The Norway pavilion was considered to be reasonably related to the film, in terms of setting and culture. Looking for a way to incorporate the film and its characters into the theme parks, Disney’s spotlight focused on EPCOT. “Frozen Fever” brought mega film gross, and spurred an appetite for merchandise and experiences from fans all over. The story of the ice princess, based in a fantasy version of Scandinavian culture and geography, was a tide that wouldn’t subside.
But the winds of change began to blow in 2013, when Disney’s animated film Frozen took the world by storm. Maelstrom enjoyed a run of 26 wet and wild years.
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The boat ride was barely four-and-a-half minutes long, and the full experience reached close to ten minutes if you stayed for the post-ride film. If Maelstrom’s attraction story sounds a bit thin, it’s because it was. Now there was only one way out of the fishing village – through a theater that showed a five-minute film showcasing more of Norway’s history and folklore (and of course, tourist destinations). Once the brush with the oil rigs was under control, the boatful of (slightly wet) guests calmly cruised into a nearby Norwegian harbor, disembarking in a fishing village. In collaboration with NorShow, they developed a story featuring Vikings, a fishing village, a polar bear, a fjord, and an oil rig (yes, an oil rig), but unfortunately no Sherman Brothers.
So Disney Imagineers went back to the drawing board. But NorShow – the pavilion’s eleven-member sponsor group – immediately nixed the idea, preferring a storyline with a broader scope which would help promote modern tourism. The attraction, which was to be called “SeaVenture”, would even feature a theme song written by the legendary Sherman Brothers. Originally envisioned to focus entirely on Norse mythology, the attraction began as a journey through mystical lands and trolls to find the rainbow bridge to Valhalla. It turns out those “unspecified problems” included test riders getting soaking wet during the North Sea storm, and sometimes even thrown out of the boat (which is exactly what happened to a Norwegian television reporter who fell out of the boat when he test rode the attraction during the pavilion’s opening day). At the time the pavilion first opened, one local newspaper headline jeered “Norway Pavilion Opens - Without Viking Ride.” The report went on to note that Disney cited “unspecified problems” for the delay. However, the pavilion’s highly anticipated main attraction – a boat ride through simulated Norwegian fjords, a Viking village, and a storm on the North Sea – did not open until July 5, 1988, a month after the official opening. The official opening didn’t occur until a month later on June 3, 1988, when the Crown Prince of Norway – Harald V – dedicated the pavilion in a ceremony that was broadcast live to the entire Norwegian nation. Norway eased into World Showcase with a soft opening on May 6, 1988. The Morocco pavilion opened two years later in 1984, and the Norway pavilion opened in 1988, bringing the total number of pavilions to eleven. When the park opened on October 1, 1982, World Showcase featured nine pavilions.
While Maelstrom harkens back to the earliest days of Norse mythology, it does not date back to the earliest days of EPCOT. For this edition of Dearly Departed Disney, let’s travel back to the days of Norwegian folklore, history, and…oil rigs? Hold on tight – a Maelstrom is blowing your way! Welcoming the Norway Pavilion These ominous words once boomed from an intimidating figure in the dark, daring guests to go where they’d never gone before. Those who seek the spirit of Norway face peril and adventure-but more often find beauty and charm.” “You are not the first to pass this way, nor shall you be the last. (A version of this article was published for Pirates & Princesses on February 15, 2023.)
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