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Norway pavilion
Attractions include an exhibition of art in the stave
church, a Viking ship play area & the Maelstrom ride.
Your first glimpse of the Norway showcase is that
of a striking wooden structure. This stavkirke, or Stave Church,
is styled after Gol Church of Hallingdal, built around 1250 A.D.
It houses an exhibit of Norse artifacts.
Forming a backdrop for the showcase and a romantic
exterior for the restaurant is a Norwegian castle which was styled
after Akershus, a 14th-century fortress that stands in the heart
of Oslo’s harbor.
Gift shops and a tourism information center are located
in quaint houses with reddish-brown roofing tiles typical of homes
found in Bergen and other coastal areas.
The walk toward the Norway pavilion is lined on the left with camphor
trees, used around the World Showcase to provide continuity and
to soften the transition between the different landscapes. The trees,
which also provide shaded areas for guests, are “cousins” of the
cinnamon tree and are the source of camphor oil.
Approaching the Norway pavilion, one of the first things the eye
sees is the sod roof. This technique was often used in traditional
houses in mountainous regions of Norway as added insulation from
the cold. At Epcot, zoysia grass is used because it stays green
year-round.
Landscaping this pavilion was challenging because native Norwegian
plants cannot survive the Florida heat. In their place, "look-alike"
plants such as birch, maples and sycamores are used to produce the
same effect.
Dining
"Help yourself to the koldtbord" (cold table) is the catch phrase
in Restaurant Akershus where guests are
encouraged to make multiple trips to the table. The seafood and
cold meat dishes provide an appetizing beginning for this authentic
Norwegian dining experience. Gravlaks, a cured salmon served with
mustard sauce; chilled shrimp; Norwegian-style herring and an assortment
of salads and cheese make this first course a meal in itself.
Next come the smarvarmt, or hot dishes. A sampling of these delights
would include lamb and cabbage, smoked pork with honey mustard sauce,
venison strips in cream sauce and macaroni and cheese with ham.
Mashed rutabagas and boiled red potatoes round out the hot selection.
All beverages and desserts are served a la carte.
Scandinavian sweets and sandwiches are available across the pavilion
courtyard at the Kringla Bakery and Cafe. Popular palate pleasers
include strawberry cake; a cloudberry-filled cream horn; Skol Bread,
a cream and coconut treat; and the trademark offering, the kringla,
a sweet pretzel. Norwegian beer also is available at the cafe.
Maelstrom
Visitors take a fantasy voyage that departs a modern-day
village on a Norwegian fjord and journeys up a cascading waterway
into the Norway of old. The trip is aboard small ships patterned
after the dragon-headed craft of Eric the Red and his fellow explorers.
Floating on a man-made river, the 16 passenger Viking craft is
thrust up sloping white-water rapids into a tenth century Viking
village. A full-size Viking ship is in the harbor, being readied
to be put out to sea. The guests' boat then slips into the shadows
of a mythical Norwegian forest populated by trolls and water spirits.
One of these fairy-tale creatures casts a spell on the boat, causing
it to plummet backwards downriver into the rapids of the Jutenheimen
mountain country.
Suddenly, the watercraft crashes through a narrow gorge and nearly
tips over the brink of a waterfall. Just as the boat is about to
be swallowed up, it spins around and falls through a rocky passageway
in the North Sea.
Waves crash and lightening flashes as the North Sea is caught in
the fury of a fierce ocean storm. A gigantic oil production platform
bobs up and down in the dark night. As the boat passes the concrete
legs of the platform, there is again quiet and a small fishing village
appears in the distance. Docking at the harbor, visitors make their
way through the village houses.
At the end of the wooden gangplank, between a rocky ledge and a
waterfall, a brightly lit opening reveals the entrance to a theater.
Here, a wide-screen motion picture takes visitors on a tour of modern
Norway. From the seacoast to the mountain hamlet, the film introduces
the audience to the people of this beautiful land. (Film is optional.)
"Norway-The Film" was written, produced and directed
by Paul Gerber, a filmmaker with two Epcot films -- "Symbiosis"
(formerly at The Land) and "The Seas" (in The Living Seas)
-- to his credit. The clarity and grandeur of the large-scale images
in "Norway-The Film" are due to the fact that the film
was shot in 70mm, with the same Panavision camera used for "Lawrence
of Arabia."
The film plays itself out dramatically as Norway's history and
spirit are revealed to a four-year-old boy when he is confronted
with an icon from his Viking heritage.
Among the featured images in "Norway-The Film" are Sognefjord,
the largest of Norway's many such natural wonders; Oseberg bat,
the 1000-year-old Viking ship unearthed in Oseberg, Norway, now
on display in Oslo's Viking Museum; a Norwegian rowing club, whose
members enacted the moments of Vikings setting off to sea from Norway's
west coast; a fiery nighttime view of Statoil's majestic Statfjord
B oil rig, silhouetted against 45-foot-tall waves in Norway's tumultuous
North Sea offshore oil field; Skudeneshavn, a small fishing village
on the southwest coast of Norway; and the Holmenkollen ski resort,
where a 19-year-old skier's soaring jump from one of the highest
jumps in Northern Europe will leave guests breathless at the daunting
spirit of these strong and adventurous people.
Also recorded is Norway's national holiday celebration of May 17,
when Norwegians flood the streets of their towns and cities to pay
tribute to their constitution. "Norway-The Film" captures
this moment, where, as it has been done for centuries, a colorful
parade marches up Karl Johansgate, Oslo's main thoroughfare.
The film culminates in a montage of scenes capturing the spirit
of the people of Norway at work and at play. Scenes include a young
couple sailing off Norway's beautiful west coast near the town of
Alesund, a lineman hanging precariously on a high-tension wire over
Sognefjord and, pictured within a soaring 18th century studio, young
Oslo ballerinas in training.
Type - indoor boat ride
When to go - go in the morning or later in
the day.
Duration - 14 mins
Restrictions
Guests must be able to transfer from wheelchairs to board the attraction.
Guests must negotiate two steps as they board the boat and disembark.
Guests will move rapidly up a steep incline in a Viking boat that
later turns and moves backward before turning and facing forward
again to go down a short, steep waterfall.
Hidden Mickeys
In the wall mural facing the loading dock, look closely at the Vikings
in the boat, one of them is wearing something very different from
the standard issue helmet.
Also in the wall mural, check out the wristwatch on the bearded
construction worker on the right side.
Reviews
"My friends and I went to Epcot and rode this
ride 5 times before it was time to close. It was wonderful and teaches
you a lot about Norway and it's history. We loved everything about
it, including the movie which we never skipped at all. By the end
of our 5th ride, we were able to quote every word they said on it.
This is definatly a must see, and the Norwegian guys there are definatly
a must have!" (10/02)
"While this is definately a great ride (and as
far as rides go, it's worth it to go to the World Showcase just
for this), I never realized that the film at the end of the ride
is optional. The film is fine the first time around, and gives you
a look at modern-day Norway, and gives you a sense of the pride
of the Norweigen people, but after that, I would recommend skipping
it. Use the extra time to check out the Mexico pavillion--set up
like an outdoor market/restaurant at night." (6/02) Jen
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