Haunted Serenade Presents: Reawakening the Spirit of Norway, My Tribute To Epcot's Maelstrom

"You are not the first to pass this way... nor shall you be the last..."

(Jeff Krause on Flickr)

As your host of Haunted Serenade, I proudly present Reawakening the Spirit of Norway, my three-part nostalgic thesis and tribute to the classic extinct EPCOT Center attraction Maelstrom. In Part One, embark with me on the Maelstrom, a Seadventure filled with trolls, vikings, polar bears, and oil rigs, as I share my favorite moments and memories of the short but captivating journey through the land of Norway that was (and still is) one of my most personally beloved Epcot attractions. In Part Two, I face the Oscar-winning music from Disney's icy animated hit, reflecting on the reasons why Maelstrom was closed and the ride quite literally Frozen over, and attempting to define and solve the challenges that would have to be overcome if the Maelstrom is to have any hope of ever churning again. Finally, in the concluding post of this series, I present my full and detailed plan for the hypothetical return of the Maelstrom ride and Spirit of Norway film to the Norway Pavilion, in which I strive to make as many improvements to the original Maelstrom as necessary to refresh and revitalize the ride without losing its greatest strength; its quaint, nostalgic charm.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my exploration of Maelstrom's past and future in Reawakening the Spirit of Norway!

(Sam Howzit on Flickr)

 Part One: How I Was Drawn Into A Maelstrom - http://hauntedserenademk.blogspot.com/2017/07/reawakening-spirit-of-norway-part-one.html

 Part Two: The Challenges To Conquer Before The Maelstrom Can Return - http://hauntedserenademk.blogspot.com/2017/10/reawakening-spirit-of-norway-part-two.html

 Part Three: Revising and Presenting My Ideal Plan For Maelstrom's Return - http://hauntedserenademk.blogspot.com/2018/06/reawakening-spirit-of-norway-part-three.html

Reawakening the Spirit of Norway, Part Three: Revising And Presenting My Ideal Plan For Maelstrom's Return

"You are not the first to pass this way... Nor shall you be the last..."

(Mark & Paul Luukkonen on Flickr)

 In the last installment of my series of musings and thoughts about the extinct and personally beloved EPCOT Center attraction Maelstrom, I wrote that I'd conclude my series of posts about Maelstrom by revealing my lengthy, detailed ideas for a fantastical plan to return the churning Maelstrom to its rightful place at EPCOT Center, greatly expanded and improved beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

Is that still true? Yes and No.

Between my publishing the previous part of Resurrecting the Spirit of Norway many months ago and now, I've gone back and forth without ever being able to resolve what exactly a restored version of Maelstrom should be like. There was (and continues to be) a raging war between the forces of nostalgia and imagination that greatly impacts my opinion on how Maelstrom should be rebuilt; the former keeps me content with much of the original ride, weird quirks and all, and the latter challenges me to dare to dream bigger, to create a bigger show building and set forth with ideas for entirely new scenes and events, and ultimately a far different attraction than the original. As of this writing, nostalgia is winning the battle, for one big reason; at least in my mind, there was something so incredibly charming about the fast pace and unusual transitions of the original Maelstrom. Turning out of the load area straight into that dark cavern and lift hill with the vision of Odin, then the tight twists, turns and drops as the boat was sent backwards and forwards through ever-changing places and times in Norway, culminating in the calm approach to the fishing village that ended the ride, made for a short but utterly unique and fascinating attraction. Where else besides the classic Fantasyland dark rides can you get such a sense of discombobulating yet utter entrancement by the numerous fantastical environs that your vehicle travels through in such a short time? In my current opinion, expanding the show building and ride like I proposed in my previous post, thereby transforming Maelstrom from a quaint C or D-Ticket ride into an E-Ticket headlining attraction, would strip away that certain intangible quality that Maelstrom once possessed. Call it nostalgia, or charm, or quaintness, much like Snow White's Scary Adventures, another extinct Disney World attraction that was dearly beloved by me, one of Maelstrom's greatest strengths was its inherent ability to transform blacklight paintings, forced perspective scenery, and limited motion figures placed within a tightly constricted space into a truly spellbinding experience in the image of the classic old dark ride, something that proclaimed modern marvels like Flight of Passage or contemporary dark rides like Ratatouille never could.

Making Maelstrom Reappear! Reappear! Reappear!: How The Construction of Frozen Ever After Solved Some of Maelstrom's Biggest Problems

With the previous paragraph's explanation in mind, let me proceed to tell you why Maelstrom should return as the short but memorable experience it was, and why the physical changes made to the ride's infrastructure for Frozen Ever After may have been the best thing to ever happen to the Maelstrom show building.

(Joel on Flickr)

In my previous post about Maelstrom, I talked about what would need to happen in order for the return of Maelstrom to be successful, specifically the challenges that would have to be overcome. Besides the obvious need for a new Frozen attraction to be built elsewhere, I reasoned that two of the greatest challenges in restoring Maelstrom would be reworking its far too short and too lightly themed queue and reinvigorating the post-show film by updating it and giving guests the opportunity to see it without disrupting the flow of guests exiting the boats (the third was the short length of Maelstrom, which I have since argued in favor of earlier in this post). The construction crew of Frozen Ever After literally killed two birds with one stone; they demolished the theater and built a new, much longer queue in that space. The fictional village of Arendelle (pictured above) and the authentic Norwegian fishing village of Maelstrom are located in roughly the same spot and are actually quite similar; the old unload dock of Maelstrom has become the new load dock of Frozen Ever After with a new unload adjacent to it. This allowed for the former queue and load area to be completely gutted and rebuilt into a new beginning for the ride, with the boat going through a few bends before ascending the lift hill.

(Nelson Minar on Flickr)

With two simple modifications, the Norway Pavilion attraction's queue was lengthened (though not enough to prevent the frequently long line for Frozen Ever After from extending outside the building), the theater was removed from the exit, and the ride was actually extended. What if these changes were kept intact when Maelstrom was returned? Just imagine; as you enter through the restored original facade of Maelstrom, you find yourself in a Norwegian fishing village rorbu cabin (a cabin rented out to fishermen by the owner of the fishing village; the above picture is of such a cabin in Reine, Norway), filled with warm and cozy Scandinavian furnishings and decorations yet unoccupied, similar to Swiss Family Treehouse. Exiting through a side door, you enter into the fishing village proper. You wind your way through a square surrounded by charming Norwegian buildings and then walk onto the pier where Viking longships are ready to welcome you aboard. The boat passes through a short cavern and then enters an open space, but instead of seeing Olaf, Sven and some trolls that bring shame upon the entire troll race, especially the old Maelstrom trolls they replaced, you pass through a spectacular Norwegian forest, majestic trees rising high above you with towering, powerful mountains in the distance. This is very similar to the original concept for Maelstrom's load area (which I talked about briefly in my previous Maelstrom post), in which guests would have boarded their longboats in a Norwegian forest on the banks of one of Norway's great fjords. Changing the Norwegian forest concept from a load area to a new first scene means that Maelstrom would now start off with a beautifully captivating yet mysterious scene imbued with the atmosphere of Norway, not unlike the beginning jungle and pyramid diorama scene from El Rio Del Tiempo/Gran Fiesta Tour. This would be an effective prelude to an entrance into a mysterious cave filled with ancient petroglyphs, where the boats would start to ascend as Odin's voice and glowing countenance marks the beginning of our journey and search for the true spirit of Norway.

Picture something like this and you're not far off from what the new first scene of Maelstrom would look like. (Simo Rasenen on Wikimedia Commons)

How The Rest of Maelstrom Should Be Improved

Maelstrom's old rock troll keeping a careful eye on my suggestions for improving his attraction. I hope he approves of my ideas or I fear he may send me down to the North Sea again! (Sam Howzit on Flickr)

Here's a basic summary of what I would improve in Maelstrom (please note that any scene, effect, prop, dialogue or other ride component not mentioned here is exactly the same as it was in the original attraction).:

• The lift hill should have some more rockwork to hide the bare walls that were sometimes visible when the light from Odin's eye shone across the hill, but otherwise the scene is perfect as it originally was.
• Improved movements and performance of the Viking animatronics.
• A return of the incredible fog and smoke effect in the three-headed troll scene that was unfortunately allowed to deteriorate and stop working for years in the original attraction, and an upgrade to the three-headed troll figure itself.
• A major upgrade of the polar bear animatronics, particularly the rearing one, which originally was far fiercer and closer to the boats in its motions but was toned down after falling over the track in 1993. Between this bear and the yeti in Expedition Everest there is bad luck at Disney World with the breakdown of animatronics that are supposed to threaten and menacingly move towards guests, making me that more determined to make it work this time!
• A complete overhaul of the transition scene between the Far North and the Fjord. In the original Maelstrom, after encountering the rearing polar bear, the boat continued to travel backwards, icy walls giving way to darkness and then abrupt daylight as the boat entered the fjord, the polar bear visible the whole time as it faded into the distance and then was hidden by closing doors. My solution for this rather sad transition is the rapid retreat of the boat into a stunning Arctic ice cavern almost immediately after the polar bear is encountered, a multitude of reflections of the boat bouncing off the cold, beautiful clear ice walls, but with an alarming sense of danger as the echoing roar of the polar bear shakes the numerous sharp icicles above us, threatening to send them crashing down upon us. A cool, foggy mist grows thicker the further back the boat goes through the cave, first obscuring and then completely hiding the polar bear, the ursine inhabitant of the Arctic disappearing from sight as likewise the ice cavern around us gives way to the rocky cliffs of the fjord.

  

  The new transition between the Arctic and fjord would look a lot like this, except with 110% more icicles. (arctic_council on Flickr)

• Modifications to the mural and rockwork in the area surrounding the drop in the fjord scene, so that instead of the boat passing underneath a flat mural of the fjord directly into the North Sea, there is a modified version of the same mural (the one with the cruise ship), below which is a very short cavern that the boats drop into, which uses fiber optic lights and sparkling sounds similar to the spell cast by the three headed troll to create the effect of the boat being magically transported from a cavern in a fjord to the middle of the North Sea, finally making one of the strangest transitions in the original Maelstrom a bit easier to understand.
• The return of the backpacking man who used to stand on top of one of the fjord cliffs, overlooking the majestic fjord itself.
• A major renovation of the special effects in the North Sea/oil rig scene. The original plans for guests' visit to the North Sea in Seaventure (that was Maelstrom's original name up until very late in the ride's construction) called for wind, waves, rain, thunder, and real Tesla-coil induced lightning(!). Although the last effect sadly was turned off because of the inherent danger of actual lightning in an enclosed boat ride, strobe lightning is a safe and acceptable substitute, one that was used along with thunder effects for the rest of the original Maelstrom's lifespan. As for the other three, wind effects would be easy to implement, a carefully small but noticeable wave effect could be feasible, and a slight drizzle could work as rain without soaking everyone. The oil rigs, one of Maelstrom's most memorable scenes, and still a major part of Norway's economy and heritage, should be kept.

  

  This original concept art for Maelstrom captures the essence of what the oil rig scene should always have been like. Copyright Disney

• A short new finale scene between the North Sea and the fishing village, in the approximate site of where the final scene with Anna, Elsa, and Olaf is in Frozen Ever After (with a track modification to create a slight bend in the boat path), which will feature a gorgeous diorama of Norway's coastline, the cliffs and villages of the fjords stretching out into the distance as stars twinkle and the northern lights sway across the sky, their reflection dancing in the vast ocean. As the boat prepares to leave this stunning sight, the face of Odin appears above us again and for the last time as he proclaims: "Norway's spirit has always been - will always be - adventure!" The critical purpose of this new scene and the new doors put between it and the fishing village is to prevent guests in the queue from going mad listening to that line repeated over and over as they would have in the old fishing village, where there was no buffer save for ambient atmospheric sounds preventing the final dialogue of the attraction from being heard throughout the village. 

  

  A perfect example of what the new finale scene between the North Sea and the unload at the fishing village would be like.

• The fishing village is now the site of the queue, load and unload of Maelstrom, and has been partly reduced thanks to the new final scene, but otherwise, it is the same as it was in the quarter century when Maelstrom sent guests on a seafaring adventure. Countless people like me who enjoyed the quaint, charming Norwegian fishing village can now admire the sight of the simple seaside buildings, the sailboat at the harbor and the coastline in the distance or listen to a lively conversation in Norwegian emanating from a house while waiting for their turn to look for Norway's spirit. 

(Mark & Paul Luukkonen on Flickr)

A Note About the Norway Pavilion Theater, or Relocating the Spirit of Norway Film

(michaelg83 on Flickr)

By keeping the new location of the queue and load area built during the construction of Frozen Ever After and the new scene spaces created as a result, My reimagining of Maelstrom has drastically improved the queue and increased the length of Maelstrom by a short but significant portion. There's only one problem: where does the old theater go? Even with the multiple improvements I've thought of for Maelstrom, ultimately, it's only a 5-minute attraction, and without an updated version of the Spirit of Norway film (like I described in my previous Maelstrom post) offering a richer, more detailed look into the modern culture and heritage of Norway, the search for the spirit of Norway will remain incomplete.

My proposal for the fate of the theater is to rebuild it in an expanded space in what is currently the first retail area that you enter upon exiting the attraction if you choose to go through the interlinked retail spaces instead of exiting the attraction directly through one of the doors near the entrance. A bypass would allow guests to continue to the Puffin's Roost if they desired, while those who wanted to see more of the spirit of Norway could enter the theater and enjoy the newly updated yet timeless "Spirit of Norway" film, discovering once more how the spirit of Norway lies in its past, its present, and its people.

Resurrecting The Maelstrom: My Last Thoughts On Bringing Norway's Spirit Back, Back, Over The Falls

(Dennis D on Flickr)

On Maelstrom's last night of existence, the waterfall cascading from the cavern that offered a glimpse of the fateful journey of the longboats guided by Odin looked much like it did in this picture: peaceful, serene, no sign of the cataclysmic destruction and transformation that was to fall upon the attraction within. Late that night, Odin's eye closed for the last time, marking the end of the spirit of Norway's hold over its country's pavilion. The Maelstrom closed and ceased to churn, and likewise the rocky gap that once enticed visitors of the land of Norway to discover what awaited them on a high seas adventure was closed and filled up. For two years now, Elsa has kept a firm, icy grip on a pavilion where she and her friends have never truly belonged. Whether that hold will ever melt away is yet to be known. In my three posts about what was once my favorite attraction in World Showcase, I've embarked on an emotional, logical, and spiritual odyssey, first sailing through the ocean of my memories, going on the Maelstrom all over again and remembering my deep appreciation for this highly underrated attraction, then winding through the maze of logic and reason, discovering the potential challenges in Maelstrom's resurrection and solving them, and finally looking at Maelstrom again with fresh eyes, revising and at long last presenting my humble "ideal plan" for resurrecting the Maelstrom and thus reawakening the true spirit of Norway within its old pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase. Thank you for joining me aboard this voyage; may you disembark in a way sad yet enlightened, disappointed yet hopeful that perhaps the seas of fate will one day favor Odin, the vikings, the trolls, the polar bears and fjords and oil rigs and quaint fishing villages. Until then, may the spirit of Norway always be with you, and remember Odin's final words:

Norway's spirit has always been - will always be - adventure!

Copyright Disney

Don't Forget to Read the Previous Installments of Reawakening The Spirit Of Norway!

Part One: How I Was Drawn Into A Maelstrom - http://hauntedserenademk.blogspot.com/2017/07/reawakening-spirit-of-norway-part-one.html

Part Two: The Challenges to Conquer Before The Maelstrom Can Return - http://hauntedserenademk.blogspot.com/2017/10/reawakening-spirit-of-norway-part-two.html

From Tiki Birds to Jungle River Expeditions: Big And Small Ways I'd Improve Walt Disney World's Adventureland

(Missy Martinez on Flickr)

In my last post on Haunted Serenade, I talked about what I would like to see happen in future refurbishments of Walt Disney World's version of Pirates of the Caribbean. After sharing these ideas about Pirates of the Caribbean, I thought about what I would like to see happen to the rest of WDW's Adventureland. Adventureland is by far the strongest land in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in terms of both scenic design and current roster of attractions. However, it too has had poorly thought out additions and changes, and some small but crucial details that added up with the rest of the land to create a truly brilliant themed space have been removed. So in this post, I'll share some of my ideas on ways to refurbish and restore parts of Adventureland that need it, starting with the smallest details and ending with the biggest projects.

Small Details

Restore the Fountains in Caribbean Plaza and the Tiki Room's Magic Fountain

Before

After
 (special thanks to Foxxy at Passport to Dreams for these pictures)

Once upon a time, Caribbean Plaza had several beautiful tile fountains with lovely flowing agua. By the start of the new millennium, all of these fountains were turned off and turned into planters, resulting in the loss of the wonderful kinetic motion and reflections that the water in those fountains once provided. Bringing water back to these fountains would restore a nice detail of Caribbean Plaza.



(Thanks to How Bowers for letting me use this picture)

Of even more importance is resurrecting the greatest fountain that ever existed at the Magic Kingdom: the wondrous old magic fountain in Tropical Serenade (now known as Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room). This masterfully designed fountain with water flowing between the teeth of tikis into the water-filled base and bird-shaped arches supporting the top of the fountain was a visual masterpiece. Even better was the mesmerizing motion of the streams of water at the top of the fountain, and the impressive column of water that seemed to defy gravity by reaching up to the top of the room and descending in time with the birdmobile as it appeared from above. Sadly, this marvelous centerpiece of the Tiki Room disappeared during its transformation into the awful Under New Management, and replaced by a planter from which Uh-Oah, the Tiki goddess of disaster, emerged. Now that the original show has returned at long last, it is time to return the wonderful magic fountain and once more join the birdmobile in delighting guests who look at the center (of the room, that is).

Bring Back The Other Barker Bird of Adventureland

(Special Thanks to Mike Lee for permission to use this photo and several others in this post)

The salty old parrot that once beckoned to guests from the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean may have been the most famous of WDW's "Barker Birds", but he wasn't the only one. An adorable toucan (voiced by Wally Boag, the same person who lent his voice to José in the Tiki Room) used to sit on a perch underneath a special alcove of the thatched roof of Tropical Serenade and entice guests to sit on their tail feathers inside the air-conditioned Tiki Room and enjoy the performance given by the flowers, tikis, and all his relatives. He also entertained people with animal imitations and other sounds, similar to what Clyde and Claude do in the excellent Tiki Room preshow. This wonderful fellow could be heard and seen in the heart of Adventureland for many years. After going through a strange phase where he became Artemus the Jamaican toucan in the 90s, he sadly flew the coop when the New Management took over and he hasn't been seen since. Returning him and his cousin at Pirates of the Caribbean to their respective perches above two of Adventureland's greatest attractions would be a small but incredible restoration of one of the greatest and most beloved details of Adventureland.

Big Projects

Switch Back the Locations of Sunshine Tree Terrace and Aloha Isle and Return the Sunshine Tree Terrace To Its Former Glory

(Sam Howzit on Flickr)

If you don't know who this little guy is, let me start by saying he's the Orange Bird and he's an adorable character born from a partnership between the creators of the Magic Kingdom and the Florida Citrus Commission, the original sponsor of the whole Sunshine Pavilion (the complex which includes the Tiki Room and Sunshine Tree Terrace; a trip to any of a number of awesome sites will tell you more about the Orange Bird's unique role in marketing Florida citrus). He's also a living artifact from a time when the Sunshine Tree Terrace was truly awesome.

 

 His original home and the original location of the Sunshine Tree Terrace (pictured above) once featured its magnificent namesake; the Sunshine Tree, thick with dark green plastic leaves, blooming with artificial citrus flowers and filled with ripe plastic oranges, where the Orange Bird swung in a perch and thought orange thoughts (a neat projection effect), a perfect centerpiece for this tropical citrus snack bar. Among the many amazing citrus treats* courtesy of Floridian citrus growers according to a 1972 Los Angeles Times article was tangerine soft freeze ("a sherbet-like mixture of orange juice, tangerine concentrate, tangerine oil and sweetener"), a clear ancestor of the underrated yet much beloved Citrus Swirl, an orange juice bar on a stick, tangerine cheesecake ("cake topped with tangerine and orange glaze sauce"), citrus tarts ("heavy cream in an open shell, topped with orange sections and glazed orange sauce"), and crêpes ambrosia ("a delightful mixture of oranges, tangerines, marshmallows and coconut dipped in heavy cream and rolled in a French pancake"). No doubt your mouth is salivating right now, and if you ever tasted it, you may have thought the Citrus Swirl was great by itself!

*NOT including whatever the heck "jellied citrus salad" was!

Sadly, for one reason or another these delectable citrus sweets disappeared (with the exception of the Citrus Swirl, of course) and in 1986 the Orange Bird (pictured above in his old perch) flew the coop as the FCC's sponsorship ended. In 2000, the grand Sunshine Tree joined its former resident in disappearance, torn down and lost to the sands of time. At its absolute low, the Sunshine Pavilion had had its Tiki Room taken over by New Management, the Orange Bird and Sunshine Tree had both gone away, the flames of the decorative tiki torchbearers on the Terrace had been snuffed, and even the Citrus Swirl had vanished! Then a miraculous fire destroyed the New Management and brought back the real Tiki Room from the dead. Meanwhile, the Orange Bird had been revived out of nowhere thousands of miles away, appearing in merchandise appropriately enough for Japan's Orange Day. In spring of 2012, the Orange Bird finally flew back to his home at the Sunshine Tree Terrace, and although there was no longer a Sunshine Tree to roost in, it was an incredible return of a small but significant piece of Walt Disney World's spectacular history. Then in 2015, something peculiar happened; the Sunshine Tree Terrace switched locations with Aloha Isle. The latter now serves the highly popular Dole Whip right next to the Tiki Room, while Citrus Swirls (and the Orange Bird himself, who fortunately made the trip across Adventureland) can now be found at the former in a juice bar much closer to the main entrance of Adventureland. With the current menus of both venues in consideration, this switch makes sense; the presence of the Dole Whip, not to mention Pineapple Float and now Pineapple Upside-Down Cake at Aloha Isle compared to Sunshine Tree Terrace's assortment of Citrus Swirls, floats and drinks means the bigger counter is needed by Aloha Isle. But this still leaves us with the sad fact that the Sunshine Tree Terrace is now severed from the Sunshine Pavilion, its ancestral home. What if the Sunshine Tree Terrace brought back those undoubtedly delightful tangerine cheesecakes, crêpes ambrosia, and citrus tarts, and went back to its original home near the Tiki Room with the space for serving such treats, putting floats, drinks, frozen juice on a stick, and Aloha Isle's delicious pineapple treats back at the smaller juice bar? In addition to that, the Sunshine Tree could be put back behind the counter at its Terrace hideaway, Orange Bird swaying in the breeze and thinking orange thoughts once again on a perch in its branches. Oh, and returning the walk around Orange Bird that as seen below once delighted countless guests near the Sunshine Tree Terrace wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Demolish the Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Revitalize the Center of Adventureland

A once impressive view of Tropical Serenade and the Sunshine Pavilion from all the way across Adventureland...



(Loren Javier on Flickr)

Has been obstructed by the worst-placed spinner attraction in all of Walt Disney World.

A formerly wide and spacious plaza...

(Mark and Paul Luukkonen on Flickr)

Is now a crowd-flow nuisance complete with annoying spitting camels.



(xiquinhosilva on Flickr)

And the cheap tent façade of Agrabah Bazaar...

Pales in comparison to the North African façade it replaced.

In short, placing the Magic Carpets of Aladdin right in the middle of Adventureland was a major mistake, one that is long overdue for being undone. It is time now to demolish the Magic Carpets of Aladdin and reclaim the space that it sits on. If this unnecessary spinner attraction were to disappear, a multitude of wonderful things could happen, such as expanding the beautiful pond in front of the Tiki Room back to its former size, putting in new planters and other decorative touches, and taking down the tent façade of Agrabah Bazaar and restoring the original, superior façade of that section of Adventureland. These changes would combine to transform one of the Magic Kingdom's least successful crowd areas into a marvelous plaza with enough space for everyone drawn to the majesty of the Balinese Sunshine Pavilion.

Give Jungle Cruise the Major Refurbishment it Deserves

(Josh Hallett on Flickr)

If and when a major refurbishment of the classic Jungle Cruise happens, there is a veritable treasure trove of uninstalled scenes designed by Marc Davis himself that would be excellent enhancements of the attraction, not to mention previously removed effects and figures that could be returned. My refurbishment of the Jungle Cruise would take advantage of both, not only restoring pieces of the wild river expedition that have been AWOL for years or decades, but also finally filling in specially prepared and empty sections of the riverbank with the Marc Davis scenes they were always intended for. Although a thorough detailing of what I would like to see happen in a refurbishment of the Jungle Cruise should and will comprise its own complete blog post on Haunted Serenade, I will say this; my refurbishment involves such wonderful things deeply rooted in the history of the Jungle Cruise as cute frogs, baboons, an angry gorilla confronting a crocodile, and flaming skulls (!) among other stuff. I look forward to sharing with you all my comprehensive plan for refurbishing one of WDW's most exotic and signature attractions in my next post on Haunted Serenade. In the meantime, here are a couple of photos to give you a preview of the stuff that I will talk about in the Jungle Cruise refurbishment post:

I hope you all enjoyed this look at Walt Disney World's Adventureland and the big and small ways I would improve it. I promise I won't leave you guys hanging too long on a jungle branch waiting for my next post, so be sure to keep an eye out for my upcoming post on Haunted Serenade about how I'd refurbish the Jungle Cruise!

 

Happy 44th Anniversary to WDW's Pirates of The Caribbean: My Wish List For Refurbishing This Classic Attraction

(Lee on Flickr)

Today sadly marks 51 years since the passing of Walt Disney, but it also marks the 44th anniversary of one of WDW's greatest attractions, the Pirates of the Caribbean. Plagued by a harried construction and ride length half that of Disneyland's version, WDW's Pirates is consistently the lowest rated of all the Pirates of the Caribbean attractions throughout the world. But nonetheless, it has some wonderful, unique elements that set it apart from the rest of the Pirate rides. For one thing, it has the magnificent Caribbean Plaza as its home, a wonderful work of terraces, hidden courtyards, and wrought-iron details that truly set the Caribbean stage for the Pirates. The facade of WDW's Pirates is the stunning Castillo del Morro, an impressive recreation of a Spanish fortress, complete with the iconic clock tower. The dark and sublimely detailed fortress and dungeon queue nearly make up for the shortcomings the ride has, and in fact was an important part of the entirely different story the WDW Pirates once told. In the original WDW Pirates of the Caribbean, there was no time travel; guests traveled to a Caribbean town, entered a fortress under attack by pirates, boarded longboats to escape the marauders as a pirate ship sails in the distance, and then ended up back in the same Caribbean town as the pirate ship arrives and attacks. Unfortunately, both the queue and ride have been altered greatly over the years and not necessarily for the better, from political corrections to the arrival of Jack Sparrow to the questionable addition of Fastpass+. These changes have impacted not only many of the iconic scenes but also the experience itself; now it is possible to infer time travel in the story, and much of the pirates ransacking of the Spanish Main has been turned into a Where's Waldo-esque search for Captain Jack Sparrow. On top of all of this, there is at least one more controversial change yet to come. From February 26th to March 18th next year, WDW's Pirates of the Caribbean is set to have a refurbishment for the primary purpose of politically correcting the classic auction scene. I have already wrote a lengthy post about why I feel this is a bad idea, so needless to say I am hoping above all else that this does not happen (unfortunately, it did). However, seeing an upcoming refurb for Pirates got me thinking about what I'd love to see Disney do during the three-week refurbishment or a similarly short refurb of the ride, and what long-term things that I think Disney should do to restore Pirates of the Caribbean in time for WDW's 50th anniversary. So without further ado, here's my wish list for both this short refurbishment and long-term refurbishments for WDW's Pirates of the Caribbean:

What Could and Should Be Done in 3 Weeks*

* I've made my most educated guesses on what could actually be done in a three week refurbishment, but it is possible that one or more of these things could require more time to accomplish.

• Turn back on the firing cannons on the fort facade. Before Jack Sparrow invaded Castillo del Morro, the cannons on the top of the facade used to loudly fire across Caribbean Plaza and Adventureland. Restoring the firing cannons would not only add texture to the sounds of Caribbean Plaza, but also restore an integral part of the story that the pirates are actively attacking the fort, and of course the fort must defend itself!

• Restore the original queue music and soundscape. The queue is already a visual masterpiece, but it also used to be an auditory one. At the entrance tunnel of the fort, an eerie piece of music called "Fortune Red" played, and then faded out into a mixture of silence, the voices of the Spanish soldiers as they prepared for the pirate attack, and choruses of "Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me" implying that the pirates were already in the fort and could be around any corner. In both sides of the queue, a lonely invisible man strummed the gentle chords of a Spanish guitar into the darkness. On the right path of the queue, as guests prepared to make sail, the sounds of someone digging with a shovel and drunken singing and laughing emanated out of a cave, where no doubt pirates lay just out of sight digging for treasure. The cumulative effect of these sounds was an incredible introduction using sound to the experience that awaited guests as they prepared to escape from the besieged Spanish fortress and into the murky, eerie caverns. All of this was drowned out in 2006 by the loud playing of the gentle flutes in Disneyland's "Pirate Overture" which has always played in their queue. This poor decision reduced the once impressive audio atmosphere of the queue to mere whispers all but silenced by an ill-fitting piece of music. Restoring the sound systems in the queue and the original compositions to boot would be an excellent idea.
  
  

  

  (Brian Hammond on Flickr)

• Restore the Pirate Barker Bird to his rightful place at the entrance of the ride. This wonderful fellow was originally located above the unloading dock of the attraction, cautioning guests to watch out for the "moving gangplank". His delightful appearance quickly caused a bottleneck there, and so he was moved to the entrance of Pirates of the Caribbean, and he became the Barker Bird. For over 30 years, he was a wonderful sight to see, a feathered and salty squawking and whistling "pirrot". He was also quick to tell guests about the adventure with salty old pirates that awaited them if they passed through the old fortress and didn't miss the longboats waiting to take them to Pirates Cove. The Barker Bird became an iconic character and absolute fan favorite at WDW's Pirates of the Caribbean. Inexplicably and regrettably, he flew the coop during the 2006 film-based refurbishment, and he has only shown up as part of displays in special events elsewhere. It has now been over a decade since he disappeared for no good reason, and it is way past time for him to return to the perch at the home he should've never left.

 Long-Term Things to Refurbish and Restore

(Joe Penniston on Flickr)

• Take Pirates of the Caribbean off of the Fastpass+ attraction roster and undo the physical changes to the queue made for Fastpass+. When Disney ludicrously decided that Fastpass was needed for Pirates of the Caribbean, a high capacity boat ride, they made two physical alterations to the queue that weakened its effectiveness. First, a new merge point was created, meaning the two separate queues not only now meet each other, but now have an open view of the loading dock where there was once walls. Keeping this merge point if Fastpass+ was discontinued for this attraction would be as unnecessary as Fastpass+ is currently for Pirates. I would close back up the walls and return the queues to the state where neither one could be seen from the other until after exiting the "fort". The other change made was the knocking down of a wall near the entrance of the tunnel to turn the righthand queue into a Fastpass queue. The resulting expansion of the left Standby queue resulted in the loss of the original passageway into the right queue, which cleverly declined after the incline of the entrance ramp to produce the illusion of descending deep into the dungeons on that side. Again, as Fastpass is unnecessary for this attraction in my opinion, I would restore this original passageway and incline and decline illusion to the queue.

• Reconsider the political correction of the pirates. I've already covered much of this ground in my previous post about the future changes to the auction scene, but I wanted to note once more that political correctness does not do any favors to an already family friendly attraction about pirates. Despite the romanticized portrayal of pirates in the attraction, it is important to remember that the Pirates of the Caribbean is not a fun tale of the ransacking of a town by pirates; it is a morality play that uses scenes of skeletal pirates in desolate coves to remind us that those who are greedy, cruel and selfish will pay the price in the end. The original pirates chasing women scene and the auction scene are two of the most effective enforcers of this story. The Pooped Pirate's original dialogue, along with the petticoat and slipper that he held, the two turntables of pirates chasing women culminating in the gag the third turntable with a fat lady pursuing a shy pirate and the lady in the barrel should be brought back. And of course, keep the auction scene in its original form. 

(Norm Lanier on Flickr)

• Begone Captain Jack Sparrow, and take your friends and foes with you! I'll admit I was excited when it was first announced that Jack Sparrow would be joining the Pirates of the Caribbean. I had seen Johnny Depp's remarkable performance as Captain Jack in Curse of the Black Pearl, and I was right among the chorus of 7-year old boys who were out of their mind happy that Jack Sparrow would soon be in Disney World. When he finally did arrive, it was really wonderful and cool at first, especially with how lifelike the Jack Sparrow animatronics were. But as I got older, I started recalling more and more often things that I dimly remembered had been in the attraction before Jack that I had loved but had gone away. I started to miss the Barker Bird and the talking skull (kudos to WDI for recently returning the latter), and the new narrative in the attraction involving the movie characters made less and less sense. I have now come to realize just how nonsensical and poorly thought out the movie additions to WDW's Pirates of the Caribbean really were from a narrative and logical standpoint, especially since this confusing search for Jack Sparrow replaced a linear non-narrative experience of pirates ransacking a town that didn't need elaborate explanation. WDI should unfetter this iconic ride and give it the care and respect it deserves by giving movie tie-ins the boot and focusing on what made the original Pirates of the Caribbean a truly classic attraction.

I hope you've all enjoyed my thoughts on what should happen in both short and long term refurbishments to revitalize and restore WDW's Pirates of the Caribbean in time for WDW's grand 50th anniversary. Haunted Serenade wishes Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World a very happy 44th anniversary!

Reawakening the Spirit of Norway, Part Two: The Challenges to Conquer Before The Maelstrom Can Return + Bonus Halloween Maelstrom Three-Headed Troll Jack-O-Lantern

"You are not the first to pass this way..."

(Jeff Krause on Flickr)

"Nor shall you be the last..."

Ever since Maelstrom, the hidden gem and signature attraction of the Norway pavilion at Epcot was closed and replaced with Frozen Ever After (an attraction that at best can claim but minuscule relevance with the real country whose pavilion it occupies), I have deeply missed the true spirit of Norway's presence in World Showcase. In the first part of my musings on Maelstrom, I shared my profoundly wonderful memories of my search for the spirit of Norway. Now, it is time to explore and conquer the problems that froze the Maelstrom over solid.

The Challenges to Conquer Before The Maelstrom Can Churn Again

(Sam Howzit on Flickr)

When it comes to extinct Disney attractions, there are three distinct camps of closed attractions. There are those attractions that were darn near perfect and should NEVER have been closed, such as the original Journey Into Imagination and Horizons. There are also those attractions that were flat out awful and had it coming (take Superstar Limo and Journey into YOUR Imagination for example). Finally, there's a broad group of attractions that each had a unique set of problems that factored into their closing but could've been easily resolved with a proper refurbishment. Maelstrom, a short, low-capacity ride with quirky transitions between the numerous aspects of Norwegian culture requested by sponsors, is most definitely part of this last group. No matter how nostalgic I may be for its Norwegian charm, it is important that I take steps to resolve the problems that plagued Maelstrom til its closing day before I can successfully plan to return it to the Norway pavilion. I shall individually address each of these problems and determine the best way to conquer them.

A Note About Frozen

This film was most definitely NOT my cup of hot cocoa.

It would be a mistake for me to completely ignore the role Frozen plays into Maelstrom's closing. Let's face it: an old, eccentric dark ride featuring trolls and oil rigs never stood a chance against the somewhat-related-to-Scandinavian-culture box office and marketing behemoth that is Frozen. What irks me is that not only was an entire country's unique history and culture eclipsed by a fictional kingdom from a Disney animated feature film, but that jamming a Frozen attraction into a cramped space not built for the massive crowds Frozen attracts denies Frozen fans an opportunity to experience a brand new, wonderful, and long Frozen attraction in Fantasyland. Although not a fan of Frozen by any means, I begrudgingly admit that a new Frozen ride, if Frozen proves its long-term staying power like all Disney classics have, would be a fantastic addition to Fantasyland beloved by many guests. So why did Disney choose the quick and easy way to build a Frozen attraction? Money can be the only answer, and a perfect explanation for why Disney executives said Frozen was a "perfect" fit for Norway when it was so painfully obvious it really wasn't (the recent closure of Universe of Energy for a Guardians of the Galaxy ride shows they don't really care anymore about whether an IP fits Epcot's theme in any way or not). After first having the Norwegian corporate sponsors sell their stake to them and then the Norwegian government not renewing their 5-year agreements to sponsor it at $200,000 a year, the only thing that was really stopping Disney from closing Maelstrom was the lack of a related lucrative IP that a new ride could be based on. Once Frozen came in, it was all over. But for my scenario, I imagine that the new Fantasyland attraction Frozen may deserve is announced, and with it the catalyst is provided for the grand return of Maelstrom.
  
First Impressions Matter, or How to Fix a Queue

(Special thanks to Jack Spence for permission to use his photos)

(Sam Howzit on Flickr)

(Elisfkc on Wikimedia Commons)

 One minor but important fact that needs to be contended with before the Maelstrom can start churning again is that its original queue was awful. I mean, REALLY awful. Bare wood-accented teal walls lined with Norwegian flags and a map of the ancient Viking world was the only theming (besides the mural) in an otherwise purely basic switchback queue. The massive mural above the loading area, filled with people and scenes from Norway's past and present, was a wonderful thing to admire and study before boarding a longboat, but sadly the only highlight of a queue that otherwise did nothing to impress and build up anticipation before the Maelstrom began. Now maybe such an underwhelming queue made the cool but short ride that followed afterwards more impressive by comparision. But the fact remains that a solid introduction to a ride via a queue, taken to incredible heights in the design of WDW's Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain queues meant the simply themed queue line of Maelstrom left a lot to be desired. 

(Simo Rasenen on Wikimedia Commons)

 Luckily, there is a relatively easy solution. The original concept art for Maelstrom's load area presented a spectacular scenic backdrop. Imagine traveling through one of Norway's great forests, passing through majestic stands of ancient trees, and the mighty Scandinavian mountains towering above you in the distance as you board a Viking longboat. This was the original plan for Maelstrom's queue and load area, one which would make up for the short indoor line by offering an incredible backdrop that instantly transports you to Norway and hints at the grand adventure waiting for us once our boat sails into that mysterious cavern.

A Longer Search for the Spirit of Norway

Copyright Disney

In order to conquer the second challenge in reawakening the spirit of Norway, I must remember the spirit of the seafarer, who sailed across strange and perilous seas in the pursuit of exploration, conquest, and adventure. The original Maelstrom, though underrated and great it may have been, was an awfully short ride, clocking in at roughly 4 minutes. By comparison, the ride duration of Maelstrom was about half the time of WDW's Pirates of the Caribbean (ironically also half the time of Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean). The brief ride time may not have been as noticeable if the ride hadn't had so much ground to cover. The original concept for what would become Maelstrom was a fantasy ride through Norway's mythological world of trolls and fairies, as guests searched for a rainbow bridge to Valhalla. The Sherman Brothers were even writing a song for it. Unfortunately, the Norwegian corporate sponsors quickly rejected the proposal; they understandably did not want their entire country being represented by its myths and legends alone. They requested that the Imagineers incorporate several other things they wanted to see representing Norway in their pavilion's ride: Vikings, polar bears, a fjord, an oil rig, a fishing village, and a troll or two. This extensive checklist of Norwegian history and culture was a very tall order for a 4-minute ride, one that it ultimately struggled to fill. The lift hill took up nearly a quarter of the total ride time, an absurd proportion. Norway's fearsome Vikings and terrible trolls, infamous icons of the country, were given a combined total of four show scenes in a mite over a minute (from the end of the lift hill to passing the tree troll backwards shortly before the Far North), and the Arctic, fjords, North Sea with oil rigs, and modern fishing village had to be content with one scene each for the final two minutes of the ride. This acutely cramped journey through vastly different times and spaces of Norway used time travel effected by the great god Odin as a story crutch for an otherwise nonsensical travelogue of Norwegian history and culture. The original ride had such odd transitions between these scenes such as traveling backwards from a Norwegian swamp to the Arctic and then to a fjord, and dropping from said fjord (a long narrow inlet bordered by steep sides, cliffs, and/or mountains) directly into the middle of the North Sea. The unfortunate brevity of Maelstrom, combined with its undeniably quirky experience, led to two camps of opinion on the attraction; in the eyes of modern day Epcot guests, it was either a cool, underrated, semi-classic ride steeped with nostalgia, or a boring, laughably dated attraction that was overdue to be updated or replaced. This division of opinion sowed the seeds for the high controversy that surrounded its closure and replacement, with numerous guests offering passionate criticisms and defenses of Maelstrom. But no matter the view one had about Maestrom, it was clear that both it and its marginally longer replacement were/are plagued by a short ride time.

In the above picture, I have drawn to scale the original layout of Maelstrom, including more general locations of the original load, unload, and theater. Note the sizeable expansion space (also to scale and carefully designed within the currently under-utilized backstage space behind the Norway pavilion) that I have attached to the back side of the original building. In the third and final part of this series about Maelstrom on Haunted Serenade, I will fill in that expansion space with my fully fleshed out idea for what a new, improved version of Maelstrom could be like.*

*This is no longer the case. As well as concerns about the accuracy and feasibility of the expansion space as shown on my layout board above, I have come to the opinion that a major expansion of the showbuilding would fundamentally transform Maelstrom and cause it to lose some of the nostalgic charm it possessed. A full explanation of my reasons for not creating or using an expanded building are explained in the next and final part of this series.

The Spirit of Norway: Restoring a Neglected Film

(michaelg83 on Flickr)

"To know this land’s heart and soul—to discover its spirit."

With these humble but powerful words, the Spirit of Norway film began to reveal the final part of the true spirit of Norway to guests. When the film first debuted with the rest of the pavilion in the late 80s, it was faithfully modern - the latest fashions and technologies made cameos in the film - yet reflected the ancient, primal spirit of Norway as well. But as time passed, the vignettes of modern Norway, along with the technology used to present the film, began to age. More and more guests grew tired of being held inside the fishing village in Maelstrom's unload area, waiting for the next movie to begin. An increasing number of these guests began to walk straight through the doors of the theater, skipping the film entirely rather then spending the few minutes it took to see it. Eventually, the theater doors were permanently held open, a blessing for those many guests who would rather skip the film, but an irritation for those who still wanted to see the film. But if the "modern" sections of the film aged badly, the rest of it remained as fresh and inspiring as it had been in the late 80s, and in my opinion, it was an underrated gem of a film, sadly neglected in its lifespan more than any other film in World Showcase. I would return the film to the Norway pavilion as a complement to the Maelstrom attraction, and give it the update it badly needed. I would use the blueprint of the update of China's Circlevision 360 film, retaining much of the same narration and footage of the original film, but with a complete upgrade to the film and sound technology, and the addition of modern segments to the film to reflect the changes in Norway's culture since Michael Jackson's "Bad" era (yes, it was THAT long ago). At the same time, to address the failure of both holding guests within the fishing village and perpetually open theater doors, I would construct a bypass path that would allow guests who did not wish to see the film to skip it without waiting or distracting from the experience of the film. In this way, I would restore the last and critical part of Epcot's representation of the Spirit of Norway.

Conclusion

(Dennis D on Flickr)

I have sailed the stormy seas of the history of the Norway Pavilion at Epcot, searching for the problems that led to Maelstrom's closure, and attempting to virtually conquer the challenges in returning the attraction, and with it the true spirit of Norway, to World Showcase. I readily admit my doubts (and resulting frustration) that Frozen will ever release its icy grip from the Norway pavilion. But I've mentioned the only probable course I could think of for Anna and Elsa to go elsewhere, and allow the Maelstrom to churn again. I've also scoured the greatest problems the original Maelstrom had; its queue, the length of the ride, and the post-show theater, and tried my best to resolve them. In the third and last part of this series, I will implement the solutions I create, and present my grand return of Maelstrom, fully showing in detail my new version of the ride, a bigger and better search for the Spirit of Norway then ever before.

UPDATE (June 2018): In the several months between the publishing of this post and the next part of Reawakening the Spirit of Norway, much of the ideas presented here have either been altered or changed completely in the final post. Part Three of Reawakening the Spirit of Norway features a presentation of my ideal plan for the resurrection and improvement of Maelstrom, some of which is much different than the ideas I originally presented in this second installment. I hope you enjoy the plan I ultimately ended up going with in Part Three.

Don't Forget To Read the Previous and Next Installment of Reawakening the Spirit of Norway!

Part One: How I Was Drawn Into A Maelstrom - http://hauntedserenademk.blogspot.com/2017/07/reawakening-spirit-of-norway-part-one.html

Part Three: Revising and Presenting My Ideal Plan For Maelstrom's Return - http://hauntedserenademk.blogspot.com/2018/06/reawakening-spirit-of-norway-part-three.html

HALLOWEEN BONUS! My Maelstrom Three-Headed Troll Jack-O-Lantern (Happy Halloween 2017!)

 

All this writing about Maelstrom and Norway and trolls gave me the PERFECT idea for carving my immensely huge Jack-O-Lantern. I think the results speak for themselves. I was very impressed with how it turned out, and I hope you are as well! Happy Halloween Everyone!