Disney Raises the Bar With Guardians Ride

Walt Disney World doesn’t go in for a lot of high-speed roller-coasters, but, when they do, they usually come up with something pretty exciting. That is certainly the case with the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which has just opened at Epcot.

Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom was the first out-and-out coaster in Walt’s world when it opened in 1975, and it was followed five years later by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which added to the park’s scenic quotient, even if it didn’t raise the thrill-ride bar much higher.

It wasn’t until 1999 that Disney added another genuine scream machine to their portfolio, but Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios definitely moved the needle in terms of the adrenaline stakes.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom followed up in 2006 with the fabulously spectacular – and equally exciting – Expedition Everest, providing riders with a unique backwards section as well as plenty of thrills.

And then we had two in the space of four years as the Magic Kingdom debuted the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (2014) and the Studios park unveiled Slinky Dog Dash (2018) to ensure plenty of family-friendly excitement.

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But they remain generally the exception to the rule, notable for their rare appearances in the Disney portfolio of attractions. It’s fair to say the company likes to make a splash with their forays into the wide world of coasters, hence Guardians of the Galaxy is especially noteworthy.

Like Space Mountain and Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, it is an indoor ride and it has a few elements of both with its quick-turning, in-the-dark style, albeit this is a completely new generation of coaster with an entirely novel premise and rider experience.

Unlike all its rollicking predecessors, Cosmic Rewind is what Disney likes to call a story-telling coaster, which means you are immersed in the theme and narrative of this particular Guardians adventure, starting from the moment you walk in the massive building (the former home of the Universe of Energy attraction, of course).

What’s the Story?

Because this is Epcot, the theme park version of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow as Walt envisaged it, there needs to be more basis for plopping these Marvel characters in the middle of this park than just wanting to provide some extra thrills.

In this instance, the back-story neatly fills two niches. To start with, it is the first “extra-terrestrial” pavilion in the Epcot line-up that includes all the countries of World Showcase, but it also slots nicely into the new designation for this part of the park, which is World Discovery.

Side-note: For those who still think of Epcot as consisting of just Future World and World Showcase, it is in the process of transforming the first section of the park into three distinct areas, World Celebration, World Nature and World Discovery, the latter of which also includes Mission: Space and Test Track.

Ostensibly, the new ride is situated in the Wonders of Xandar pavilion, an intergalactic tie-up between Earth and Xandar that brings the technology and culture of the alien race to this showcase location on our planet.

Spoiler Alert!

So, the basis for the sudden appearance of the galaxy-saving Guardians makes good sense in terms of Epcot’s essential premise of being a repository of new technologies and international cultures.

If that sets up the attraction’s basic raison d’etre, the experience as you walk through the doors quickly becomes one of pure, immersive entertainment (Note to readers: if you don’t want to read details of the ride itself, look away now!).

The long, spiralling queue serves up numerous screens, exhibits and gadgets that draw you in to the Xandarian world, with the ‘big reveal’ that they are going to teleport you up to one of Nova’s spaceships for a demonstration of their Cosmic Generator (the power behind interstellar travel).

However, in the long tradition of attractions that set out as an exhibition of something or other, things go horribly wrong, and it is up to YOU, the humble visitor to set things to rights!

And Off You Go!

As it turns out, the Cosmic Generator has been stolen by Eson the Celestial (another character from the Marvel universe), and the Guardians of the Galaxy are called on to rescue the Generator, in the form of a wild ride in pursuit of Eson.

With the use of some gigantic screens, clever lighting and a pulse-pounding soundtrack – which features one of six classic songs from the Guardians’ 1980s catalogue – riders are pushed front and centre in the chase of the evil Celestial, which only starts with a journey back in time to The Big Bang.

The coaster’s ultra-smooth track and ride vehicles that can turn and pivot on their axis make for a unique combination and a really dynamic experience. Without appreciably changing, the cars can shoot backwards as well as forwards, with fast-launch capability at several points.

The cars also swivel so that riders face the big, wrap-around screens that help to keep the story moving along at breakneck speed, and the sense of being in the middle of the action is superb (although the ride itself reaches a top speed of only around 40mph, it actually feels a lot faster).

Will the Guardians save the day as you whiz through both time and space in their Galaxy? We’ll leave you to decide, but it’s probably a safe bet!

That’s the overview in full. It opened on May 27 and has quickly become one of the most popular attractions in Walt Disney World, although it is currently available only via the Lightning Lane ride selection (for an additional $14) or through the My Disney Experience app’s ‘Virtual Queue’ system.

It will also offer a regular stand-by queue in due course, and we can safely say it is going to be worth the wait.

See more about the ride on DisneyWorld.com.

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