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Norway Pavilion's Stave Church closing for refurbishment amid hints of Frozen ride opening date
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
DisDan
Well-Known Member
Hope the implication of the Frozen ride opening date on this holds. I was worried when I heard in the construction thread that the ride opening was delayed. Not that this confirms that it will open on time, but it certainly makes me feel better about the chances of seeing it on our upcoming trip in early June.
Haymarket2008
Well-Known Member
Id love if they restored the exhibit back to its original state. Maybe put some bits of Maelstrom in? That would be the nice thing to do..... :I
vinnya1726
Active Member
Great Point! It makes so much sense, especially since they can move all of the Frozen exhibits to the new meet and greet space. Let us hope that is what Disney does.
OMG! This is so exciting! Okay, it looks like May 28th is our opening date for Frozestrom -- give or take a day or two. I think May 28th is very accurate because 7DMT soft opened on May 21, 2014 and officially opened to the public on May 28, 2014, as well. Good catch!
Anyway, I can't wait to see the new Norway Pavilion and Frozen ride!
@DisneyGentleman - I hope you're getting excited, too!
Anyway, I can't wait to see the new Norway Pavilion and Frozen ride!
@DisneyGentleman - I hope you're getting excited, too!
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spiritofNorway
Well-Known Member
It would be so cool if they made an exhibit about the northern areas, with the polar bears and puffins from the ride in it maybe.
Or an exhibition about Norwegian myths and norse mythology.
Or an exhibition about Norwegian myths and norse mythology.
Yes! I think an exhibit that highlights some of the inhabitants in their natural Norwegian habitat would be brilliant! And, you can't get any more adorable than polar bears and puffins. The first time I ever saw a puffin was in the movie Happy Feet and I thought they created this bird just for the film. LOL. I was really shocked to find out this is a real species of bird. It's so pretty.
I also like the idea of an exhibition on Norwegian mythology. In regards to Maelstrom, there was major conflict between Disney and Norway officials during the initial design and execution of the ride.
Disney designed Maelstrom with only trolls and Norwegian mythology in mind. Norway officials did not want trolls at all and insisted on a more modern reflection of Norwegian culture and society. So they compromised.
And, everyone could see this 'compromise' in Maelstrom's design, right where the ride abruptly changes from trolls and Norwegian mythology to boats and oil rigs, it was all very disjointed. So, having an exhibit on Norwegian mythology is a much better compromise.
Also, in light of all the cost cutting -- I hope this is one area that Disney does not cut. Norway is going to be the most popular pavilion ever in World Showcase, so they're going to need plenty of Norwegian CM's to make the experience authentic. Not to mention Norway CM's are totally the cutest. LOL.
Anyway, the new Norway Pavilion is going to be amazing!
Brian Swan
Well-Known Member
Hate to be a "Donald Downer" here, but as much as I hope all of the above is true, my fear is that it is going to be incorporated into the queue for the ride.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
I'd need to see a map to better understand, but is there any realistic way to use the Church as queue space by connecting it to the ride entrance without blocking access to either Akershus or the shops? Not to mention there isn't really that much room in there to begin with.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
The church is a totally separate building and is at the opposite end of the pavilion from the ride so I don't see any way it could be connected. It's closer to M&G, but trying to connect it there would cut off access to the restrooms.
FigmentJedi
Well-Known Member
With how bad the lines are probably gonna be for this dumpster fire of a ride, the Stave Church can probably become a shady spot in an extended queue that'll wrap around the courtyard and into the real indoor queue that is the theater. Can't have people learning anything at Princess Fantasy Faire East now.
DisneyGentleman
Well-Known Member
It's easy to be negative about conversions like Maelstrom given the tragedy of Imagination, but that was in a different era.
I recently experienced two re-do's out on the West coast, and both left me impressed.
The first was the Nemo overlay on the Disneyland Submarines, which has been around awhile. It was very tastefully done and made for a ride that was a huge improvement over the original. Quite a bit of work went into the details and it showed - I've heard that the subs were actually slowed-down to make the story last longer. Impressive.
The second was Luigi's Rollikin' Roadsters, a fantastic save for the doomed Luigi's Flying Tires in Carsland at DCA. A fun ride with an upbeat spirit - the first use of these trackless vehicles in the states. I can't tell you all how much fun it was. To cap it all off, Tony Shalhoub did the vocals, and it was a great experience. Simple, light, rideable, and worth every minute. If you watch this video, you will hear Tony very eloquently describe the essence of his character - and his soundtrack made all the difference.
There can be hope after all.
LOL, "Donald Downer" is too funny. But seriously, there is *nothing* to fear. Disney has expanded the Norway Pavilion onto the adjacent lot, which technically could have been used for another pavilion or two!
This is such a beautiful rendering. Anyway, you can see the Stave Church in the back toward the right. This looks like the meet and greet on the left. Overall, it is a very nice open space.
Currently, there's lots of construction and major rock work underway. So, I am confident that Disney has taken everything into consideration regarding traffic and flow.
And, really there is only so much Disney can do. Look at Universal, the crowds will come and we all will deal.
Here is a map.
Okay so, lot number 1 between Norway and Mexico is the lot that Disney expanded Norway onto. As you can see, this lot is huge, it's almost twice the size of Norway! I can't see why there won't be plenty of space!
LOL. There is no greater learning than exposure. If you count world showcase as a legitimate learning experience then you have already failed.
What good is the Norway Pavilion and Maelstrom is no one is there? Prior to Fastpass Plus Maelstrom was under utilized and was always walk on.
The new Frozen ride and brand new Norway Pavilion will draw in crowds, specifically children and families who would otherwise have no interest in visiting the Norway Pavilion, let alone World Showcase. This kind of exposure is critical in sparking interest and further exploration into Norway and it's culture.
Wow, I am totally blown away with your eloquent writing! I thoroughly enjoyed the video, too. Like, I'm totally ready to book a trip to Disneyland!
I am so glad to see that you have an open mind regarding all of this. I've learned so much in a short time from reading your valuable and insightful posts.Can't wait to read more from you!
Brian Swan
Well-Known Member
Yes. I took a closer look at the map and realize that connecting the Church to the ride queue is probably not practical. I'm guessing the whole right side of the courtyard and the space over to the waterfall will become a series of switchbacks, leaving just enough space for the Akershus line to form close to the building. Access to the shops and Kringla will be on the left side of the courtyard. What will happen if the line extends beyond the entrance to the courtyard is anybody's guess - but it won't be pretty. There would have to be some sort of "broken" queue like the nightmare that snaked through FL in MK when the A&E M&G first opened there...
Brian Swan
Well-Known Member
I'm not familiar with the architecture of the ride building or adjoining buildings, but is there any way to route a queue through to the "new" section of Norway? If there was, given the size of the expansion pad, there should be no problem with queue length, and there could be a consolidated stroller parking area for both attractions in the back, out of the way of main traffic. Just some armchair Imagineering on my part...
Brian Swan
Well-Known Member
I completely agree with you regarding the Nemo overlay; they retained the spirit of the original submarine voyage and plussed it with very well done visuals. I only wish the Nemo overlay in EP had been done as well. The old Flying Tires were pretty much a disaster. Probably the only Disney ride that I have ever been on that failed on all levels for me. Looking forward to trying the new ride (maybe in May); the videos I've watched make it look like a lot of fun.
dstrawn9889
Well-Known Member
no there is a service corridor between the two (think alleyway)
Bacon
Well-Known Member
The point is that the whole Norway area might reopen together.
DisneyDebRob
Well-Known Member
Please.. No... Never.. Please.
