Disney confirms 'Frozen' makeover coming to Epcot's Norway Pavilion

[flynnibus]

If anyone is interested in seeing some of the pictures from "behind the scenes"/backstage at the Maelstrom ride, I have put them on my site. www.norwaypavilion.com
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how much longer do you plan on working there?

Thx for sharing.. I've already archived

 

[twilight mitsuk]

malestrom boats on a truck

 

[aladdin2007]

You know, if they don't spend a whole lot monkying around with the mechanics of the ride system, $75 Million can buy a lot of eye candy for such a tiny space.

Not that I'm on board with the redo, just pointing out the possible future cognitive dissonance some of us "haters" may experience.

And since I have been informed that it will NOT be the new Princesslandia Pavilion and Norway will still be represented I shall henceforth refer to that section of the park as The Disney's "Frozen" Pavilion featuring some stuff from Norway.

Ive been trying to reaffirm that for some time now with you all lol. Norway and Disney are still trying to work together on something to coincide with frozen and so Norway is clearly represented....and so far Im pleased with how they have blended the frozen merch with the Norway merch.

 

[hull327]

For me there's just something inherently wrong with this at EPCOT. This park is supposed to be a world's showcase of sorts and doing a Norway makeover into Frozen? This is a fictional character set in a fictional land, what does it have to do with Norway? I can see it now. Walk up the main entrance at EPCOT, hang a left, visit Handy Manny-land, swing through Frozen-land, then hit up Mulan-land...

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

The Facebook page "ticket and transportation center" posted these on fb this morning.

 

[spiritofNorway]

how much longer do you plan on working there?

Thx for sharing.. I've already archived

If I still worked there, I would imagine to be terminated by now...
I dont think Disney appriciated me being on the national news here in Norway asking the Norwegian government to stop Disney´s plan to close Maelstrom and turn the pavilion into a "Norwegian" pavilion again and dont let it be more "destroyed"... If that wasnt enough, posting these photos would probably do it too... But I dont work there anymore, dont have any intention on going back either, and the attraction is extinct so what does it matter? Its a big piece of "history" and deserves to be showed off. (Over 25.000 views on my site the last two days shows that people want to see this...)

I had a great time with Disney, and I loved getting the opportunity to work there for 2 years.

 

[spiritofNorway]

Were these taken after the closure? Also I never guessed the Troll was that big for some reason. Great pic of you and the Polar Bear

Some is taken while checking the attraction in the morning before opening time, some are taken during operation and some are taken after closure (when the attraction is shut down and emptied of water).

 

[dadddio]

Its been reported that Disney execs had NO faith in Frozen when it was being made but now that its majorly successful they are placing all bets on it. To me, that proves how disassociated they are with what will or will not be a hit. Are the execs so arrogant that they dont realize how wrong they were to start with and that their ideas to over saturate Frozen could be equally as wrong (in the long term)?

Perhaps it just means that as any good manager must do, they know how to pivot. Instead of sticking by their initial, faulty, belief, they got behind the IP.

 

[dadddio]

I definitely agree with that but you have to look at what the board sees.

MGM is going to get Star Wars and some sort of update where Backlot tour is gone from.
AK is getting Pandora/Avatar.

So in their minds, AK & MGM's attendance will improve with all those hundreds of millions of dollars tied up. So now they must figure out a way to increase Epcot and this is their end result.

I'm hoping that this is just a piece of the total Epcot picture and that we simply don't know the entire plan.

 

[Haymarket2008]

If anyone is interested in seeing some of the pictures from "behind the scenes"/backstage at the Maelstrom ride, I have put them on my site. www.norwaypavilion.com
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WOW these are incredible. Thank you for this!

 

[spiritofNorway]

WOW these are incredible. Thank you for this!

Glad you enjoyed them! I also found some new that are added to the gallery... Appearantly the scheduled opening day was suppose to be July 1th, 1988. Thats atleast what a sign says that I saw in the maintenance area. www.norwaypavilion.com

(Im going through my whole iphoto library atm and looking for more photos to add.)

 

[Timekeeper]

Glad you enjoyed them! I also found some new that are added to the gallery... Appearantly the scheduled opening day was suppose to be July 1th, 1988. Thats atleast what a sign says that I saw in the maintenance area. www.norwaypavilion.com

Thank you! You are my hero. Excellent photos and website. I had read on your site about when you were a CM, so I wasn't worried about your employment tenure when the photos were posted. Thank you for appreciating how much stuff like this means to all of the avid Maelstrom fans out there. The photos were a joy to look at and they increased my appreciation for this - a favorite - attraction.

(Im going through my whole iphoto library atm and looking for more photos to add.)

Did I mention that you are my hero?

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Some is taken while checking the attraction in the morning before opening time, some are taken during operation and some are taken after closure (when the attraction is shut down and emptied of water).

Great pics, awesome site (I'm responsible fit at least a frozen hits, plus I shared it on my fb page) !

Do they, err. Did they drain the water from all the water rides overnight, every night? Color me stupid, I had no idea. Lol

 

[spiritofNorway]

Great pics, awesome site (I'm responsible fit at least a frozen hits, plus I shared it on my fb page) !

Do they, err. Did they drain the water from all the water rides overnight, every night? Color me stupid, I had no idea. Lol

Yes, all water gets drained and refilled every day. They did not build a reservoir to keep the water... I believe they have in Mexico though.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

that draining is required in california on rides that have human contact with the water

 

[Timekeeper]

Sorry to go off topic, but in this line of discussion, aren't there some rides that only drain during rehab (i.e. jungle cruise)? What about small world and pirates?

 

[twilight mitsuk]

Sorry to go off topic, but in this line of discussion, aren't there some rides that only drain during rehab (i.e. jungle cruise)? What about small world and pirates?

IDK about pirates, IASW is not drained every night

 

[minsmk]

Well, I was there the last day.. I wanted to write sooner but if you followed me on tumblr I was making a few more posts. Got to ride 3 times, once in the morning, then late afternoon and finally after the park closed. We were one of the last 100 guests to ride. You probably saw me if you saw a very short girl in a horizons shirt lol. I even had a guest come up to me and ask me if I was old enough to wear that shirt (granted, I look like a 12 year old lol.)

I got to meet some very nice people and show my friends some cool things. I also had a lot of rude people too, I overheard some 13/14 year old girls saying "Look at all these Frozen haters.. They can't accept change to this racist ride!"

Yeah.. Rob from TPR was there and made some rude comments about my party and about "Epcot fans brainwashing their kids.." he also was making a big stink about how he was the last rider of the night.. But he hates the ride.

Needless to say some people have to go away from the "Grain" to seem cool. But it just makes them look like A** holes.

 

[Bairstow]

The Facebook page "ticket and transportation center" posted these on fb this morning.

That last picture, of the construction of the ride building, is incredible!

 

[Mike S]

Well, I was there the last day.. I wanted to write sooner but if you followed me on tumblr I was making a few more posts. Got to ride 3 times, once in the morning, then late afternoon and finally after the park closed. We were one of the last 100 guests to ride. You probably saw me if you saw a very short girl in a horizons shirt lol. I even had a guest come up to me and ask me if I was old enough to wear that shirt (granted, I look like a 12 year old lol.)

I got to meet some very nice people and show my friends some cool things. I also had a lot of rude people too, I overheard some 13/14 year old girls saying "Look at all these Frozen haters.. They can't accept change to this racist ride!"

Yeah.. Rob from TPR was there and made some rude comments about my party and about "Epcot fans brainwashing their kids.." he also was making a big stink about how he was the last rider of the night.. But he hates the ride.

Needless to say some people have to go away from the "Grain" to seem cool. But it just makes them look like A** holes.

Someone who actually likes the ride should've had his spot as one of the last to ride, maybe someone like me? Really bummed I couldn't make it though But maybe it was for the best. I probably would've socked those people in the face.