Frozen . On Oct . 5 , 2014 , Maelstrom embarked on its final voyage to make way for Frozen Ever After .
While diehard fans of Maelstrom were not keen on the change , Disney kept the original ride track intact . That means Frozen Ever After contains the same climb up the tunnel , the same path through the show building , and the same backward drop — just from Elsa ’ s ice castle , not the threeheaded troll .
These brave sailors had “ the guts of a Viking ”! © DISNEY
Guests who ventured to EPCOT between 1988 and 2015 may recall the waterfall in the Norway Pavilion had a circular opening at the top . If you watched closely , you ’ d periodically see the stern of a langskip poke through the hole , as if it were about to cascade down the waterfall .
At this waterfall the ship pivoted to move forward again . Riders passed another Nokken and then dropped for a second time . But they weren ’ t out of the woods yet : Before reaching the fishing village at the ride ’ s end , the ship entered the turbulent seas of Maelstrom — though just how turbulent depended on when you rode the attraction .
Frozen Ever After pays homage to Maelstrom in multiple ways . The ride vehicles , for one , are the same . Careful eyes may also recognize the puffin animatronics during Frozen Ever After , retained from the previous attraction . And watch the ceiling as Elsa casts you backward out of the ice castle : The swirling magic lights are a nod to the magical spell that filled the air when the three-headed troll sent guests down the waterfall .
Like its predecessor , Frozen Ever After is a fantastic ride . And while I light up every time I encounter Olaf and Sven , I still carry with me the magic of Maelstrom . I guess I ’ m not ready to let it go .
Disney fans and historians can ’ t quite agree on when and how ( and if !) Maelstrom changed . Before it opened , advertisements certainly showed a dark ending , including wind machines , sprinklers ( guests in the footage wore yellow ponchos ), and a Tesla coil that would shoot out bolts of lightning . Some fans claim to remember needing a poncho in the early days ; others say they originally saw the Tesla coil in use . Torrigino settles the latter : “[ N ] o one could figure out how to pull it off without electrocuting people , since our vehicles were boats in real water ! So we didn ’ t get to use the effect .” Best-laid plans , remember ?
Whether before it officially opened or shortly after , Imagineers softened the extreme weather effects of Maelstrom ’ s grand finale ( a strobe light created the lightning effect instead ), and you could get off the ride as dry as when you boarded . Thus , “ Epcot Center ’ s New Thriller ” became much tamer — yet still full of Viking and Disney magic .
LET THE STORM RAGE ON All good things must come to an end . With the release of Frozen in 2013 , Disney had a Scandinavian-inspired hit on their hands . The film made nearly $ 1.3 billion internationally at the box office , then continued to rake in money with its DVD and digital release , merchandising , and inevitable sequels ( The Walt Disney Company announced the release of Frozen 3 earlier this year ).
Disney brought Elsa and Anna to the Norway Pavilion for a meet-and-greet — and it was immediately clear how popular they were , regularly commanding two-plus-hour lines . The people had spoken : EPCOT ’ s Norway Pavilion needed more
It ’ s no longer the Maelstrom , but you can still find nods to this Viking adventure if you know where to look ! PHOTO BY LAURIE SAPP