Maelstrom

Meh, needed an upgrade, ride wasn’t «all that» but I’m sure there will be plenty of peeps missing the original.
I’m sure the new Frozen upgrade will be worthy of a few visits.
During our 2013 Wheel chair tour, I opted to try this ride via crutches… omg that was a mistake, I should have just parked the wheelchair outside and people watched.
Trying to get in and out of those boats were not good. I’ll miss the ride to some extent, glad I got ride it one more time before it was taken out, but I’m good with those memories.

This was our first visit to disneyworld so everything was new and exciting… except this ride. Were still confused about what the ride was actually about? Super lame … and now my husband hates Norway

Fare thee well, beautiful Maelstrom. May a flight of trolls sing thee to thy final resting place.
It is so sad to see this ride «disappear, disappear» but in the grand scheme of things, a Frozen attraction will get much more business. I get it. However, it is still sad to say on Sunday, I took my final ride backwards down the waterfall. I must say I’m not the only one sad to see it go, as Sunday night, the stand-​by entrance had a 130min wait. (thank goodness for my fastpass).
This charming little ride, tucked in the Norway pavilion, provided a fun adventure pitting you against three-​headed trolls, giant creepy trees, a massive polar bear, and right underneath an oil rig. Yes, I realize when I put it like that, this ride sounds like it makes no sense, but trust me, it was a blast!
Disney has made the decision to Let It Go, but I shall forever remember that final trip we took. This one joins World of Motion, Horizons, Body Wars, and many others in the land of nostalgia. Don’t worry Maelstrom, you’re in good company now.

I am so sad that this ride is not gone forever! This was always a must stop on our drinking journeys around the world and without it I am sad to say the only ride in the showcases is in Mexico. I am also sad to see Disney selling out so much of their parks to one movie. I am sad to see this one Disappear, Disappear.

This has been a family favorite for years, nay, decades. Sadly Disney made the decision to close it down and overlay it with a Frozen attraction. While I do not agree with their decision and am not happy about it, I won’t harp on it here. I just hope that they keep it tasteful and do not let Frozen ruin the overall feel of the pavilion.
For me, the Spirit of Norway will always live in it’s people, not in Arendelle.

This ride has recently closed to make way for a new Frozen attraction.
As one of the few rides within the World Showcase, it always had a longer line. It was a nice ride which featured a bit of Norway’s heritage and culture. It was a relatively calm boat ride, with a couple thrills through speedy hills.
There was a movie about Norway at the end which my party never chose to watch.

How fitting to write this review on the last day of operation. I wish they would have updated the ride and movie a long time ago. Time for the 80’s to finally be put to rest. I’m not a huge fan of Frozen taking its place, but change is good.

I hate you, Frozen. Is nothing sacred? Can you not spare EPCOT from your reign of formulaic, jingle-​filled terror?
Apparently not, and Maelstrom is your latest victim.
I DO NOT WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN!!!
I love Maelstrom and am so sad to see it go. It is without question the best attraction in World Showcase. Such a charming and well done ride, with an excellent film at the end.
What’s next? A Beauty and the Beast dance party will replace Impressions de France?
As the post-​ride video says, the spirit of Norway lives within its people. Thanks to this attraction, its charming 1980s spirit also lives within those who had the opportunity to experience it. Thanks for the memories, Maelstrom. You will be missed.

Got a chance to ride Malestrom one last time. Disney is capitalizing on the Frozen mania and turning it into a ride based on the movie.
Despite waiting 40 minutes, it was beautiful, nostalgic, and I was sad to see it go.
Goodbye, dear Malestrom. We had some good times and you will be missed.

I will miss this ride. … I look guard to the new attraction, but this had always been a must do ride each time.

The Maelstrom is the last ride to be built in the World Showcase, and I still remember the excitement of riding it when it first opened. Trolls around every bend, a polar bear, sexy Viking men murals and a drop. At the end is a film that lists dozens of reasons on why Norway is way better than any other stupid country on Earth, reasons that include beautiful scenery, smiling people, oil and socialism. What’s not to love?
It’s true that the Maelstrom has needed a makeover for years. The ceiling tiles in the queue are turning black, cables are becoming exposed and the animatronics sometimes don’t work correctly. The polar bears are in desperate need of a bath and the trolls seem to have given up on life.
By now, you know Norway has stopped paying their bills and Disney is retaliating. Rather than refurbish the cultural integrity of this ride and giving the polar bears a much needed scrub, it will soon be another vehicle for princess mumbo jumbo. Gone will be the mural featuring a man with a huge baby head and the manly voice telling you «Those who seek the spirit of Norway seek peril and adventure.» Gone will be another portion of your childhood.
Ride this one while you still can, folks. The culture will soon disappear, disappear!

Much like the other rides at Disney, a very educational ride, that focused on the Norwegian culture. There are a few dips and drops and a possibility of getting wet. There are a few places where little ones may get scared, but otherwise it should be a fun time.

If you’ve never done it before, this is a nice, very short log ride with a drop located at the Norway Pavilion. During the off-​season, there usually isn’t more than a 5 minute wait, so hubby and I will ride it often. But during the peak season, the line gets extremely long. In my opinion, it’s not worth it to wait in a very long line because the ride is so short.
If it’s a short wait, I say definitely go for it. It is pretty cool and kids will enjoy it. Even though there is a drop during the attraction, it’s not a big one and shouldn’t scare most kiddies. The only problem is, you wont know when it’s coming. :D
As others have said, skip the movie at the end (it’s old and boring) and head straight for the bakery, Kringla Bakeri og Café, for some nom noms!
Even if you skip the ride, do not miss the nom noms in the bakery!

This boat ride is so strange but I actually really like it. It’s located in the back of the Norway pavilion. When you’re walking up to the building you can get a glimpse of boats in motion at an opening that you can glance up at. Unlike other decades-​old rides (such as The Great Movie Ride) that I don’t think have aged well, I still enjoy taking a ride on the Maelstrom. You’ll make a troll very annoyed. You’ll wave to a polar bear. You’ll have a splashdown next to a giant oil rig. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it’s a good time. Without giving anything away I will say that I like that the boat doesn’t always behave like you think it would. There is a small drop, but it’s very tame and reminded me of the one on Pirates of the Caribbean. After the ride is over you disembark in an indoor recreation of a small section of a town. You’re supposed to go in an adjoining theater and watch a movie about Norway. It was marginally entertaining once, but no there’s no way I’m watching it every time I’m here. You can just walk through to the exit. A ride on the Maelstrom and a pastry from the bakery in Norway is always a fun way to end a night at Epcot.

This review is written from the perspective of a couple of 30 year olds, so keep that in mind.
It was really, really lame.
Now I should say we aren’t anti-​Disney by any means. We enjoyed It’s a Small World, Pirates, Bug’s Life, etc., but this was super lame and in desperate need of an update.
Would little kids like this ride? Nah, probably not.
³⁹⁄₃₆₅

I have loved this ride even when I was a little kid (and that was a LONG time ago). I can remember fearing the «big» drop when I was little. I can remember fearing it when I was older, not remembering from one trip to the next just how big that «big» drop is.
If you’re in the World Showcase, there are only two rides. This one and Mexico. You want to stop and take a ride, these are your choices. May I just say you can’t lose with either? Maelstrom is short and leaves you wanting more. Chances are the line is too long to get back on, so you’ll keep wanting more… until the next time (year) you go back.
When you board the boat, you might have a tiny bit of fear, trying to remember just how big that drop is. You start off, and always that drop is somewhere you didn’t expect it. (I swear it moves from time to time… just kidding, I just have no memory)
It’s always nice to know that this ride is waiting, ready to entertain… a truly fun/​nice break from walking around. Always look forward to it… just wish it was longer!
And trolls await in the shop when you get out!

The name of this ride is somewhat misleading. I was expecting a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius. What I got was a log ride that even an infant could ride.
I am the first to admit that, until recently, I was not a fan of thrill rides. So much so that on my first trip to Disney several years ago, I bypassed this ride out of fear due to the ominous name. Looking back I have to laugh considering this ride is pretty tame compared to many others.
I decided to take this ride early one morning when it first opened. I had just finished a princess breakfast and the ride had a line, but a very short one. As we boarded I wondered if a steep drop was the best idea after a big breakfast, but it worked out OK. As others have mentioned, this ride is a bit off. I think one review mentioned the possibility that the designers took some sort of hallucinogen at some point and I would tend to agree. What starts out as a normal ride turns into something a bit more trippy around the midway point.
The aforementioned drop is very tame especially compared to something like splash mountain. In fact, the majority of the riders barely got wet. I did enjoy the ride since there really wasn’t much of a wait and I would gladly go back again. The strangeness of it and the family friendly drop were kind of endearing.

A really disappointing boat ride with no thrill. Very short. You barely descend and the lead-​up to it is cheesy trolls and vikings cackling for no reason. The ride (like a lot of the park!) needs to be updated. They could do so much more with the wonderful mythology of Norway and the stunning landscape of the fjords. The Spirit of Norway film at the end of the ride is a joke. It’s beautiful, yes, but it’s so out of date I almost feel embarassed that the park is still showing it (but not as embarassed as I feel about the park still showing Captain EO with Michael Jackson after more than 20 years).
The Norway pavillion is magical and this ride doesn’t do it much justice. If you want to ride it, grab a fast pass. Don’t wait for more than 25 minutes!

I haven’t been on this ride for maybe 20 years so I didn’t remember much of it. Of course back then, there was no Fast Pass and you just walked right in like you owned the place.
I enjoyed the history lesson… who knew. The ride was short considering I waited 20 mins. and is good for the kiddies… no frights.
Skip the movie at the end and head straight for the bakery!

Fastpass.
They actually had to install a Fastpass distribution for this ride.
It is a little silly, but it really doesn’t matter because it is a log ride and you know you want to drop.
Walk as quickly as you can through the movie at the end of the ride. It is from the 80’s. Not in a good way.