Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot: Opening & Info
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a Marvel-themed roller coaster under construction at Epcot. This first-of-its-kind attraction is the biggest addition of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. This covers everything you need to know about the ride: when it’ll open, concept art, details, and more. (Updated April 27, 2022.)
The saga of a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction at Walt Disney World dates back years. It started with rumors of a replacement for the iconic Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios a la Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout at Disneyland Resort. Then came rumors that the Marvel misfits would take over the nearby Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (an overlay that actually would’ve made a ton of sense).
Walt Disney World has since officially announced Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, replacing the dinosaurs of Universe of Energy at Epcot. Here’s everything we know about that attraction–for the latest developments, construction progress, and first ride-through video of the attraction, scroll down to the “April 27, 2022 Update” heading…
Walt Disney World has repeatedly referred to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind as the first other-world showcase pavilion at Epcot. While releasing new details about the three new neighborhoods replacing Future World, Disney shed more light on how this pavilion will fit into the park.
The former Universe of Energy Pavilion is now the Wonders of Xandar Pavilion, which will be come to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The Wonders of Xandar Pavilion will be located in the World Discovery neighborhood of Epcot.
This area will showcase science, technology, and intergalactic adventure. Other offerings in the World Discovery area of Epcot will include the Play Pavilion, Space 220 Restaurant, Mission Space, and Test Track.
According to Disney, “Epcot just may be the perfect place for a Guardians-inspired attraction — Peter Quill (aka Star Lord) actually visited Epcot as a kid!” Plenty of EPCOT Center purists might disagree with that sentiment–whether that’s a good explanation for the thematic fit or a ham-fisted attempt at shoehorning Marvel into Epcot is in the eye of the beholder.
Regardless, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind starts in the “Galaxarium,” a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar.
The conceit is that the Nova Corps have arrived on earth (that’s a Star Blaster parked out front) and are inviting guests to learn more about the treasures Xandar has to share. The premise is likely to be that the main building houses a science museum type exhibition.
In the teaser video for the attraction in Epcot Experience, a recorded video of a Xandarian welcomes earthlings to the installation before being interrupted by Rocket Raccoon for being boring. (When the feed is restored, we hear the Xandarian say, “…and now you know the secret of the universe.”)
The expectation is that the actual attraction will play out along these lines, with the pre-show involving an edutainment component that pays homage to the original message of EPCOT Center. That will likely be interrupted when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, culminating in the Big Bang, and an adventure across the cosmos ensuing.
Walt Disney World is touting Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind as a “storytelling coaster,” which is to say it’s a roller coaster with show scenes. Disney has indicated that it’s a family-friendly attraction–but it’ll still probably have a height requirement.
Imagineering is calling this an OmniCoaster ride system, and it’s a collaboration between WDI and Vekoma, a Netherlands-based roller coaster manufacturer. Cosmic Rewind’s vehicles will be able to rotate 360 degrees and do a reverse launch–a first for Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney Imagineering released the above video of the the OmniCoaster ride system.
This was presumably shot on Vekoma’s test track in the Netherlands, and not on-site at Walt Disney World or even in Glendale, California.
For years, Disney stated that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind would open “in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort.” However, that has not been the case since the closure/reopening.
Walt Disney World did not offer any official statements about the opening timeline for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for over a year after Epcot closed and reopened. Fortunately, that has changed since Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary kicked off.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the latest updates, including the official opening date…
April 27, 2022 Update
Walt Disney World has released the first official ride-through video of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot.
So embrace your inner outlaw and check out the video above for a look inside the new Wonders of Xandar pavilion at EPCOT. You’ll also get a glimpse of what happens when you’re called into action alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy to save humanity from Eson the Celestial!
(Honestly, we’re not sure whether this is a full ride-through video, just a clip of a few seconds of the attraction, or somewhere in between. We did not watch, as are very much “anti-spoilers,” especially for an attraction we’ll be experiencing for ourselves in a couple weeks.)
As a reminder, Walt Disney World officially announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open on May 27, 2022!
This E-Ticket is Epcot’s biggest addition in years, and will be the blockbuster attraction of the summer season. Expect to see a huge marketing blitz as Walt Disney World tries to draw even more tourists to the already-crowded parks.
Beyond that, Walt Disney World has already started Cast Member previews, and will soon welcome Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, and other guests to enter the Galaxarium (pictured above) and experience the attraction.
Speaking of which, this planetarium-like exhibition showcases the connections between Xandar and Earth. The full Galaxarium loop will be over 30 minutes long (assuming you’re waiting in line that long–unlikely if you buy an Individual Lightning Lane), and will include Xandar, Earth, the Andromeda, Milky Way Galaxies, and Star-Lord’s iconic Awesome Mix Vol. 1!
Another development came via a story in a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, there’s an interview with Imagineer Wyatt Winter.
He revealed that Cosmic Rewind will feature a “stand-alone” Guardians of the Galaxy story, inside the largest show building on Walt Disney World property. The attraction will feature digital media and the James Gunn-directed series’ signature soundtrack of pop-rock hits, all in the name of amping up the same “energy and excitement” from the films.
Winter also didn’t reveal the ride’s launch speed–or whether it features a return launch–but he did say that the overall thrill factor of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is somewhere between that of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
He also indicated that this Guardians of the Galaxy story is on a unique timeline, and has some surprises in store. Given its time-traveling theme, the attraction will combine bits of Marvel and Walt Disney World history. “Fans of both the films and Disney parks are going to find Easter eggs,” Winter promises.
During Destination D23, Disney also shared a special announcement (above) from Academy Award-nominated actress Glenn Close reprising her role as Nova Prime, the Xandarian leader and commander of the Nova Corps.
That’s not the only good news. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn recently revealed that Cosmic Rewind has started shooting. This shouldn’t take too long (and might already be finished!), but it was one of the other holdups for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. That should no longer be the case, either.
In addition to this main entrance and exit, there is a large gravity building located backstage near Epcot’s parking lot. The set-up here is similar to that of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which also launches into a hidden gravity or show building.
The main difference here is that this towering show building for the main roller coaster segments of the attraction is visible throughout Epcot. Despite being painted shades of “blend-in blue” and “go-away green,” it competes with Spaceship Earth for attention.
As for the gravity building, I had a chance to see inside during the World’s Most Magical Celebration media event. My main impression is that it’s huge. Hardly a bombshell revelation, as the colossal building is visible from across World Showcase Lagoon and has been one point of contention about the attraction.
Beyond the size of the space, there’s a lot of OmniCoaster track weaving through that colossal area. For me, the amount of track was the most reassuring aspect of the visit—it’s difficult to judge from the ground, but it looks like the ride duration should be fairly satisfying.
There are also several tunnels, screens along the perimeter of the upper level of the track, a jump point, and even a large moon or planet that the OmniCoaster vehicles circle.
It’s going to be a very obscure comparison, but the whole thing reminded me of a very amped-up version of Space Fantasy — The Ride (that’s very high praise). Photos weren’t allowed inside, so you’ll just have to take my word for all of that.
When Will Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind Open?
UPDATE: As indicated above, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open on May 27, 2022.
There’s no point in reading what follows now that Walt Disney World has officially announced the debut date. We’re leaving it here for the sake of posterity.
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Finally, there’s the question of when Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open. As noted above, Walt Disney World has revealed the nebulous “Summer 2022” timeframe. Technically, that means any time from June 21 through September 22, 2022.
Typically, that’s not how Walt Disney World’s seasons work. Rather than following the Farmer’s Almanac (or wherever those dates are derived), Disney uses the ‘colloquial calendar’ that defines summer in the United States as Memorial Day through Labor Day.
There’s every reason to believe that Disney will open Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind when it’s strategically most advantageous. Officially, the World’s Most Magical Celebration will last 18 months, through March 2023.
The 18-month anniversary celebration gives Walt Disney World the chance to do something of a soft reset about halfway through, “amping up” the festivities with new attractions and entertainment. This will incentivize visitors who already experienced the first half of the celebration to come back, and will also lure new guests. That halfway reset will likely be headlined by Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Halfway through the 50th Anniversary Celebration would be roughly May 2022. Memorial Day weekend would make sense, as would early June 2022.
This would also align with test rides already having started for Walt Disney World leaders, and the fact that Cast Members are being recruited for the opening team.
It’s also consistent with past precedent. Of the recent additions with summer openings at Walt Disney World, Pandora – World of Avatar debuted on May 27 and Toy Story Land opened on June 30.
It’s also worth noting that Pandora had extensive registration-only previews for APs and DVC prior to that in May. The same was true for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure last fall. The latter was a savvy move by Disney, as it got locals and diehard fans to Epcot at a time that was otherwise uncrowded. The lead-up to Memorial Day is similarly an attendance lull, so lengthy previews might likewise be strategically advantageous.
In our view, an official opening around Memorial Day or the weekend thereafter makes much more sense than debuting in July through September, which is almost entirely unprecedented. Usually, July bookings are strong regardless, with things dropping off in mid-August through September as schools go back into session.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has a ton of marketing potential. It could convince Marvel enthusiasts (and there are a lot of them) to not just visit Epcot, but to book Walt Disney World trips. As such, we’d expect a June 2022 opening at the latest to take full advantage of this marketing potential.
Of course, a lot could happen and change between now and then. It’s thus impossible to make any sort of credible predictions about when Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open beyond “Summer 2022.”
Whenever it does open, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will instantly blast into the #1 attraction spot at Epcot. Regardless of how we might feel about how it fits into Epcot (both thematically and physically), this is undeniably a blockbuster attraction with a colossal budget and a ride system that’s likely to give it wide appeal to guests of all ages.
In short, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is likely to be a crowd-pleasing attraction that wows guests with both its thrills and technology, plus its layer of Imagineered detail and storytelling, plus popular music and the irreverence of these Marvel misfits. It’ll likely rival Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Tron Lightcycle Run, and Avatar Flight of Passage for the longest wait times and most coveted Lightning Lane selections in all of Walt Disney World.
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Your Thoughts
Are you excited for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? If you’re also an EPCOT Center purist, are you apprehensive that this will fit the park, or do you think the storyline and pre-show will sufficiently weave things together? When do you predict that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open? Do you agree or disagree with any of our thoughts? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
In answer to your question about how excited we are, I’m not very. First, I’m not a big coaster fan. When I ride one, I prefer it to be outdoors rather than indoors. I like the outdoor experience more, and the ride can generally be longer outdoors. I haven’t been to Orlando in several years for personal reasons and then Covid, but I’d rather ride Hagrid’s than this one, probably. (Can’t fairly evaluate a ride that hasn’t opened yet; maybe Disney will theme this one as well as Hagrid’s.)
While I’m pretty old now (visited Disneyland during it’s first 12 months of operation) Disney keeps reducing the percentage of rides which “children of all ages” can ride. I wonder if Disney has de-emphasized their Parks as being aimed at families with young children because their rapidly-increasing price structure is shifting their attendees to an older group with more discretionary money.
Thanks Tom for another nice update. Really looking forward to all the new additions to EPCOT. I think GOTG opens when it’s finished and unless that coincidentally happens to be very near the opening date of the new movie they will not hold off like they are holding back Ratatouille for months.
One word though. EPCOT is supposed to about education as well as fun. The two don’t have to be exclusive of each other. Edutainment is not old fashioned, outdated nor is wishing for that to remain EPCOT’s theme a misguided trip in nostalgia. I remember the trip through the human body. That could be an amazing ride with todays tech. How about a bathyscaphe adventure to the bottom of the ocean. I can see it now as we go exploring so deep that the sides begin to buckle and water seeps in. There’s no reason why we can’t pick up some knowledge or scientific appreciation while being tossed around, dropped from heights and thrown from side to side.
I know basically nothing about theme park construction, but having watched how quickly VelociCoaster was completed at Universal, even with the pandemic interrupting its construction, is there any reason it will take Disney so much longer to complete this ride other than, “they don’t feel like doing it any faster”?
There’s no other reason!
Love Guardians of the Galaxy! Have trip planned to WDW in November 2021. So hoping Guardians will be open then.
Call me an old-fashioned. curmudgeon. When I took my kids to WDW/Epcot in the late eighties/early nineties, they actually learned something in a fun way. Anyone remember “The Story of Me”? Made my job explaining the facts of life much easier…and it was hilarious hearing my four year-old accurately explain the facts of life to my husband’s boss and then tell him she learned it at DisneyWorld. How about the film about the middle schooler dealing with wacko brain chemistry? And the Norway pavilion taught something about water and the North Sea. Even my now adult children miss the old Epcot. Yeah, missing the good old days.
I bet the ride will be fun
On the Disney parks YouTube channel today they released a video showing a montage of construction footage for upcoming attractions. Cosmic Rewind was there. TRON was not. Coincidence? I think not.
I’m expecting Disney to fast track Guardians as the new Guardians 3 just got greenlit as we heard on the investor call, which means they can film footage for the ride simultaneously. Plus, EPCOT was mid-massive transformation. MK is fine as is.
RIP TRON.
what does it mean to be a “gravity building”?
It’s just the large structure that houses the roller coaster track. Looks like a sound stage or giant warehouse from the outside.
Good
My mom and her friend have read your posts, really good I formation!
Besides the question of how rapidly Disney wants to complete the ride is the question of construction worker availability. From what I could tell as an outsider, between WDW, Universal, and the housing boom around Orlando a lack of skilled workers was already delaying projects.
My guess (and if you can tell me how long people need to stay indoors it will improve my guess significantly) is that project cancellations and delays will result in fewer construction delays for those projects which do have funding when things start up again, with the wild card being how bad the economic effects last.
Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that–at the very least–construction costs will go down as the construction labor market goes from shortage to surplus in Central Florida.
I wouldn’t bet on Disney being willing to take advantage of that opportunity to its fullest, though. (Understandably–so many of the company’s business units are getting hit hard by this.)
Disney has a long term plan for the resort as a whole. This is not a fit for MK theming, (Tron can arguably tie in with Space Mountain). The Studios while the logical choice is full to the brim and now has the increased draw of the Star Wars area and Toy Story land. Animal Kingdom is in no way a consideration since it is a completely different theming. EPCOT is the logical choice since its current “main” ride attractions are limited when compared to the other parks’ offerings. Guardian’s location in the old Universe of Energy pavilion is in close proximity to Mission Space, Test Track and Spaceship Earth which have a “STEM” spin to them. Depending on how far along construction is I think it will be completed sooner than later with The Ball going down for reimagining. I also don’t think that manpower will be the issue as the construction crew that has been working on it all this time will more than likely be the ones tasked to finish it. Whenever it is completed (probably this year or early 2021) I look for it to be extremely popular and a much needed draw for EPCOT until all of its projects are completed.
I didn’t care for Ellen’s version but I LOVED the previous Universe of Energy! Still sad It’s gone but looking forward to a great new attraction. I don’t blame them for halting construction, but construction is still going on everywhere, it even falls under Governor DeSantis’ “essential” jobs that can continue during lockdown so not sure why Disney construction stopped when it is still happening everywhere else. I will say a cool dark ride like Pirates of the Caribbean would be nice instead of so many roller coasters! Roller coasters are everywhere but Disney is the only place with good non-coaster rides. don’t be like everyone else Disney!!
I agree with JB. The sample video of the ride doesn’t appeal to me at all. I would not be able to ride that even once.
Who is the Imagineer leading this project? I would love for it to be Joe Rohde. I think he did a great job with Mission Breakout considering it’s an overlay. Do you know what projects he is working on now?
Sometimes this boggles my mind. I completely understand the criticism, but I feel like people may be looking through this through a very narrow lens.
I prefer Disney to make rides free of IP, but obviously if they do it correctly IP rides are great, sometimes you don’t even need to care about the IP, flights of passage as an example.
If this ride has some edutainment at the beginning, or throughout, then what’s the problem? I know, EPCOT, is real world, and sacred ground. But if we are honest Ellen’s energy adventure was IP, it was Ellen and Bill Nye as IP. When that ride was put together (1996) it would be the equivalent of making an energy themed ride staring the cast of Big Bang theory today.
But when Disney makes something new we all complain, until it’s good, or it’s 10 years old and then it’s a classic.
Aside from the dinosaurs, Ellen’s energy adventure was a 45 minute boring excuse to take a nap that revolves around the celebrity (IP or brand) of TV star Ellen DeGeneres (an Ellen themed ride in Disney world? Can you imagine if the internet was around then?).
I would prefer a non IP ride with as well, but come on, this is an upgrade.
I will concede the show building is obtrusive.
Tom, I love the pic with the clouds and sunset in the background! Looks like Spaceship Earth sitting just below a mountain range. Wouldn’t that be a cool site!
I’m just so glad they didn’t turn either ToT or RnR into a Guardians of the Galaxy themed ride esp. ToT. I’m looking forward to the evolution of Future World knowing that this theme doesn’t fit perfectly but Epcot needs this, a high tech themed thrill ride. I do miss Universe of Energy which was my #2 in old Future World but time to rip off the band aid! I’m mostly worried the World Showcase will lose its edutainment down the road. No other theme park to my knowledge has something like the World Showcase so please don’t screw it up WDW!
Tom, what do you think the time line is for TRON being completed and open? How soon after WDW reopens? Thanks
Meh, RnR is quite dated IMO, and I am 100% of the Aerosmith era. It could have gotten an entirely new theme, and I would’ve been fine with that. I would at least like to see a refresh…I think a variety of bands would be more appropriate to increase longevity.
If we can’t have a fifth gate, than maybe deconstructing EPCOT is the next best thing.
With all the new rides opening recently (and eventually) at Epcot and HS, do you think they will ever get rid of the fastpass tier systems at some point?
That’s definitely a long-term possibility, but I think it’s more likely to have some current headliners “downgraded” to a lower tier in the near to mid-term.
I’m not an Epcot purist. It is a theme park. I know people want it to be some sort of frozen-in-time homage, but it is a theme park that charges guests over $100 a day and it has to evolve to draw in new generations of guests–it can’t just cater to nostalgia.
Batuu and Toy Story Land don’t really have anything to do with Old Hollywood. Nor does Pandora really have anything to do with animals. The fact is, all Disney parks are a hybrid: some of the entertainment is “on theme” for the park’s concept, and some is more of a stretch, but if it is well executed and a good experience, why complain?
The way people talk about Epcot reminds me of how my husband (who I love) gets incensed whenever a movie features spaceship engine or explosion noises or in outer space. Yes, yes, we all know there is no sound in space. Now can we please just enjoy the movie already?
I think the rub is that everything pre-2010 is the core of the current themed experience all around Walt Disney World, whereas everything new is just thrown wherever. I think most people are reasonable and can accept some thematic incongruity. (Personally, I’m totally fine with DHS being a movie IP dumping ground. That’s “close enough” for me in terms of theme.)
I don’t want the parks to be frozen in time–I know nostalgia is a powerful drug and appreciate a ton of new additions. What I want is all four parks to have clear thematic distinctions from one another.
I’m fine with all of this but have a question. My understanding is that Walt wanted the Florida project to be what EPCOT was supposed to be correct? So isn’t Celebration close enough so we can move on?
Well, I am an EPCOT Center purist, and I do not like the destruction of symmetry with demo of the Communicore West buildings, fountains, etc. Now it won’t have a central spine, in spite of them calling it such. Sure, some things will change over the years, but it’s going in the wrong way.
This article actually made me think this might be a lot more fitting in Epcot than I thought. So far I only heard of this as the “guardians of the galaxy coaster” so I thought they went “ok so guardians of the galaxy is sci-fi, sci-fi fits in future world, that’s a good enough connection”. But it seems like it has some actual educational elements with the science museum like preshow and even the coaster itself to my understanding goes through the history of the universe from the big bang. Even if the focus is on the guardians story having that as a backdrop can be educational by itself.
Compare that with frozen ever after, which is actually a good ride IMO but not a good fit in the world showcase. It only celebrates the IP itself and not the culture of the country it’s supposed to showcase. If they showcased actual Norwegian cultural elements in FEA like they do in the three Caballeros, it would be much better. IMO IP integration in Epcot is not a problem by itself, it can get people interested and even I’d say it makes things more fun. But it should complement and not come instead of the original educational vision.
Whoopee! Another rollercoaster with a backstory and a theme. Just what Disney / Epcot needs. Does anyone remember that EPCOT was supposed to stand for something like Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow? So in the future we’re all going to be riding rollercoasters with a talking raccoon? I love Marvel and enjoyed Guardians, but if the description is accurate, this ride is not only misplaced but lacks any real imagination.