Changes

==Attraction History==When an attraction for Norway was originally being developed, Imagineers wanted to give Norway Epcot's the pavilion EPCOT Center’s first thrill ride. The attractionUnder the name “SeaVenture”, which was originally known, as "Sea Venture" Norway’s attraction would have taken 16 passengers and in 12 boats along take guests through a 964 946 ft. flume ride. The plot of Along the ride would have involved way, guests encountering would encounter mythical creatures such as trolls and gnomes as they searched for a rainbow bridge the Rainbow Bridge to Valhalla. In order The attraction’s thrill was to come from a new ride system, which allowed Imagineers to enhance reverse the direction of the boat during the ride. During the development of SeaVenture, the Sherman Brothers were even also called in to write create a song for the Sea Ventureattraction.

The Although fairly well developed, the sponsors from Norway however, wanted the their attraction to be more of a travelogue showing all that Norway had to offer, as opposed to a mythological adventure. They also gave the Imagineers a list of things that they wanted included in the attraction including, : Vikings, a fishing village, a polar bear, a fjord, and an oil rig. In order to meet the demands of sponsors, Imagineers eventually decided that the ride would take guests on a boat tour through Norway's history. The attraction would begin with , beginning in Norwegian Folklore and end ending in modern day Norway. Sea Ventures thrill was always going to come from a new ride system, which allowed Imagineers to reverse the direction of the boat during the ride. Adding to the attractions appeal would be various drops, and visual effects. One effect that they produced, was as well as the aforementioned direction change. The new designs also called for a full scale, replication of a North Sea storm. The storm would have included was to include wind, waves, rain , thunder and real lightning. The authentic lighting effect however, was scrapped when Imagineers could not figure out how to use it without electrocuting guests.  During development, the name of the Norway attraction was changed to the Maelstrom. Construction began on the Norway pavilion on May 27, 1986 and the ride was installed shortly after. The opening of the Maelstrom had to be delayed however, when Imagineers found out that the boats would capsize. Finally, on July 5, 1988 the Maelstrom (as well as the rest of the Norway pavilion) opened to the public.

Imagineers that worked on the Malestorm Maelstrom included:

The Maelstrom begins with guests traveling {{Quotation| You are not the first to a Norwegian folklorepass this way, nor shall you be the last. As they enterThose who seek the spirit of Norway face peril and adventure. But more often find beauty and charm. We have always lived with the sea, so look first to the attraction's narrator says:spirit of the seafarer.|Odin}}

{{Quotation|"You are not he first to pass this wayHeeding Odin's advice, nor shall you be the last. Those who seek the spirit of Norway face peril and adventureguests enter a scene which depicts a coastal Viking settlement, but more often find beauty and charmwhere various Vikings are shown preparing their boats. We have always lived with After seeing the seasettlement, so look first to the spirit scope of the seafarerscene is expanded and guests witness various Viking ships sailing off into the distance as a nearby man blows a horn to seemingly announce their departure.}}

The first scene that After traveling through the Viking village, guests enter shows the next scene which depicts a sea side villageNorwegian forest. HereAs guests travel ahead, guests can see Vikings as they prepare to head off to seaa large three headed troll emerges. The narrator then tells troll has been angered by guests that when some people think of intrusion in the spirit of Norway, they thing of mythology forest (which he calls Troll Country) and trolls. Guests then pass by a three headed troll who puts casts a curse spell on the boatsboat, sending them telling guests to go "Back, back, over ! Over the falls!". After being cursed At this point in the attraction, the boat that guests are riding in begins to move in reverse. After going backwards and guests go down a very small drop, guests pass a scene depicting the arctic region of Norway. Here, guests can see two polar bears, with one standing on it's hind legsdecent.

At this point in After the attractiondrop, the boats begin to move guests find themselves in Norway's polar region. Here, guests float past a polar bear menacingly standing on its hind legs. Continuing backwards, guests head towards the pavilion's large, exterior waterfall, giving them a view of world showcase. Just as guests are about to fall backwards it seems that the boat will go plunging down the fallswaterfall however, a large tree-stump troll rises up and changes the boat's direction changes, and of the boats boat once again move forward. Instead of going backwards down the large waterfall, At this point guests go forwards fall (forward) down a much smaller 28 foot drop. At , before finding themselves in the bottom middle of a North Sea storm. As wind and rain howl around the dropboat, the boats pass by guests come dangerously close an oil rig, before entering modern Norwegian town. Here, Eventually however the rides narrator makes boats pass through the storm and arrive safely at a harbor in a small fishing village. Before unloading, guests hear one final comment:last narration which concludes that "Norway's spirit has always been; will always be adventure!”

{{Quotation| Norway's spirit has always beenWhen the Maelstrom initially opened, will always be adventure.}} After unloading after disembarking from their the ride vehicles, guests can either view would stay in an intricately themed nighttime plaza while waiting to enter the [[Spirit of Norway film]] theater which is located in the attraction's exit. In recent years however, or the doors to theater have remained open, allowing guests to enter and exit the building theater at will (giving guests the option of skipping the film altogether).

* There is more water The boats used as ride vehicles in the Maelstrom than will fit in were designed look like those from the reservoir underneath time of Eric the Red. * As quests go down the attraction's "large" drop, they can see a cruise ship sailing nearby. This was done due to the fact that Norwegian Caribbean Lines was once one of the pavilion's sponsors. * In the village that serves as the attraction's unloading area, guests can notice that the buildings have company signs on them. These companies were the original sponsors of the pavilion before their contract expired. * The turntable effect used in the Maelstrom to reverse the direction of the boats was engineered by Dave Van Wyk.

* One of The large polar bear found in the scenes that attraction was rejected for the ride, would have featured the Norwegian coastline with Oslo sculpted by Peter Kermode and covered in the middlefur by Helena Hutchinson.

* The film at trolls in the end of the attraction was added at the request of the Norwegian sponsorsMaelstrom were sculpted by Peter Kermode.

* To help give Imagineers an idea of what Norway was likeWhen the Maelstrom opened, the pavilions sponsors took them on a grand tour of the countryit featured Disney’s largest smoke machine system used to date.