Norway Pavilion
Pull up a list of all Epcot attraction and World Showcase Pavilion reviews here.
Setting: The Norway Pavilion is themed like a Viking-era village.
On the right is a replica of the 14th century Akershus Fortress, which the Norwegians originally built to protect Oslo from attack.
At Walt Disney World, it houses a princess-hosted character meal.
Attractions:
Frozen Ever After was the biggest thing to hit Walt Disney World when it opened in June of 2016. Things have since…cooled off…but it remains one of Epcot’s most popular rides. For a full rundown of what to expect, see the full review.
The Royal Sommerhus is where guests have an opportunity to meet Anna and Elsa. Over the last couple of years, wait times have remained reasonable, with an average of around 20 minutes. Both Frozen Ever After and the Royal Sommerhus Meet and Greet open with Epcot, which is typically at 9am. The opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France should take a lot of the pressure off of Frozen and reduce wait times, in addition to making FastPass+ easier to get.
For a full rundown of what to expect from the Sommerhus, see this post.
There is also a richly detailed Stave church, which now houses an exhibit focusing on the Gods of the Vikings.
For pictures of just about everything inside, see this post.
Dining Options:
Historically, Akershus Banquet Hall is one of the better princess character meals at Walt Disney World, featuring a traditional plated main course along with a cold food buffet.
A picture with Belle starts the meal and it continues with four more princesses meeting and greeting table side.
Food is better than average, but at nearly $65 per adult, it’s an expensive proposition. See Disney’s page here for an update on what to expect from the experience.
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe offers some of the best tasting treats in World Showcase, including the incredibly popular School Bread.
Kringla also serves a variety of heartier sandwiches along with salads and other items, including the popular Salmon and Egg Bagel.
Drink Around the World: Kringla Bakeri og Kafe serves a variety of Scandinavian beer on draft, in addition to boozy coffees with Baileys Irish Cream and Kamora Coffee Liqueur.
Outside on the promenade, you can order an Aquavit shot, which tastes similar to liquid licorice. The stand also serves a variety of beers on draft, including Einstok White Ale and Aass (pronounced “ooose”) Pilsner. At one point, this was the only location outside of Europe to serve the Einstok on draft. The outdoor kiosk also serves wine and a frozen berry cocktail.
Character Sightings: Anna and Elsa meet inside the Royal Sommerhus and guests dining at Akershus will have the opportunity to meet five princesses.
Shopping Opportunities:
Norway’s “The Puffin’s Roost” is one of the larger, or at least longer, shops in the World Showcase.
It offers a great variety of items, including hand-knit clothing, porcelain, troll dolls, Christmas ornaments, toys, perfume, food items, Viking helmets, and more.
In recent years, they’ve cut back on a lot of the outerwear, which probably makes sense given Florida’s predominantly high temperatures.
Make sure to get a picture with the giant troll that watches over the store. Try not to take a picture of me instead.
Overall Ratings:
Setting: 5/10
Attractions: 10/10
Dining: 8/10
Drinking: 6/10
Shopping: 7/10
The arrival of Frozen elevated Norway’s standing in World Showcase considerably. While many initially derided Frozen Ever After’s arrival, the boat ride proved to be an upgrade over Maelstrom in the eyes of many guests. With Anna and Elsa also present, and one of the most popular character meals just inside the Pavilion, Norway will be a major stop for most. Check out the stave church too.
I believe that the characters Anna and Elsa from the movie “Frozen” now appear outside across from the Akershuus Banquet Hall in part of the Puffin’s Roost Store.
Krista is correct and every time I walked by there were very long lines to see them. This (or something) led to longer Maelstrom lines than I’ve seen in a long time. The Stave Church also has some Frozen theming to its displays.