Maelstrom (ride)
| Maelstrom | |
|---|---|
| File:Epcot Maelstrom entrance sign.jpg Sign at the entrance of the ride | |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Boat Ride |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
| Theme | The history of mythological Norway |
| Vehicle type | 4 seat Viking boats |
| Duration | 4:47 |
| Movie Length | 5:00 minutes |
| Capacity | 1920 per hour |
Maelstrom is a dark ride located in the Norway pavilion of the World Showcase at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Visitors ride boats that are patterned after Viking ships and pass through various scenes with audio-animatronic figures.
The ride
The ride first takes visitors back to a mythological version of Norway's Viking days. The boats first pass through scenes of polar bears.The boats get stuck in troll infested swamps and are forced backwards by angry trolls. The boats come to a stop and teeter on the edge of a waterfall before plunging forward into the North Sea. The boats pass under an oil rig and the ride comes to an end in a calm harbor. After the ride, passengers disembark and potentially have to wait up to 5 minutes for a film about Norway to begin. If you have to wait for the film, there is no other way to exit the ride and you're forced to remain in the holding area until the doors open. Once the doors finally open to allow guests into the theater, you can choose to watch the film - or walk through the exit.
Concept and design
The Maelstrom attraction was always conceived to be a boat ride, with a section that went backwards. The ride's plotline was originally going to be entirely centered around trolls, but the Norwegian sponsors wanted a ride that included other aspects of Norway. [1]
- In the loading area in a painting that includes many characters from Norway's history is a Viking whose helmet has Mickey Mouse ears.
See also
References
- ^ Mouse Planet. "The sponsors liked the boat ride concept but they made it clear that they were not interested in a troll ride representing their country. They wanted more of a travelogue showing all the different things that make Norway unique." http://www.mouseplanet.com/mark/mg050302pt.htm
External links
| World Celebration |  | |
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| World Discovery | ||
| World Nature | ||
| World Showcase | ||
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| Future attractions | ||
| Other | ||
| Related | ||
Ripley's Believe it or Not: Amusement Park Oddities and Trivia. 2007. Tim O'brien.