Changes

By 1983 plans for the Denmark pavilion had been cancelled. Instead, it was decided that Norway, Sweden, and Denmark would open in the "Scandinavian Showcase" which was scheduled for 1987 <ref name= "martin"/>. The pavilion was designed by WED and "Norman International"- one of Oslo's largest construction companies. Due to the fact that most of the funds were coming from Norwegian sources however, plans for the pavilion changed once again, and in June of 1985 it was announced that the pavilion would be named "Norway, Gateway to Scandinavia"<ref name= "martin"/>.

The original Norway pavilion was designed with 58,000 sq. ft. of interior space <ref name= "martin"/>. This area was then divided up into stores, an exhibition, a restaurant, and EPCOT Center’s first thrill ride- SeaVenture. The plans for SeaVenture called for an interior boat ride attraction, on which guests would encounter trolls and gnomes as they searched for a rainbow bridge to Valhalla (an earlier idea would have had guests traveling through a day in the life of a Viking) <ref name= "martin"/>. This storyline was deemed too short however, and the concept was expanded so that it now included a history trip that took guests from the folklore of Norway, all the way through modern times<ref name= "martin"/>. The thrill part of the attraction was planned to come from a new ride system where the boat’s direction could be reversed during the ride.

Construction began on the Norway pavilion on May 27, 1986 <ref> http://allears.net/ae/issue790.htm </ref>. Over the next two years, the pavilion began to take shape around the original 1982 Denmark restroom building. When complete, the pavilion consisted of a Stave Church (which holds various exhibits), a counter service restaurant named Kringla Bakeri OG Kafe, the table service Restaurant Akershus, as well a series of interlinked stores including the Puffins Roost and Fjording. The pavilion’s attraction was renamed Maelstrom shortly before the pavilion opened, and it, along with the rest of the Norway pavilion opened to guests on May 6, 1988. On July 5, of that year, the pavilion was officially dedicated, with Crown Prince Harald on hand for the festivities.

Since the pavilion opened, Norway has seen a few significant changes. The exhibits inside the Stave Church have been updated over the years, and the live band “Spelmanns Gledje” which once played in the pavilion no longer appears <ref> http://land.allears.net/blogs/michaelbachand/2009/11/a_walking_tour_of_epcots_norwa.html </ref> <ref> http://thedisneyblog.com/2011/05/31/epcots-shabby-norway-film-making-waves-in-norway/ </ref>. Furthermore, in 2005 Restaurant Akershus began to offer character dining <ref> https://www.mouseplanet.com/guide/282/Walt-Disney-World/Epcot/World-Showcase--Norway/Akershus-Royal-Banquet-Hall </ref> and it changed its name to Akershus Royal Banquet Hall <ref> http://allears.net/din/restnews05.htm </ref>. The next change came in 2008, when the outdoor playground shaped like the famous Viking ship “Oseberg” was removed <ref> http://allears.net/ae/issue790.htm </ref>.