Maelstrom Marks 25 Years of Sending Guests ‘Back! Over the Falls!’ at Epcot

Today is a special milestone for one Epcot attraction: Maelstrom in the Norway Pavilion turns 25.

The attraction is a journey into Norwegian culture, history and legend that whisks guests through enchanted swamps, eerie fjords and swirling seas. When it first opened in 1988, the attraction became the first (and still is the only) attraction at Epcot to feature a flume drop – of 28 feet, to be precise.

In honor of today’s milestone, here are five fun facts about the attraction.

• The ride vehicle is a 10th-century warrior’s longship with a dragon head bow.
• During the journey, guests pass through a scene that features ancient wall carvings called “petroglyphs.”
• One scene features a yellow-eyed “Nokken” or river troll. (He’s the figure in the bottom left in the photo above.)
• The attraction’s polar bear rears up to measure more than 10 feet tall.
• The attraction’s film, “Norway – The Film,” was shot with the same camera that filmed “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Maelstrom Marks 25 Years of Sending Guests ‘Back! Over the Falls!’ at Epcot by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog