Maelstrom

Maelstrom is a dark ride and a traditional film attraction in the Norway pavilion of World Showcase at Epcot in the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Visitors ride boats that are patterned after Viking ships and pass through scenes with audio-animatronic figures. The attraction features a 28 foot drop near the climax of the boat ride.

The ride
The ride first takes guests back to a mythological version of Norway's Viking days. The boat first pass through scenes of seafarers and Vikings. The boats then enter an enchanted swamp, and are forced backwards down a waterfall by angry trolls. The boat floats rapidly past scenes of polar bears and living trees, before coming to a stop on the edge of another waterfall, exposed to the Norway's pavilion main thoroughfare. After again rotating to a forward-facing position, the boats plunge forward into the stormy North Sea. The boats pass dangerously close to an oil rig and the ride comes to an abrupt end in a calm harbor. After the ride, guests disembark and have the option to watch a 6 minute film highlighting the history and folklore of Norway.

Hidden Mickey
See Hidden Mickey
 * In the ride's loading area, a large painted mural includes many people and elements from Norway's history. Hidden in this painting is a Viking whose helmet has Mickey Mouse ears, and another figure wearing a Mickey Mouse watch.