Buckle up — it’s almost time to help some intergalactic heroes on a very special mission…in EPCOT!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is brand NEW attraction coming soon to EPCOT. We’ve been watching for all kinds of updates and looks inside this ride, and we’ve been sharing them ALL with you. When will the ride open? Will it be family-friendly? What’s the story behind the ride? You’ve got questions — we’ve got answers! Here’s a look at EVERYTHING we know about this new Guardians ride!

What It Is Generally

First, let’s go over what the ride is from a general perspective. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a family-friendly coaster themed to the Guardians of the Galaxy films and characters.

It will be one of the LONGEST fully enclosed coasters in the entire world and will be the first Disney coaster to feature a reverse launch. The attraction vehicles will also rotate 360 degrees.

Click here for our full page on this ride!

Where It’ll Be

In terms of where this ride will be located, it will be over in EPCOT, specifically within World Discovery (a.k.a. in part of what was formerly called Future World).

You’ll find it near the future home of the PLAY! Pavilion and Mission: SPACE.

It has already been added to various EPCOT maps and you can walk past it right now to see it as it is under construction.

Click here to get a look at this attraction from the outside!

Opening Date

When will this exciting new ride open? Mark your calendars — the Guardians attraction will open in EPCOT on May 27th, 2022.

Select groups, however, will get the chance to go on this ride EARLY. D23 Gold Members, eligible Disney Vacation Club Members, and Annual Passholders are all set to receive early access to the attraction through exclusive previews.

Disney Cast Members will also get to preview the ride.

Click here to see the NEW commercial shared for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride!

The Story

As you know, Disney rides come with their own stories. It’s not just a “hop on the coaster and go fast” type of thing (though that’s surely part of the experience)! So what’s the story here?

Well, a new pavilion (the Wonders of Xandar) has opened in EPCOT showcasing Xandar — a planet from the Andromeda Galaxy, home of the Nova Corps, and the location where some key things in the Guardians of the Galaxy film take place.

You begin your tour by going through the Galaxarium (more on that in a second) and you’ll get to learn about the wonders of Xandar (hence the name of the exhibit) as well as their technology, how their galaxy is different from and similar to Earth’s galaxy, and more.

Just as you’re getting to the end of your tour, things go a bit…well, sideways! In the commercial shared for the attraction, it appears someone issues an S.O.S. from the Nova Corps and says that their outpost on Earth is in danger. What is the Nova Corps? According to Marvel, originally the Nova Corps was “Xandar’s space militia and exploration division.” After the reformation of Xandar, the Nova Corps expanded its “protective range to include the entire Andromeda Galaxy and Earth.”

That S.O.S. from the Nova Corps ultimately reaches the Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Guardians of the Galaxy arrive and you’ll be called to help them on their adventure. You’ll then join Groot, Rocket, Gamora, and Star-Lord on a mission through time and space. Your goal? Save the galaxy, of course!

Click here to learn some behind-the-scenes details about the ride

Before You Head Inside

Before you enter the Wonders of Xandar pavilion, you’ll see a GIANT ship. This is a Nova Corps Starblaster Ship.

It is incredibly impressive in terms of size. It’s actually the first full-size version of this ship that has ever been built! When walking near it to ultimately get to the attraction, guests will get an up-close view of this beauty. There are SO many details to look at.

We’ve seen some plants and other details being put into this area, surrounding the ship.

You can also now see some signs for the area where guests will enter.

Guests will find Nova Corps symbols in various spots, including outside the show building.

And they’ll find a Wonders of Xandar sign on the front doors leading inside.

At this time, it is unknown if the ride will utilize a virtual queue (especially upon opening) or if a traditional standby line will be available.

Disney also has not specified whether this ride will be available through the standard Genie+ service or Individual Attraction Selection, but given its expected popularity we anticipate it would likely be available as an option through Individual Attraction Selection.

Click here to see our thoughts on whether this ride will use a virtual queue 

The Indoor Queue

Once you step inside the Wonders of Xandar pavilion, you’ll get to experience the indoor queue. We’ve gotten a number of looks at this area. From what we know so far, part of the queue will involve a trip through the Galaxarium.

This will be a planetarium-like exhibit that will introduce guests to the planet of Xandar and the similarities we have with the Xandarians. The entire show within the planetarium is more than 30 minutes and will feature things like a familiar mix tape and other details.

This queue area is meant to be dynamic and is organized around a radial grid. There will be lots of ramps here, winding guests around the space and giving them plenty of angles from which to view the Galaxarium.

Once you’re through the Galaxarium, you’ll head into the Xandar Gallery.

This is where guests will get the chance to learn more about Xandar and its people, its heroes, and its protectors.

At some point in the attraction experience, we’ll also get to see Glenn Close reprise her role from the Guardians of the Galaxy film as Nova Prime (that’s the leader of Xandar and the commander of the Nova Corps).

It’s unclear when Glenn Close’s appearance will be, so we’ve placed it in the queue portion for this summary but bear in mind that this might be different from the actual ride.

Throughout more of the queue, you’ll see Nova Corps symbols all around.

Once you’ve finished the queue, you’ll head to the loading area.

Click here to see more about the queue!

The Loading Area

We got a first look at this boarding area in both concept art form…

…and true photo form in early 2022.

According to Imagineer Zach Riddley, “Angular designs, striking use of colors, and materials all help tell the story of a Nova Corps facility. The railings, station gates and floor markings…are all used to convey the experience in ways that might not be as obvious or apparent, but every detail is a choice that supports our story.”

The items here are meant to have a “weight and scale” to show the industrial nature of the area.

Get ready to stand on those numbers and go on an adventure in your vehicle.

We love how the industrial and red theming carries throughout the area.

Click here to see MORE about the loading zone!

Ride Vehicle

The ride vehicle here is called a Starjumper Vehicle.

They are bright blue and gold and sit 4 guests, 2 in each row.

Here’s a closer look at those seats. You can see the safety bars that will help to hold guests in place as they save the galaxy. There are speakers between the seats.

What’s really special about these vehicles is that they have 360 motion. That means they can spin around 360 degrees while on the track. Disney has referred to this attraction as an “omnicoaster.”

Basically, much like the omnimover rides you’re used to in the parks (think The Haunted Mansion) the vehicles can point you to different things in the area to show you what you’re meant to see.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride vehicles! Footage from the IAAPA Expo! pic.twitter.com/7NP1SVa3Mv

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) November 16, 2020

 

It should make for some really interesting & fun story moments, while not taking away from the thrill portion of the coaster.

Click here to see the ride vehicles!

The Ride Itself

Once you’re on the ride itself, guests will get to experience a reverse launch! This will actually be the first Disney coaster with that feature.

As we mentioned above, the ride will actually be one of the LONGEST fully enclosed coasters in the entire world.

And it is located inside one of the largest show buildings that has EVER been built for a Disney theme park. In fact, the show building is so big that (by volume) 4 Spaceship Earths could fit inside of it!

Disney hasn’t shared exactly when or how you’ll see the Guardians of the Galaxy characters pop up during the attraction, but we do know that Disney Imagineers were recently on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to film with the Guardians for this new ride.

Disney notes that the ride will be family-friendly and the website says it will be for “kids, tweens, teens, and adults.”

Click here to read our full thoughts from our sneak peek INSIDE the show building

The Gift Shop

Like any respectable Disney World ride the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster WILL feature a gift shop. This one is called Treasures of Xandar.

According to Imagineer Zach Riddley the story here is that this gift shop is operated by “The Broker,” who is a “proud Xandarian, who’s been awarded the contract and brought part of his famous store here to EPCOT.”

You’ll find different merchandise here including items that pay tribute to Xandar itself and items that have been acquired throughout the galaxy. You may also find some items that celebrate the Heroes of Xandar (the Guardians of the Galaxy!).

Click here to see our post about the gift shop

And that’s our look at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and everything we know so far. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more. Check back with us for all the latest details!

Click here to go INSIDE the ride!

Are you excited to ride this new attraction? Tell us in the comments!

The post Everything We Know About the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Coaster Coming to EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog.