The Norway pavilion is part of the World Showcase within Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The 58,000-square-foot (5,400 m2) pavilion is designed to look like a Norwegian village. The village includes a detailed Stave Church, and the exterior of its main table-service restaurant, Restaurant Akershus, resembles its namesake in Oslo. The exhibit showcases 4 styles of Norwegian architecture: Setesdal-style, Bergen-style, Oslo-style and Ålesund-style.
Much of the pavilion is taken up by interconnected shops. These shops are decorated with large wooden trolls and sell assorted Norwegian goods, including clothing, candy, and statuettes of Norse gods and trolls. The courtyard of the pavilion contains the entrance to Maelstrom, a boat ride into Norway's past and present. Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe is a bakery, featuring assorted Norwegian pastries, such as cream horns and open-faced salmon sandwiches. The courtyard contains the entrance to Restaurant Akershus, featuring a hot and cold buffet and "Princess Storybook Dining."
One former exhibit was a full-scale Viking ship, inspired by the famous Oseberg ship. Formerly a children's play area, the structure was removed in December 2008.
History[]
The Norway pavilion is the most recent nation to be added to World Showcase. It opened on May 6, 1988; however, it was not given its official opening until a month later. In June 1988, the grand opening was dedicated by Crown Prince Harald in a ceremony that was broadcast live to Norway. The original idea was to create a Nordic Pavilion that would combine elements from various countries into one exhibit. Three countries were consulted, but it finally ended up with investors from Norway raising the US$30 million required to create an exclusive national pavilion. Disney contributed the other one-third of the construction cost. In 1992, the investors sold their stake to Disney. Since nearly as many people visit Epcot as live in Norway, the government felt it still was a good promotional tool for their tourism industry. The federal government continued to contribute US$200,000 annually for five years to help fund the exhibit. Renewed in 1997 for a further 5 years, the government stopped payments in 2002, against the recommendations from their American embassy.
Attractions[]
- Maelstrom
- Stave Church
Restaurants[]
- Restaurant Akershus
- Kringla Bakeri og Kafe
Shopping[]
- The Puffin's Roost
Former Entertainment[]
- Spelmanns Gledje
Facts & Trivia[]
- The pavilion is staffed by 150 young Norwegian men and women, who wear a copy of the traditional national costume: the bunad. Cast members sign a contract for 12, 10, or 6 months.
- During the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show, they highlight the landmark of every country. The Norwegian Stave Church is Norway's landmark, but since Norway was not originally a part of World Showcase, it is not illuminated.