Maelstrom Boat Ride at Epcot Full POV in 8K | Classic Walt Disney World Upscaled and Remastered

In this video we'll take a ride on the classic Epcot ride Maelstrom. This video footage has been remastered and upscaled into 8K and 60fps (frames per second).
Maelstrom was a dark boat ride in the Norway pavilion at Epcot, (part of the Walt Disney World resort) and was in operation from July 5th, 1988 until October 5th, 2014. The ride closed to be replaced by Frozen Ever After.
"You are not the first to pass this way. Nor shall you be the last. Those who seek the spirit of Norway face peril and adventure-but more often, find beauty and charm.
We have always lived with the sea, so look first to the spirit of the seafarer.
Long ago, Norway was a land of vikings. That was the beginning of our love for the sea.
Before recorded time, Norway’s spirit roamed the seas of the far north and beyond.
Today, Norway’s spirit still thunders in her great fjords!
Norway’s spirit has always been-will always be-adventure!"
#waltdisneyworld #maelstrom #epcot #worldshowcase #upscaled #8k #themepark #florida #orlando #frozen #frozeneverafter #norway
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[@ithemeparkOFFICIAL]

This video has around 60 hours worth of work into upscaling the footage and all the other editing. Please give it a like if you enjoyed it and I'll continue to upscale older footage like this.

[@JenThePirate]

Yes please! Miss some of the older/gone attractions

[@Phantom2308x]

yes

[@princessmoondoll3764]

I would die to see 20,000 leagues under the sea 🥲

[@FlygonkingVGC]

All worth it so we can call the first scene sans undertale if ykyk. But in reality it felt like ride people who just wanted a more adult style ride could enjoy.

[@evascott9469]

I wish they would have kept this ride as a Vikings ride for Norway!! Its a shame because the World Showcase is supposed to celebrate the country's in the world not IP stories!!

[@andrewpriester6994]

Agree Frozen isn’t about Norway

[@scullyitsme]

100% agree

[@PR_1775]

Agree wholeheartedly. They have a park dedicated to movies. I wish they would keep the movie related rides there.

[@evascott9469]

@@PR_1775 I am happy I am not the only one who thinks this

[@NotTelling-xs4rv]

@@andrewpriester6994 i mean technically it is based off of a village in norway but whatever.

[@crazycris29]

Man, i miss the Old Epcot. I miss this. The old Journey Into Imagination, The old World Of Motion. Just not the same now.

[@Ironswiftness]

I used to get a profound sense of optimism about the future of mankind with old Epcot. Now all that is left is Living with the Land and spaceship earth.

[@LucyLovettLestrange]

Mexico still got the boat ride?

[@himynameiscorey]

@@LucyLovettLestrangeits themed to The Three Caballeros

[@thedarkestowl4224]

Further to your thought, Epcot seems to have replaced optimism with commercialism. So yes, it appears that it accurately describes the current societal conditions. 🤷

[@ChrisJFilms]

So we had an atmospheric, scary, almost adult ride that presents actual legends and lore from a long and storied history, that was replaced by a happy snowman? Yeah that tracks.

[@crackerjack3762]

The problem with the new frozen crap isn’t that “frozen is just no good”. It clearly has appeal with people. The real problem is that Disney turned a beautiful celebration of Norwegian culture into an American tale. Epcot, specifically the showcase, is for learning about cultures! Not frozen crap. They easily could have put it somewhere else

[@Softball_is_goated]

Frozen is set in Norway. That’s why it’s there and why they refurbished it because maelstrom was getting old

[@epcotman32]

This is what Epcot shoud be, not a princess fairytale.

[@frogboi7]

Yeah, I miss when it was super educational and had real history and projects. Now it’s just “what movie takes place in this country”

[@ephgm]

I went on this ride when I was 10 or 11, so 94-95. It's actually one of the few things I still remember pretty vividly of the whole experience. It seemed alot bigger to me then. I could of sworn I remembered it going over a waterfall or something though, or a sped up part or something. I also remember going on "Honey, I shrunk the Audience", but I think that was inside Disney itself. I also remember going to Sea World pretty well. All of these were over the course of 3 days. 4th day, we went on an airboat ride and I remember seeing gators, and eating a gator "beef"stick that tasted alot like chicken. I'm here trying to reinforce those memories, back from a time when Disney was actually good and family friendly. I wouldn't take my kids there now, nope.

[@user-li2yv5je5e]

So much better than a budget Frozen ride.

[@canadian8764]

This was where you went to cool off and relax for a sec cause you knew the wait was nothing…

[@RihannaFanatic]

This made me feel like I stepped back in time! I Remember riding it a day or 2 before it closed. So much nostalgia!

[@kapitanleutnant1]

The Frozen theming should've been done at Fantasy Land at Magic Kingdom leaving Maelstrom alone

[@STSGuitar16]

It pains me to think of them covering up that incredible, full-on classic 1980s-looking mural at the loading dock when they changed this to Frozen lol.....what a glorious work of art lost forever for no good reason. I mean, did we really need a Frozen ride?! Come on, now! That majestic mural alone was enough to warrant Maelstrom being kept as it was! Oh well, at least I can still view that classic mural online lol

[@bunniesbunniesbunnie]

considering it's just paint on drywall, I'm hopeful it was removed in the drywall sections it was painted on and put up in a warehouse somewhere. it was an impressive mural and they often like to keep stuff like that around.

[@STSGuitar16]

@@bunniesbunniesbunnie I’m sure it’s probably painted on something more substantial than regular drywall (which probably makes it hard to remove in one piece), but I definitely hope you’re right. Unfortunately with the current state of imagineering, I’d honestly be more surprised if they actually did save it. There are insider reports leaked from imagineering that they literally destroyed props and animatronics from Splash Mountain. Described as “gleefully destroying” parts of SM. Not just remove them and take them to the warehouse for being huge pieces of Disney history and one of the most loved rides ever made, literally physically destroy them. If they take pleasure in destroying history like that at SM, I’d be shocked if they saved the mural of all those eVIL RaCiSt wHiTe PeOpLe. It’s a shame. Btw, here is a video talking about the destruction of Splash Mountain. Give it a listen if that interests you at all. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3jPk4ylrKx9prcsi=bMpiWAna8DmQsvCK

[@noelle2624]

@@STSGuitar16why would they destroy parts of the ride that’s dumb they could’ve sold them to collectors

[@STSGuitar16]

@@noelle2624 they would destroy stuff to “fight the straight white male patriarchy that built the ride” or some other bullshit. Watch the video I linked in my previous comment. It goes over all that stuff in depth.

[@noelle2624]

⁠​⁠@@STSGuitar16alright I’ll give it a watch.

[@cmike.skywalker]

I miss this ride. It’s so sad to see how Disney is destroying Epcot, and what it once represented: knowledge, history, the future, curiosity, and creativity. Now it’s becoming just another generic theme park with all the rides based on movies. #BringBackOldEpcot

[@ghg1976]

I miss this ride. It was unique and adhered to themeing of Epcot's world showcase attractions. Nothing against Frozen but honestly that could have been placed elsewhere - it's not like they're running out of room at Disney World - they practically own the county.

[@leighnewman6160]

Man I miss this ride. SO much better than Frozen. Disney really dropped the ball on that one.

[@ArkhitectProductions]

I agree

[@kikiandluca]

It’s a bummer for those that loved the previous iteration. But, there is literally a long line going out of the door, all day with thousands of little girls who love the Frozen ride. So, no, Disney didn’t drop the ball.

[@leighnewman6160]

@@kikiandluca while I preferred Maelstrom, I certainly understand why they changed to Frozen. My drop the ball comment wasn’t related to the fact they changed it, but I think the Frozen ride could have been much better. It almost feels like they just rushed to get it done. That particular ride was better as Maelstrom, they need to do a better Frozen ride.

[@TheLostGirl21]

Agreed... The Frozen ride was underwhelming... Very little decor, and basically just some singing puppets here and there (main characters, mostly), surrounded by emptiness, or a few occasional light effects... I wasn't impressed.

[@AnthonyPalomino-cr6wy]

And we can all agree that Frozen is so overrated.

[@creopexcreations9738]

2:56 mate that’s some submechanophobia right there. That nokken creature that rises slowly from the depths and gives u a look of death is true terror. This looked like a great ride before closing!

[@alexisbk9576]

Back! Back! Over the falls!

[@littlemeow124]

I remember going on this ride a lot as a kid when visiting Disney world. It's probably my favorite ride at Disney world that's not open anymore and I am sad that it's gone. My dad actually wants to visit Norway because of this ride! I haven't ridden the frozen ride currently in place, but I guarantee looking at footage of it it's nowhere near as good as this one!

[@interruptingPreempt]

I got to ride this before it got replaced. I love it and miss it. Thank you for posting this on here for the rest of us to see. 😄

[@tact86]

One of the best rides Disney ever had,

[@rmannayr2129]

I MISS THIS RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@M-J-qn8td]

I went to Epcot Center as a kid in 1986 and never had the chance to go back since then, therefore I never could make this ride so thank you very much for showing me what I missed!

[@mst311]

don't tempt me with the golden years of disney world.

[@miriamk6950]

We visited Epcot in the 90’s and I completely forgot the name of this magnificent and interesting ride! Thank you! Thank you for your video! Took us back to our great memories of The Norwegian Pavilion. So gutted that they replaced it with Frozen… We were blessed to have experienced it when we did!

[@AxelOwnz]

I have been going to Disney World with my family pretty much every year since 2011. Really love this ride and thought it was unique and fun, was a favorite of mine. I understand why they changed it to Frozen, getting more people to the countries, but I still like Maelstrom more. Frozen isn't a bad ride imo and my sister love it but I miss this ride. I always say they got rid of a real Norway for a ride of a fake Norway. Still glad I could ride this ride as many times as I did.

[@KingKongFu]

When I was a kid I used to love this ride! It made me so interested in trolls and Norwegian folklore, especially because it was so different from what I was used to! My mom even bought a little troll from the store for me, and latter some books so I could learn more about it, because I was so fascinated thanks to this ride… I am sad that it’s no longer there in Epicot, but at same time happy, because thanks to videos like this I can revive those childhood memories and cherish it even more.

[@fabrilax]

And this is what Epcot should be all about…

[@CA-tk8yn]

That was fantastic and a huge improvement. Thank you for your hard work!

[@annielanier6042]

Amazing work editing this old footage!! My favorite hobby is theme park history so this video is a real treat. I'd love to see more videos like it.

[@coffeeNTrees]

Was a great ride, is a great ride. Take a deep breath.

[@disneyinuyamon]

3:23 I can't tell lie, that towering polar bear dad always freaked me out after going backwards by that 3 headed troll

[@gazzy_burns]

Insane quality! Wow! I loved this ride.

[@williamnolan1943]

Disney really sucks for this 😢 Epcot been my favorite since a kid and it’s sad to see they make everything based on frozen

[@Sorcerer-SMC]

Ok not everything in WDW is based on Frozen dude. It’s just this ride, some parade appearances in MK, and one stage show in Hollywood Studios.

[@danielstephens1185]

I loved this ride, it was so amazing as a child! Even more than 30 years later, I still wish they'd bring it back somehow.

[@rmannayr2129]

THIS RIDE WAS BETTER THAN FROZEN!

[@MANBEARPIG111]

So awesome, my absolute favorite ride when I was a kid!

[@moirad3895]

I miss this ride so much

[@TheDeleater]

Will very much miss this Epcot

[@KingRa-Kel]

Loved this ride as a kid. I have pictures of me on it before they turned it into Frozen. In my opinion they should have kept it as Maelstrom and just put frozen somewhere else

[@itsybitsybosmer]

I remember my dad and sister going on this ride several times when we visited Epcot. It was my dad's favorite ride. I'm glad he got to ide it one last time before it closed down a couple years later

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

"We have some really creative and atmospheric rides, what should we do?" "Let's make the less creative and stale."

[@VirtualDisneyWorld]

Great vid!

[@seanfreilich6269]

I'm glad I got to ride this as a kid

[@HORSESNDOGS9]

Something that their new rides are missing is atmosphere. They may have the IPs and some cool effects, but old rides like this, pirates of the Caribbean, haunted mansion, thunder mountain railroad etc, thrive on overwhelming the senses. Everything has texture, everything has a gritty or otherworldly sound.

[@rodsella]

I remember this ride so amazing 😊

[@amandasherman8686]

Maelstrom was amazing.

[@sixmilestall]

Phenomenal

[@DarthSnook]

This was on of my favorite rides…..

[@user-th5hx4kw7l]

Such a great ride. One of the best Disney ever made... only to loss it to Frozen of all things😭

[@rosykindbunny1313]

I went to Disney for the first time right when the right closed down for good. I was so devastated because I wanted to ride Maelstrom so bad!

[@aleb5128]

This was bombbbbbbbb

[@howtubeable]

I visited Epcot around the year 1990. Maelstrom was easily my favorite attraction, with the Mexican Pavillion being a close second. The rest of the park was boring and lacked Disney Magic. I understand why Disney gutted Maelstrom to create a Frozen ride, but I was heartbroken.

[@MacRay14]

I clicked on this expecting to see a bunch of chromed out junkies but that was still pretty cool

[@Happy_HIbiscus]

dude, i miss this ride! 😥

[@CMichael2276]

I miss this ride.

[@JonahTV]

Proof Disney has no idea wtf they're doing with the parks. They're one Box Office bomb away from making Expedition Everest themed to Encanto

[@userOmi-sensei]

Shhhh don’t give ideas lol 😝

[@acornies8597]

my childhood bro 😭

[@loogoo]

Ah, when Epcot was actually worth visiting...

[@jamesgallagher100]

I miss this old ride with trolls in it from my highschool years

[@brandonhoffman3321]

“You are not the first to pass this vayyyy nor shall you be the last……”

[@madihaley1]

I remember riding this ride

[@AroundIndiana]

This ride was so fun. I have 0 interest in the Frozen version

[@Palidor19]

It’s fine, only worth it if you can on it 30 minutes or less.

[@Cooper-di9pn]

Same I hate frozen ride They should have kept norstorm and put the frozen ride in like magic kingdom

[@shelbylynnbx]

i loved this ride as a kid, the only thing is that when the boat went towards the opening to outside it freaked me the hell out bc i thought it was like splash mountain kinda bc of it😭😂

[@affordableadventuretours]

Epcot rides were supposed to be fun but also teach you about a particular country. Now they are just ads for Disney movies.

[@davidknightx]

God this takes me back. This ride was like tripping off acid when you were a kid. It starts with this strange fairytale world that makes no sense to you as an American and ends with you being near a giant oil rig in the middle of a storm? I guess, based on the mural you see at the beginning, this is stuff Norway is famous for? No offense if your Norwegian and this doesn't accurately represent you're country. I have no idea either way.

[@cparsons8998]

went on this ride when I was 10 back in 2012, I miss it lol

[@nathanblevins158]

Look, I know everyone loves this ride but imagine if Disney replace the frozen ride with a mix of this ride and frozen. Like the left side having the trolls while the other side having the frozen characters reacting to the maelstrom trolls.

[@carlys1391]

I loved this ride in Norway, and my dad would always go to the little bakery in the same section. I wish they wouldn’t keep removing good rides.

[@LongRangeDesertGroupX]

Its unfortunate that they decided to get rid of this ride, I understand the need to draw people in and I am sure Frozen has done that. Just sucks this ride will never exist again.

[@kathyharris1627]

I like both rides to be honest. What I miss is the movie

[@davidarrington4144]

This is one of the rides that would make me so okay with Disney opening a “Disney Vault” themed land, and it could go right I. California Adventure and include this ride, the Great Movie Ride and the dinosaur ride if they end up replacing that ride!

[@aleb5128]

BACK BACK OVER THE FALLS 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[@dukeofhoagies]

I can still smell this video.

[@AstralHiGH]

I can and it smells like dookie cuz I'm dropping the kids off

[@patrickcrews3977]

I am not the first to pass this way, nor shall i be the last. ..

[@rb5078]

This looks like such a great ride. What a shame to replace it with shallow IP.

[@KennFast]

I’m sad that I didn’t get to experience it like this. 😢

[@AstralHiGH]

Washing down under rhe pier looks so real and magical. Makes you feel like youre there in the story

[@xenon756]

I'll never forgive Disney for this....

[@ronnieonsaturn]

Wish I could've rode this 😢

[@BethGoth15]

In some alternate universe, you did ❤ I loved this ride as a kid. The new Frozen version is excellent, but it doesn't have my heart like this one does.

[@thedarkringmaster1514]

I hate when people act like the frozen ride is better than this

[@arche024]

What year was this shot?

[@ithemeparkOFFICIAL]

2013, 2014 and 2015.

[@Itsukami]

Just rode Frozen for the first time. It isn’t nearly as good as this was!

[@CharlestonRat]

I think the Frozen ride would be a far better replacement for this if they did something similar to what they did the new Moana attraction. Based on one of their IP’s, sure, but still a learning experience as well as a fun one. The movie features trolls anyhow, so perhaps the Frozen characters could have been on the search for Nokken and passed by icons of Norwegian culture as they go?

[@tarapelcher3102]

0:40 I remember this ride

[@LucyLovettLestrange]

This was actually the most popular ride at Epcot!

[@tofugitive]

Lmao no it wasn't

[@LucyLovettLestrange]

@@tofugitive Really? One of the Epcot park staff said that it had been. ( we went back in 2015, and maelstrom was shut down cause they were rebuilding it as a Frozen ride, a park staff member told me that) . What do you think the most popular ride there was?

[@ephgm]

​@@LucyLovettLestrangeSpaceship Earth. It's super iconic. Of course, even though I was there, I didn't actually go on it... The line was ridiculous and it was pretty much the first ride you came across when entering the park, but we ran out if time with the rest of the park to hit it on the way out.

[@LucyLovettLestrange]

@@ephgm I think i was thinking in terms of The World Showcase , Maelstrom was the most popular attraction. But Spaceship Earth was great! You could rest and relax and sit in the cool air conditioned air. Judi Dench currently narrates the ride! When I was young Walter Cronkite did!

[@skylerroxasmidoriyatardisp2882]

Back when the ride was always a walk on

[@creativeponyproductions4634]

it is a Frozen ride now. It isn't bad, but I liked The Male storm more.

[@thedarkestowl4224]

I feel like epcot could have updated this and built Frozen separately. Oh, well, at least they still have the boat ride in mexico.

[@jerryhorn4697]

Do not be too surprised if the Mexican Fiesta boat ride with Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito gets gutted and replaced with something related to either "Coco" or "Encanto" in the near future.

[@thedarkestowl4224]

@jerryhorn4697 That's true. Although coco was a pretty good movie.

[@AbsurdJANGO]

The Frozen ride is so much more dumbed down than this and somehow has less of a story than Maelstrom did.

[@princessmarlena1359]

The way this ride SHOULD BE, none of this Frozen crap.

[@pennystevens2294]

Travelogue to Norway

[@YvonneWhite-zh6zl]

I agree with others they should have kept the original ride, it fits with Norway better than Frozen.

[@DeeKay0h]

Zoltar!?! Is that you?

[@CruisinBen]

Got such an embarrassing retheme

[@The-epcot-nerd]

⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️

[@astroguster5522]

Disappear! Disappear!

[@troyrumsey4416]

2:42 3:54

[@trippjohnson7393]

Has anybody ever synced this up with Immigrant Song?

[@celestialskwert]

Real ones know they made the frozen franchise/ride to cover up "disney frozen" searches about Walt being underground 😂 naaahh... I'm super salty though this was a goodie

[@themaxcollective]

never should have introduced IPs into EPCOT it is so far from what it was meant to be