice powers, Elsa croons, "It's time to share what I can do" — which franchise director and writer Jennifer Lee exclusively tells EW was a conscious shift that involved input from both original songwriters Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

"It's not like there's an approval process where we've got all these rules we can't break. We just sat down with the songwriters and talked about it," Lee explains, noting that the lyrical "twist" on the seven-year project occurred around the same time the team prepared Frozen to hit Broadway in 2018. "You're just being so experimental with the music and lyrics, and Rob and Kristen just want to tell the story."

Lee stresses that, though small, the change reshapes the story of the World of Frozen land, incorporating guests into the story and lore of Frozen versus being mere spectators.

"I feel like it's about making you feel like you're part of the story now. That's the point of all the lyric changes in this. Kristoff [also sings] "For the First Time in Forever" [in the ride], and it's like, they're a family, too," Lee adds. "We never want anything with Frozen to be like, don't touch it, because it's not what Disney is about. People want to take those characters into their lives, and everyone has their own relationship with those characters. You want to push it, celebrate it, and make it more and more accessible."

While World of Frozen marks the world's first themed land centered entirely on the Frozen universe — also including a roller coaster set around Wandering Oaken's Trading Post & Sauna — a different, shorter attraction also called Frozen Ever After debuted in 2016 at Epcot's Norway pavilion inside Florida's Walt Disney World resort.

Watch Elsa sing the new "Let It Go" lyrics at around the 6:58 mark in the Frozen Ever After POV video above.

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