Tag: World Showcase

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From “Once Upon a Time” to Frozen Ever After: Inside the Ride That Changed World Showcase

From the bottom of the seas; to the moon and back; through wicked woods and haunted hotels; ancient temples to inside the imagination; from the microscopic world to the origins of the universe… For more than sixty years, Disney Parks have brought unthinkable adventures to life.

And for even longer than that, the minds behind Disney have been trying to bring one particular fairy tale to life. Over decades, Disney animators, designers, storytellers, and Imagineers had been cracking away at the icy case of The Snow Queen, trying to incorporate this ethereal character into their movies, cartoons, and theme park attractions. The evolution of this chilling wintertime tale is a plot line in and of itself, and today, we’ll trace the snowy story of Disney’s frosty relationship with The Snow Queen and how it gradually evolved into one of the most spectacular rides at Walt Disney World today – a verifiable 21st century wonder joining our Modern Marvels collection.

From “Once Upon a Time” to Frozen Ever After, you may be surprised by the many threads that came together to create the ride that just may change Epcot forever… Settle in.

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MAELSTROM: The Stormy Story of Epcot’s Lost Norwegian Adventure

A maelstrom can be defined as either a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool, or a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs.

It’s hard to say which is the most appropriate definition in recounting the tale of Epcot’s Maelstrom, the lost high seas adventure ride once at home in the park’s World Showcase. From its opening along with the park’s new Norway pavilion in 1988, Maelstrom was a rare addition to EPCOT Center: a thrill ride. Trolls, oil rigs, waterfalls, villages, polar bears… There’s no denying: Maelstrom was an oddity and a treasured remnant of Epcot’s earliest days.

And of course, it didn’t last.

Image: Mark & Paul Luukkonen, Flickr (license)

As time marches on, beloved lost rides like Maelstrom disappear into Valhalla. And so, here we are once more: as new generations of Disney Parks fans appear, there will come a time (and sooner than you think) when Maelstrom is but a hazy memory. Young fans will have barely heard of it, and certainly won’t understand what the “big deal” was. So let’s remind them. That’s why you’ll see links to our fabled, in-depth Lost Legends entries across the site…

But in today’s entry to our Legend Library, we’ll dive headfirst into the swirling waters of EPCOT’s lost Norwegian adventure to recount its history, record the experience, and look ahead to the future. As always, we’re counting on you to add your memories and impressions to preserve Maelstrom for a new generation.

And before we head off, remember that you can unlock rare concept art and audio streams in this story, access over 100 Extra Features, and recieve an annual Membership card and postcard art set in the mail by supporting this clickbait-free, in-depth, ad-free theme park storytelling site for as little as $2 / month! Become a Park Lore Member to join the story! Until then, let’s start at the beginning…

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