Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – A Sneak Peek
Robert Spencer
From Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Guests have been able to enjoy a variety of adventures courtesy of the newest attractions that have arrived at Walt Disney World in the last few years…not to mention some adventures in a galaxy far far away. But that was only the beginning. As we continue to celebrate Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, and get ready to celebrate Epcot’s 40th in October, we eagerly await the opening of two new attractions: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and the TRON Lightcycle / Run (more on the latter in an upcoming post!). Cosmic Rewind is set to open sometime this summer, ready to take you on a thrilling adventure with everyone’s favorite band of Marvel misfits.
Cosmic Rewind will be located in the area that was formerly home to the Energy pavilion and Ellen’s Energy Adventure, which had its final showing on August 13, 2017 (though it seems like only yesterday!). The attraction will be the focal point of the reimagined Wonders of Xandar Pavilion, which in turn will be part of the new World Discovery section of the park. For those of you not up on your MCU history, the planet of Xandar was home to the Nova Corps, as seen in the first Guardians film. Along with the new pavilion comes a new back story. The Xandarians wanted the people of Earth (or Terra, as they know it) to learn more about their people and advanced technologies, so they came from their home world and constructed this new pavilion in the ultimate showcase for new, innovative technologies, Epcot. In addition to the headliner attraction (which we’ll get back to shortly), the new “Other World” pavilion attractions will include the Galaxarium (a planetarium of sorts that will showcase the intergalactic wonders between Terra and Xandar) and the Xandar Gallery, where you’ll be able to explore the culture and history of the the Xandarian people.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be roller coaster attraction, but this will be unlike any coaster you’ve seen at Walt Disney World. For one thing, it will of course be the first coaster located in Epcot, taking its place alongside the parks other thrill attractions, Test Track and Mission: SPACE (making the east side of the park a new must-visit destination for anyone looking for some high-speed excitement!). In addition, the new attraction will employ another first for Walt Disney World, the resort’s first reverse roller coaster launch.
But it’s the cars themselves that are the biggest innovation. These new attraction vehicles can be rotated, allowing Imagineers to direct your line of sight in any direction they choose. Think of it as an Omnimover-style vehicle (similar to those found in the Haunted Mansion), but on a roller coaster track. Not only will you dip, dive, and swerve through the far reaches of the galaxy, you’ll also be twisted around a full 360 degrees. Dubbed a ‘storycoaster’ by Disney, these ingenious vehicles give Imagineers the ability to rotate you around so that you can see all of the action unfolding all around you.
And there will be lots of action! The new attraction will be housed in a giant building – one of the largest show buildings ever constructed for a Disney theme park (which you can see now if you visit) – enclosing one of the longest indoor coasters in the world. How big? Big enough to hold four Spaceship Earths!
The final crowning touch on the new building will be the full-size Xandarian Starblaster ship at the entrance to the pavilion…the first full-size version of the ship ever built.
On Terra anyway!
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