Spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT ahead.
Back at D23 Expo 2017, it was announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind would be coming to EPCOT. It would replace the Universe of Energy pavilion which featured Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Construction would begin on August 13, 2017.
The attraction was originally set to open in 2021 and it suffered from various delays. This one you can’t blame on the pandemic. Guardians of the Galaxy franchise helmer James Gunn was fired from the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 film in July 2018. During the filming of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, Gunn was expected to film the footage for Cosmic Rewind. Gunn would be reinstated as director of Vol.3 in March 2019 but because he got caught up with other projects by then he wasn’t able to shoot footage for Cosmic Rewind until October 2021.
The construction process of the attraction took place over five years as EPCOT transformed into a new park and went through pandemic hiccups. Notably, Cosmic Rewind’s construction will be known for — outside of the Gunn controversy — the big blue show building that was built for the attraction. The main show building is longer than an American football field as the attraction covers more than 200,000 square feet. The massive structure’s foundation contains more than 80 miles of rebar and 9,000-plus cubic yards of concrete. To make the scale comparison easier the show building would be able to fit four Spaceship Earth inside it.
Another question remained in people’s minds as Disney built this attraction. How would a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction fit into EPCOT, a park known for its theme of celebrating human achievement, the future, and world cultures? After experiencing Cosmic Rewind firsthand I can say Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind doesn’t fit the old theme of EPCOT but it tries its very best to fill its role within the park. What it does is blast the park into a new era.
The new era is the magic of possibility.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the first coaster attraction at EPCOT. It also has the first reverse launch for a Disney coaster. It’s also the first Disney Omnicoaster, where vehicles make controlled rotations to always keep guests focused on the action. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is also the longest fully enclosed coaster in any Disney theme park and one of the longest enclosed coasters in the world.
But what made Walt Disney Imagineering choose Guardians of the Galaxy to be the first Marvel attraction for EPCOT? Well, the obvious reasons are that they are allowed to use them at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando doesn’t have the rights to them (Universal has the rights for a ton of other beloved Marvel characters though). After the success of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout! out at Disney California Adventure. It was only a matter of time before Imagineering would give the property its own original attraction. It was just the next logical step.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a bankable property for Disney but it’s also a relatable property. The film is about family. It’s also about being an outsider. The two core themes will always resonate with theme park guests. The messages and the characters have resonated with a ton of people, so it only makes sense that Guardians was Disney’s first choice when it came to theme park integrations.
The quick version of the backstory of the attraction is that it’s EPCOT’s first “Other World” showcase pavilion. Xandarians have traveled to Earth to give us the Wonders of Xandar, a place where we learn about the history of Xandar and its advanced technologies. Then something goes wrong and the Guardians of the Galaxy get involved!
Before I discuss the nitty-gritty of the attraction. I have to clarify a question many may have when they experience this attraction. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind doesn’t exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It exists in the Marvel Theme Park Universe which features Avengers Campus, Mission Breakout, and others. Once you experience the attraction you will appreciate that Disney/Marvel Studios decided not to pigeonhole these attractions within the ever-expanding and always changing MCU.
The one thing you’ll instantly notice is walking up to the attraction is the gigantic Starblaster ship. It’s quite the sight. It’s the first full-size version of a Starblaster ever built.
Then once you walk into the Wonders of Xandar building the first room is The Galaxarium. Which shows our galaxy and drops various pieces of knowledge. Overall, the first half of the queue is sleek. The further we go along the more there is to look at because that initially beginning part of the queue you would just be looking up at the ceiling.
The queue features a model of Xandar and facts about the planet. This part of the queue gives me museum/The Great Movie Ride vibes. Remember Marvel Studios Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige loves The Great Movie Ride (he has great taste after all).
Walt Disney himself makes a cameo when the Xandarians are talking about his design for EPCOT and how it’s very similar to Xandar’s own design. The queue even features segments from the talk show Good Morning Xandar with Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot. Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, and Zoe Saldana all reprise their roles.
The attraction features two pre-shows. The LED screens are quite interesting. It’s hard to describe but they feel way more life-like maybe because they are rounded more. The first pre-show is with Glenn Close’s Nova Prime Irani Rael and it’s a lot of fun exposition. Terry Crews plays Centurion Tal Marik who helps Nova Prime Irani Rael with our planned adventure and provides comic relief.
The teleportation sequence during the pre-show is another great example of an Imagineering “how did they do that?” moment. The room completely changes into something different. Post teleportation sequence the attraction really kicks into full gear. Nova Prime and Tal Marik are about to send us on our adventure, and then Eson the Celestial steals the cosmic generator, which is a tool that allows you to make jump points and travel through space and time.
Seeing a Celestial in a Disney attraction was awesome. It was a good creative choice by Imagineering and shows how wacky the Marvel Theme Park Universe can get. Also, it’s not lost on me that Eternals is a property that Disney can technically use at Walt Disney World (they were actually featured in One Man’s Dream ahead of their film). Did Imagineering put Eson, a Celestial, in Cosmic Rewind to maybe test the waters for another attraction that could involve Celestials? I think this is something to watch even though Eternals probably didn’t perform to the level that is needed to sustain an attraction but still color me intrigued by the whole situation.
When the Guardians of the Galaxy appear on the transmission during the pre-show. I thought of a couple of things. The first thing I picked up on was Rocket Raccoon wasn’t voiced by Bradley Cooper. This is odd considering everyone else decided to come back and do this. Then the Universe of Energy song comes through a little bit when the Guardians appeared on the transmission. It’s a cool moment and this is a total nitpick but still a missed opportunity to use some of James Gunn’s excellent music taste for an even cooler intro song.
The acting from the Guardians actors was spotty but then again this is a theme park attraction not a film, and Gunn didn’t write the script but he was there during the attraction’s “script reviews.” It seems like Imagineering did their best to replicate Gunn’s tone and humor. Drax was the MVP of the attraction for sure.
The story of Eson wanting to go back to the dawn of time to undo his biggest mistake (humanity) gives fascinating stakes for the attraction. Rocket deciding to send us all after him makes perfect sense and gives the logical story explanation for why were about to go on this rollercoaster. Although as some have already pointed out Cosmic Rewind has a lot of similarities to DINOSAUR.
The roller coaster itself is a blast and goes by fast. That reverse launch is no joke. I was front row for the ride and if you get motion sickness I wouldn’t recommend this spot, maybe try to get the middle of the coaster. The screens for this are massive, and whenever you see Eson it’s pretty cool. The initial launch has a lot going on so there will be some definite re-rideability here. You got the Guardians quipping with each other and the song for your ride kicking in. For my ride, I got “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire it was so glorious.
The music options for the attraction along with “September” are “Disco Inferno” by the Trammps, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears, “One Way or Another” by Blondie, “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls, and “Conga” by Gloria Estefan. The mixture of 70s and 80s tunes definitely makes it a Guardians-worthy playlist.
I’m curious what songs were considered but didn’t make the final cut. Imagineers tested more than 100 potential songs for the attraction. It would be a fascinating list to read. I wonder if at any point they considered using songs from the first Guardians, Vol.2, or even from Mission Breakout. I’m glad about what they picked at the end of the day.
The attraction is shockingly intense. It feels faster than it is and the spinning from the Omnicoaster almost gives you that weightless feeling. You also at some points just wonder where you’re going because you’re so focused on the screens. The attraction doesn’t have any big drops or special loops. So, if you’re afraid of big drops there is nothing to worry about here.
The attraction feels like a mix between Space Mountain and Harry Potter: Escape from Gringotts. This is the type of attraction where it will be impossible not to shout, scream, or yell out of pure fun. The attraction reminds me of the other Guardians of the Galaxy attraction Mission: Breakout! Where both attractions just feel like big parties.
My one nitpick is that on the ride itself I wish we would’ve had more action scenes with the actual Guardians that didn’t just involve the ship. Maybe other scenes were planned but Imagineering pivoted due to the delays caused by James Gunn’s initial firing? It was just odd to me that once the attraction started it was mostly voice-over work and the media on the screens were of Eson and various ships.
Just was a little shocking, to say the least, especially considering the delay of this attraction was about getting content for the ride which I guess the majority of the content that was filmed was just used for the queue? The attraction features 75 minutes of new Guardians of the Galaxy content yet some of those minutes couldn’t be spared for the actual ride?
As your attraction comes to close, Star-Lord jokes and says EPCOT stands for “Every person comes out tired.” He’s not wrong that’s usually the case after a long day there. Yet, you may miss some of these jokes — I know I missed a few — due to the number of things going on and the music.
The end of the attraction features the same technology that Disney used in Rise of the Resistance for Rey Skywalker but this time it’s with the Guardians of the Galaxy all together welcoming us to the group. It’s nice to see. Especially due to the fact after the launch of the attraction, we don’t actually see the Guardians within the roller coaster part. So, it was a nice send-off.
You will notice the Tyler Bates (the composer behind the first two Guardians films) score at points during the attraction and walking around. Bates recorded over two hours of new material for Cosmic Rewind. It’s a delight to hear when you get the chance too.
The attraction has some easter eggs mostly for classic EPCOT fans to enjoy (and probably in part due to the restrictive usage of Marvel at Walt Disney World). We get a Walt Disney appearances which I wasn’t expecting. The original Universe of Energy song makes it into the attraction for brief moments. In the queue when discussing weather patterns it says Maelstrom which is a reference to the extinct Norway pavilion attraction. There’s probably a ton more waiting to be uncovered.
In the queue, Peter Quill (Star-Lord) mentions that he can’t wait to ride Horizons, a beloved extinct EPCOT attraction. Back in November 2021, during Destination D23, Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald actually revealed to my friends and me that there were going to be Horizons and other classic EPCOT references in Cosmic Rewind. That wasn’t something that the fan community or even the general public knew at the time. So, it was great to see it play out after being given that scoop.
Did the lack of being able to fully use Marvel at Walt Disney World hurt this attraction from being an all-time great? It’s still a great attraction but it has some notable absences like Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Nebula (Karen Gillan). Hey, even Cosmo and Howard the Duck got to be in Mission Breakout. Having more Marvel synergy would’ve been cool even if it was just in references or easter eggs.
In theory, due to EPCOT’s new theme and its need for more attractions, I could see it becoming a park in the future that utilizes Marvel properties that weren’t covered by Universal’s contract. It may be tough to pull off but I could see it happening especially in the former Future World area and within some areas of World Showcase. Disney could start testing the waters. Maybe start poking the bear? How could Disney fight off Universal’s Epic Universe? Get Marvel rights back. Alas, that’s another article for another time.
Experiencing Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind reaffirmed a couple of things for me. Walt Disney Imagineering is 2/2 when it comes to designing and creating Guardians of the Galaxy attractions. I’m open to more Guardians attractions in the future if they can figure it out. I believe Guardians may be the first timeless MCU property. At least it is for the parks (think like what Toy Story is for the Disney Parks).
EPCOT gains a stellar new E-Ticket and it breathes life into a park that desperately needs more new attractions and not just festival booths. Let’s hope Cosmic Rewind is the catalyst for more change within EPCOT on the attraction side of the world.
Walt Disney Imagineering should be proud of pulling off this creative and complex challenge as they faced various setbacks from internal and external forces. It would’ve been so easy to do a retheme of Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and call it a day. Instead, they built an attraction that in due time will be one of the most popular attractions at EPCOT and for years to come. Despite not being “true” to EPCOT. Imagineering crafted a backstory that was creative enough to justify its existence in EPCOT.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind delivers on its promise as a thrilling one-of-a-kind storycoaster. The attraction also proves that Guardians of the Galaxy are a reliable property for WDI. The attraction boldly takes EPCOT into a new era where the theme is simply the magic of possibility. Who would’ve thought taking the concept of old-school EPCOT like Wonders of Life and Universe of Energy and applying a Xandarian backdrop could be so fun?
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opens May 27 at EPCOT.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
