Norway
The area of Norway resembles a Norwegian town square with its cobble stone courtyard and a replica of a 14th century fortress found in Oslo. A stave church mimics 13th Century medieval craftsmanship.
For kids, there's nothing better than being able to work off some energy at the Viking ship playground.
Maelstrom Attraction/Ride
Norway's attraction is Maelstrom. It does have Fast Pass but unless you're visiting during a peak time, there's rarely more than a 10 minute wait.
Maelstrom uses a 16 passenger Viking-style boat that takes you through a 10th century Viking village and a mythical forest where you'll encounter trolls who cast a curse on the boats. From here, the boat starts going backwards before it reaches a waterfall and again changes course. (If you look up at the building, you'll see where the boats stop and head forward.)
Next you pass a grand fjord and continue on through a storm by a North Sea oil rig. You exit in a quaint Norwegian village setting. This is a holding area which opens onto a theater where a film about Norway is shown. (You'll find that most guests make a mad dash straight through to the exit.) It's not that the short movie is awful, it's just not something you need to see again and again.
As with most of Disney's attractions, you exit through a store. Most everyone likes to put on set of Viking horns and pose for a pix by the giant troll found in the shop.
Be warned, the Geir fragrances sold here are addictive and are hard to find unless you have a Nordstrom's near where you live.
Dining
At Akershus, there's 'Princess Storybook Dining' for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. If you forgot your tiara, there's a limited variety of Disney Princess merchandise for sale nearby.
Be sure you make a dining reservation and be prepared to wait. It's rare to walk past this venue and not see a lot of little princesses (and princes) waiting to be seated.
Outdoors, under shade, the Kringla Bakeri og Kafe (menu) serves open-faced sandwiches and pastries such as the specialty Kringles (candied pretzels) and the delicious Lefses (thin potato bread rolled with a cinnamon, sugar & butter filling). Specialty coffees are available.
Shopping
The Puffin’s Roost: Curios and Collectibles is the main shop located in the Norway pavilion. You will find a large selection of books on trolls, Vikings, Scandinavian cuisine, Norwegian Proverbs, and Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales. If tasting some of the local snacks is more your style, check out the chocolate, Swedish preserves and Nordic sweets. This shop offers an extensive collection of sterling silver jewelry, including, OpRo Designs, Hilde Fostveit, and Hasla. The Norwegian scents sold here for men and women are Geir: The Power of Norway and Laila: The essence of Norway. They offer Norwegian trolls in all shapes and sizes, Konge Tinn Royal pewter, Linie Aquavit, and Tommeliten Knives. The clothing for men, women, and children are made by Dale of Norway and Helly Hansen.
To say “hello” in Norway, say “god dag” (goo-DAHG).
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