The Maelstrom- was it ever more intense?

[Cardinal]

A few of my neighbors were talking to me about how they loved the Norweigan boat ride before it got so tame. They said there used to be a tsunami effect and then there was a [bigger] drop. Did the Maelstrom ever have a bigger drop, or are they thinking of a different ride?

 

[princess22]

I don't remember it having a bigger drop. Maybe they were really young when they rode it so it seemed bigger! And sometimes things aren't quite what you remember!! But I could be wrong

 

[bytheblood]

I believe the ride has always been pretty much the same.

 

[Cardinal]

Oh... imagine if the Maelstrom was a thrill ride? Maybe then it wouldn't be so boring!

 

[peel]

I remember when Maelstrom first opened Disney was calling it a "Semi-Thrill Ride". Not sure why they ever thought that was accurate! :lol

 

[silverarrowknits]

I remember the troll section longer and two drops, but considering it had been ten years since I had been on it, I figure I embellished it in my mind a bit.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

No it has always been the same.......maybe they were kids at the time and remember it as being bigger or having 2 drops?!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Humphfff - we love this ride. It would be better if it was longer, but it is a good ride for kids - not too scary. The only really lame part is the film. As long as you skip it, you're good. I wish more coutries in the WS had rides.

 

[legalsea]

I first rode this ride three years ago. I did it for a second time two weeks ago. I think they did change the ride. I recall a great (for the ride) drop at the end. I even seem to recall that you were facing foward when you came to the hole where you could look out, followed by the swoop down; now, we were facing backwards, and just a small swoop. Just my impression.

 

[vamom]

I have not been on this ride, but was planning on riding in Nov. I don't do big drops. Can someone please tell me how big the drop is. If you could compare the drop to another ride at Disney what would it be? Thanks for the warning.

 

[skifast22]

I first rode this ride three years ago. I did it for a second time two weeks ago. I think they did change the ride. I recall a great (for the ride) drop at the end. I even seem to recall that you were facing foward when you came to the hole where you could look out, followed by the swoop down; now, we were facing backwards, and just a small swoop. Just my impression.

Again, as others have mentioned the ride really has not changed since it opened. The trolls have always sent the boat going backwards, past the polar bears to the hole looking out over the pavillion, where the boat then stops and goes forward down the hill. For those asking about the height of the hill, it is slightly bigger than the hill in Pirates of the Carribbean, I'd say no more than 20 feet.

 

[pezheadmeg]

I have not been on this ride, but was planning on riding in Nov. I don't do big drops. Can someone please tell me how big the drop is. If you could compare the drop to another ride at Disney what would it be? Thanks for the warning.

It's about the same as POTC. If you can handle that drop, you'll be fine--the only difference is that it's towards the end of the ride.

 

[shelemm]

I have not been on this ride, but was planning on riding in Nov. I don't do big drops. Can someone please tell me how big the drop is. If you could compare the drop to another ride at Disney what would it be? Thanks for the warning.

It's a pretty lame experience all around. DO NOT WAIT for Maelstrom, go only if there is no line or Fastpass. The drop is certainly not big, but more importantly it is not steep. Maelstrom is a good example of why, thank goodness, other countries do not have rides, The entertainment the other countries provide is a million times better. Not sure if I could compare it to another Disney drop, maybe like a slide in a community pool.

 

[ChrisFL]

I still like Maelstrom, I think the opening part before the trolls could have been longer and more descriptive, but I dont know any ride before it that had such a long backwards section. Just the fact that you don't expect to go backwards to begin with is what makes it intereting to me, plus when people actually look behind them near the end of it.

 

[DisneyGirlie]

Humphfff - we love this ride. It would be better if it was longer, but it is a good ride for kids - not too scary. The only really lame part is the film. As long as you skip it, you're good. I wish more coutries in the WS had rides.

I love Maelstrom for what it is. Its sorta fun and considering its one of the only rides in a country, other than Mexico of course, it deserves some credit. The films are nice, but more countries definitely need rides.
Just my opinion.
And I have never stayed for the Norway film. haha.

 

[La2kw]

A few of my neighbors were talking to me about how they loved the Norweigan boat ride before it got so tame. They said there used to be a tsunami effect and then there was a [bigger] drop. Did the Maelstrom ever have a bigger drop, or are they thinking of a different ride?

The ride is the same, but there used to be fog and wave effects at the end of the second waterfall where you enter the room with the oil rig. The room was filled with fog, you could barely see the oil rig. A wave would crash against the pilings (similar to the wave effect outside the Living Seas) and often splash you. Perhaps that's what they remember?

 

[DebbieB]

I've always liked this ride, not sure why. But I don't remember it any different since my first trip in 1994.

 

[BamaFan121s]

Another one of the cheesier rides that I like anyway. As far as the tsunami part, I know that there have been sometimes at the foot of the drop--I guess when the boat hits juuuust right--that water splashes back up on you. Not a soaking experience though, more like a nice cool surprise.

 

[SueM in MN]

The ride is the same, but there used to be fog and wave effects at the end of the second waterfall where you enter the room with the oil rig. The room was filled with fog, you could barely see the oil rig. A wave would crash against the pilings (similar to the wave effect outside the Living Seas) and often splash you. Perhaps that's what they remember?

We were on Maelstrom for the first time when it was in preview and we went on it a number of times around then.

There is one other change that was made to the ride after it was open a while. The ride path and what is in the attraction are the same as they were from the beginning, but it used to be a bit different at the spot where the trolls say "Over the falls......."
Now you go kind of slowly towards the 'window', and then go backwards down the hill. The going towards the falls, the turn and going backwards are fairly slow.

When the ride was in preview and for a while after that, it went quickly toward that little 'window' that overlooks Norway. If went so far that people on the ground could see the people in the closest part of the boat and the front people on the boat. Then the boat turned quickly (and kind of with a jerk) before continuing backwards like it does now. I think the reason they changed it was that people inside the ride screamed when they felt like they were going to be dumped out of the little 'window'. Also, their screaming kind of made some people (especially people with kids) not want to go on it. I also recall some people on the ground thinking something was wrong with the ride when they caught sight of the boat sticking out (nothing like scaring the people outside and letting their screams panic the people in the ride).
I'm not sure when it changed, but they did make a few subtle things to slow it and make it a little more tame.

 

[Macca1111]

I was going to comment, but Sue above me summed it up perfectly. Yep.