RIP Maelstrom

[JoshuaShaw]

RIP Maelstrom.

 

[999DoomBuggies]

I loved going on this ride every year .... So sad to see it go as well ! I wish they added rides with out taken them away .. They seem to have a lot of land available no ?

An excessive amount of land and ready to use buildings. This being the case it tells you how mismanaged disney is at this point.

Funny that disneyland has no problem stuffing attractions into a small space.

 

[999DoomBuggies]

My requiem for poor Maelstrom: For some, you were loved, and for some, you were hated. And for me, you were kind of the outdated punchline to a really corny joke from the 80s that was still funny but for all the wrong reasons. I didn't really like you that much, but I came to ride every time, because it's hot and humid in Florida and Epcot is huge, so sitting down in the air conditioning was always preferable. I've gotten to an age now that I think I would just go to the Norway page on Wikipedia if I wanted to learn something extremely basic and glossed-over, though, so I won't weep for the loss of your edutainment. I did like you more than the idea of a Frozen ride, so I guess there's that. I admit that I'm more sad about Mo'Rockin than I am about you. Ultimately, your demise mostly just reminds me that I don't have solid thematic idea where Disney is going with the World Showcase at this point. Someday in the decade to come I'll stand in the middle of what was once your pavilion and buy an Olaf doll for my cubicle, and think of you for a brief moment before forking over my credit card. Reese's in pieces, ye victim of Disney "progress".

I can accept these thoughts but the fact that you would buy an Olaf doll is unacceptable.

World showcase is officially dead. Epcot is slowly transitioning over to a low-level california adventure. Next up for imagineers is to work on an Incredibles overlay of mission space.

 

[grimley1968]

RIP Maelstrom.

Where are they headed? I have some extra space in my yard for those boats. I'd be the cool hoarder in my town if I had those.

I hope the trolls were packed away for the trip. If I saw those on a flatbed I really would .

 

[999DoomBuggies]

Some say these boats will end up at Theme Park Connection where the resin mold equipment is waiting and ebay ads are being drafted.

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm starting to get the impression the OP is just a little bitter about this. I'm quick that way.

 

[ChanFO]

World showcase is officially dead. Epcot is slowly transitioning over to a low-level california adventure. Next up for imagineers is to work on an Incredibles overlay of mission space.

Well, if we're going to head that direction... I also have a disgustingly unacceptable wish for The Great Mouse Detective in the UK pavilion and WALL-E in The Land.

 

[Ava]

I took my one last ride on Maelstrom on our trip last month, and did something I'd never done before - watched the movie! At the request of my 5-year-old, oddly enough. I was all set to walk through the theater but she stopped and sat down in the front row. I told her it was just a movie about Norway and to come on. (DW and the baby didn't ride so they were waiting for us.) But she insisted that she wanted to watch it. I said fine and sat down, figuring she'd get bored after a few minutes and want to leave. Then the following happened:

Another little girl around my DD's age stopped at the seats and asked what this was. Her parent told her and she said, "Oh I don't want to watch that." As she was walking out, my DD says (loudly), "Well, I guess she doesn't want to learn about Norway!"

She sat quietly and watched the whole thing, too. I was laughing inside at all the 80s clothing/hairstyles in it.

 

[donnawine]

When I rode it on Tuesday, every time a boat arrived the entire line clapped and cheered, giving it a proper send off.
The ride will most definitely be missed.

I'm so disappointed in disney for replacing a real country with a fictional one. Epcot is my favorite park and I really hope they don't continue this horrible idea thought the rest of the countries.

 

[csm101]

I wish we made it down this summer for one last ride. Our family liked it, wasn't a great ride but had something special about it.

 

[Planogirl]

Extremely well put.

The frozen backlash is rising. Often young girls do not want to be caught admitting they like frozen.

What happens when frozen dies out, which it will? Does disney do the right thing and restore maelstrom?

My understanding is that other rides are on the chopping block, that no ride is safe, and that disney is attempting to react as quickly as possible to universal. I enjoy the zeal but the Ariel and Winnie rides have not made life long disney fans but I know that horizons and maelstrom have made lifelong disney fans.

If all of this is some type of reaction to Universal, they sure are offbase. Universal seems to be trying to appeal to the masses by building well thought out attractions that fit the theming. Disney seems to be destroying theming and is just throwing up cheap, uninteresting things. So very Un-Disney.

Oh well, it's done now. I won't ever see the Norway pavilion again unless it becomes Norway again. I'm OK with that.

 

[swarlock]

The OP's name got me thinking, That would be cool if Disney added a Troll in HM (along with other "Dead" rides.

I'm disapointed that Maelstrom is gone. After my trip to DL, I love that their FL has a bunch of older attractions, and suppliments them with newer attractions. Instead of replacing Mr Toad with Pooh, DL kept Mr Toad and still found room for Pooh. There is more than enough space in WDW to add additional rides. It's confusing why they don't want to use that space.

The County leased the land to them if I remember correctly. As much as there is, it can't go beyond the confines of another area. That's just how it is.

 

[Lindaland]

I'm so disappointed in disney for replacing a real country with a fictional one. Epcot is my favorite park and I really hope they don't continue this horrible idea thought the rest of the countries.

I couldn't agree more!! This is the main reason I am sad about Maelstrom closing. If Norway didn't want to continue funding the country, then they should have replaced it with another country like Australia/New Zealand. Or maybe Africa could have gotten more than an outpost!!! Either way it comes down to WS is about real actual countries, not fake ones.

 

[Lehuaann]

RIP Maelstrom.

Was this picture taken yesterday? Or is it from a few years back during the refurbishment?

 

[Aurora0427]

RIP Maelstrom.

I'm not a huge Maelstrom fan, and have only ridden it twice in 14 years of Disney visits, and even I find this picture totally depressing.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I couldn't agree more!! This is the main reason I am sad about Maelstrom closing. If Norway didn't want to continue funding the country, then they should have replaced it with another country like Australia/New Zealand. Or maybe Africa could have gotten more than an outpost!!! Either way it comes down to WS is about real actual countries, not fake ones.

from what I understand the only country pavilion that actually gets any outside funding at this point may be Morocco. For whatever that is worth.

 

[jcnewton]

I couldn't agree more!! This is the main reason I am sad about Maelstrom closing. If Norway didn't want to continue funding the country, then they should have replaced it with another country like Australia/New Zealand. Or maybe Africa could have gotten more than an outpost!!! Either way it comes down to WS is about real actual countries, not fake ones.

Africa has a good amount of representation at AK, and Morocco is in Africa. but Egypt would make a pretty cool looking pavilion! I don't know all the much about the cuisine, but the history would be fantastic in WS.

Back on topic......those images of the boats are like a kick to the junk. Super bummed to see that.

 

[999DoomBuggies]

Its been over a month now. A month later and this is a still a terrible decision by park management. Frozen continues to dwindle more and more. In no way will a frozen attraction improve world showcase. A frozen attraction is the equivalent of roger rabbit or monsters inc attraction, whereas maelstrom was a true original imagineering and the longest standing world showcase ride. Maelstrom deserved refurbishment. Frozen should have been put in the studios. Shame on disney.

 

[FLchick415]

I'm not so sure about Frozen "dwindling". I was just at WDW this past weekend and I lost count at how many little Anna and Elsa's I saw.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm not so sure about Frozen "dwindling". I was just at WDW this past weekend and I lost count at how many little Anna and Elsa's I saw.

You would expect that at WDW. It does seem to be dwindling in the real world though. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.