![]() Rightfully, four principle designers (Bob, Randy, Joe, and Paul) put their heads together to try to figure out any logical way that it could work. That was quite a lot to fit into one stew. We’d probably feel that they were missing the big picture a little bit, right?)īy the in-depth account of Paul Torrigino, one of the ride’s model makers turned Production Designer, the Norwegians made it clear that if they were to finance a ride for Epcot’s Norway pavilion, it needed to hit a few specific topics: ‘Vikings, a fishing village, polar bears, a fjord, an oil rig, and maybe a troll or two.” Imagine if a Norwegian theme park offered to build a United States pavilion, with its single ride themed around the legend of Big Foot. (And to be fair, they were probably right to hold their ground. They wanted an attraction to spur tourism and give Norway a memorable identity they wanted a travelogue of sorts, showcasing the natural wonders of the country, its place in a modern industrial world, and the rich, real history of the nation. To the chagrin of the design team, the Norwegian representatives had no interest in having their country represented by trolls. Norwegian representatives flew back to Imagineering to hear Disney’s proposal. (Ever heard of The Three Billy Goats Gruff? Thank Norway.) Telling the real story ![]() Joe Rohde (best known for his later design work on Disney’s Animal Kingdom and his later role as the park’s spokesman and emissary) did early conceptual illustrations and models based around Bob’s first idea: that the ride should be a fantasy ride through the mythical stories of Norway focused primarily around the legends of trolls and the myths and folktales of such creatures that permeate the country. The group settled on the idea of a flume-style boat ride and the novel idea that it would travel both forwards and backwards (which had never been done before). Paul Torrigino with a model of the unload area. The task fell to Bob Kurzweil (designer of Disneyland’s Alice in Wonderland dark ride), fan-favorite Marty Sklar, and producer Randy Carter, who met with the heads of some large Norwegian corporations (like Selmer-Sande and Kloster) who would – if they found the plans adequate – give big money to Disney for the design, development, and construction of the pavilion and its central attraction. Norway would house a dark ride on par with the original, sweeping dark rides of Epcot’s Future World: full animatronics, decadent storytelling, and immersive sets – a headlining attraction that put Norway on the proverbial map. But at the back of the cobbled streets would be something the likes of which Epcot had never seen before.īeyond the pavilion’s main courtyard was an inconspicuous entry to a hidden gem of Epcot’s attraction line-up. With Norway on board to finance the creation of a pavilion including a dark ride, Disney Imagineers were able to get to work on the preliminary plans. The ornate Scandinavian village would have its authentic craftsmen, its ornate shops, its Stave Church exhibit, and its royal banquet halls. For Norway, Imagineers had something more planned.
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