"Look at those hopeless computers!" is a common reaction from Americans visiting as they see the film with dramatic pictures of fiords, mountains, reindeer and polar bears interspersed with vintage hairstyles and outmoded fashions.
"Frankly, I’m embarrassed when I show this outdated film to tourists," says one of the young Norwegians who works at the EPCOT pavilion to daily newspaper Aftenposten. He doesn’t want his name in the paper because of Disney’s strict employee policies.
According to their press spokesman Kim Prunty, Disney has no immediate plans for updating the film.
"The film is only one of many ways of showing Norwegian culture to our guests, who are generally very happy with what they see at the pavilion," says Prunty.
Twenty years have passed since Crown Prince Harald, as he was then, opened the Norwegian Pavilion at the EPCOT Center.
Since then the biggest single Norwegian display abroad has been at Disney World in Florida. A Norway in miniature, with copies of a stave churches and Akershus Castle are among the most popular features at the EPCOT. In top season, tourists need to book ahead to have lunch in the Castle.
Plastic trolls and Viking helmets sell well in the souvenir shop along with Norwegian chocolate.
