The Norway Pavilion is a cultural area within Epcot theme park where Guests of all ages can experience the character and atmosphere of Norway. Welcome to the Age of the Vikings! Enjoy the simple picturesque landscape of this mini Scandinavian village square with its stone and wood elements and authentic Norwegian architectural style. Discover ancient Norse art. Dine on authentic Norwegian dishes and visit shops filled with wonderful Norwegian wares. But watch out for the trolls!
A visit to Norway (located between Mexico and China) will put you right into Scandinavia as you enter the picturesque town square designed to represent the Norwegian towns and cities of Bergen, Oslo, Alesund and Setesdahl. This 58,000 square foot pavilion features a boat ride (the Maelstrom), Restaurant Akershus with all day Princess dining, a pastry shop, an outdoor deli counter, a replica Stave Church with a Viking Exhibit and shopping. The area of Norway resembles a Norwegian town square with its cobble stone courtyard and a replica of a 14th century fortress found in Oslo. A stave church mimics 13th Century medieval craftsmanship.
Much of the pavilion is taken up by interconnected shops. These shops are decorated with large wooden trolls and sell assorted Norwegian goods, including clothing, candy, and statuettes of Norse gods and trolls. The courtyard of the pavilion contains the entrance to Maelstrom, a boat ride into Norway's past and present. Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe is a bakery, featuring assorted Norwegian pastries, such as cream horns and open-faced salmon sandwiches. The courtyard contains the entrance to Restaurant Akershus, featuring a hot and cold buffet and "Princess Storybook Dining."
Attractions
Ride the Maelstrom adventure cruise, where the spirit of adventure reigns!
Maelstrom
Maelstrom is a family-friendly adventure on a troll-tormented Viking ship from modern-day to historic Norway in the World Showcase area at Epcot theme park. Come aboard for a stormy voyage through a Norwegian fjord, a troll-infested swamp and on to the North Sea via a thrilling backward plummet. Leave present day Norway to journey back in time to the Norway of old aboard dragon-headed 16 passenger boats. Travel to a 10th century Viking Village and enter the shadows of a mythical Norwegian forest populated by trolls. One of the creatures cast a spell on the boat and you suddenly are traveling backwards into the rapids of the Jutenheimen mountain country. Just as you are about to topple backwards over the waterfall, the boat moves forward to a rocky passageway in the North Sea where you find yourself in an ocean storm. Soon, you enter the calm fishing village where your boat docks. A door will open into the theater. There is a wide-screen movie that takes you on a tour of Norway and introduces you to its people.
Stave Church
A replica of the Gol Stave church found in the Norwegian Folk Museum in Oslo, Norway. Many folks see the Stave Church, but not everyone realizes you can walk inside! When you go inside it has exhibit on Vikings, with authentic weapons and other artifacts, as well as figures of important Norwegians: Olaf II, Erik the Red and Rognvald, a Viking raider who invaded and colonized France. The Stave Church is totally separated from the main building. It's also very cool inside, making it a good break from the Florida sun and heat. (A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts (stafr in Old Norse, stav in Norwegian) have lent their name to the building technique. Related church types are post churches and churches with palisade walls.)
Touring Tips
- The Maelstrom is a fun ride, but lines can get quite long. Rather than wait, get a FASTPASS or return later in the day to ride the Viking ships! The Maelstrom is also a "dark" ride and there are several short periods of darkness.
- There are special effects in the Maelstrom ride that young children might find scary (Large Trolls that Chase you - Life Size Polar Bears - Stormy lightning - dark places).
- Explore the exhibit "Vikings: Conquerors of the Seas," a collection of authentic Norse weapons and artifacts, at the gallery inside the Stave Church.
- Be sure you make a dining reservation for Akershus and be prepared to wait. It's rare to walk past this venue and not see a lot of little princesses (and princes) waiting to be seated.
- Spelmanns Gledje plays lively Norwegian folk music. Show is about 15-20 minutes long.
Dining
Restaurant Akershus - At Akershus, there's 'Princess Storybook Dining' for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Restaurant Akershus is patterned after its namesake castle found in Oslo. Soaring ceilings are accented with hand hewn wooden beams. This regal setting is the perfect backdrop for the Princess Storybook Dining experience. While enjoying your meal, Disney Princesses and friends will visit with you. Lunch and Dinner will be served Family Style and will feature a Taste of Norway assortment of cold appetizers followed by hot entrees.
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe - Outdoors, under shade, the Kringla Bakeri og Kafe serves open-faced sandwiches and pastries such as the specialty Kringles (candied pretzels) and the delicious Lefses (thin potato bread rolled with a cinnamon, sugar & butter filling). Specialty coffees are available. For a great pastry, stop in here for breakfast or dessert or just a treat in the middle of your day.
Shopping
The Puffin's Roost - Curios and Collectibles is the main shop located in the Norway pavilion. You will find a large selection of books on trolls, Vikings, Scandinavian cuisine, Norwegian Proverbs, and Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales. If tasting some of the local snacks is more your style, check out the chocolate, Swedish preserves and Nordic sweets. This shop offers an extensive collection of sterling silver jewelry, including, OpRo Designs, Hilde Fostveit, and Hasla. The Norwegian scents sold here for men and women are Geir: The Power of Norway and Laila: The essence of Norway. They offer Norwegian trolls in all shapes and sizes, Konge Tinn Royal pewter, Linie Aquavit, and Tommeliten Knives. The clothing for men, women, and children are made by Dale of Norway and Helly Hansen.
Facts
- Norway was added to World Showcase in 1988.
- The pavilion is staffed by 150 young Norwegian men and women, who wear a copy of the traditional national costume the bunad. Cast members sign a contract for 12, 10, or 6 months.
- Under the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, they highlight the landmark of every country, the Norwegian Stave church is Norway's landmark, but since Norway was not originally a part of World Showcase, it is not illuminated.
- One former exhibit was a full-scale Viking ship, inspired by the famous Oseberg ship. Formerly a children's play area, the structure was removed in December 2008.
- Holidays from Around the World features storytellers in each country. At Norway, the elf known as Julenissen (Santa Claus) makes appearances throughout the afternoon. "Norway has its own kind of Santa Claus - Nissen has existed in Norwegian folklore throughout the ages.
- The Maelstrom's small ships are patterned after the dragon-headed craft of Eric the Red and his fellow explorers.
- Four uniquely Norwegian architectural styles can be seen here. Setesdal style, with grassy roofs and thick logs, projects a rough woods look in The Puffin's Roost and Kringla Bakeri og Kafe. Bergen style, captured here in the Fjording Shop, is marked by gabled windows on close-set wooden buildings. Oslo style is marked by the surrounding walls of the Akershus Castle. Alesund style is typified by the white stucco and stone-trimmed information building where you find the entrance to the Maelstrom.
- The Restaurant Akershus has the same name as the famous 14th century castle which stands in Oslo's harbor and is of the same stone construction.
- At one time, a great play area for kids was located at Norway - a huge Viking ship. Disney replaced the Viking Ship play area with a flower garden but some of the remains of the ship where kept in remembrance.
History
The Norway pavilion is the most recent nation to be added to World Showcase. It opened on May 6, 1988, however it was not given its official opening until a month later. In June 1988 the grand opening was dedicated by Crown Prince Harald in a ceremony that was broadcast live to Norway. The original idea was to create a Nordic Pavilion that would combine elements from various countries into one exhibit. Three countries were consulted, but it finally ended up with investors from Norway raising the US$30 million required to create an exclusive national pavilion. Disney contributed the other one-third of the construction cost. In 1992, the investors sold their stake to Disney. Since nearly as many people visit Epcot as live in Norway, the government felt it still was a good promotional tool for their tourism industry. The federal government continued to contribute US$200,000 annually for five years to help fund the exhibit. Renewed in 1997 for a further 5 years, the government stopped payments in 2002, against the recommendations from their American embassy.
Hidden Mickey
- In the Maelstrom, look at the wall mural facing the loading dock; a Viking wearing Mickey Mouse ears is there.