A Cosmic Review with All-Time Coaster’s Dan Welle
On this week’s #MagicMonday we are getting and outside view on the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Coaster in EPCOT from our friends over at All-Time Coasters!
From Dan Welle:
Since 1999, when Universal Studios laid claim to the Marvel IP (intellectual property) and put a stranglehold on such beloved characters like Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk, they have been the only provider of Marvel themed entertainment in the Orlando theme park area. When Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, it opened the doors to a number of possibilities in film, television and merchandise, and Disney, for the most part, has capitalized on those opportunities. However, due to restrictions within the contract signed by Universal Studios, Disney has been unable to implement a lot of their fan favorite movie characters into their theme parks. That is, until 2017 when Disney revealed plans at D23 to incorporate a Guardians of the Galaxy ride at their resort, which due to particular verbiage did not infringe on Universal’s Marvel usage rights. And in 2022, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened to the public at EPCOT.
The new Xandar Pavilion in EPCOT!
Replacing Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Cosmic Rewind is located in what Disney hopes to be a new, exciting section of the park called World Discovery. Built by long-time Disney manufacturer Vekoma, the ride functions like a family roller coaster, with a twist. No, really, you will twisting and turning the duration of the ride as you listen to funky fresh rhymes like “Disco Inferno” by the Trammps or “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears, among others.
Initial Queue Room for Cosmic Rewind
The ride begins before it even leaves the station with incredible visuals and a humorous pre-show that will have kids feeling like they’ve joined the Nova Corps. It’s not worth spoiling the fine details as the pre-show itself is a fun experience for both parents and kids alike. However, like with other rides at Disney World, Disney does conceal the doors to the station well, and if you want to try to beat the crowd, hang to the right during the presentation.
After you’ve left the show area, you will be ushered into a waiting station that we found goes very quickly. Disney has done an outstanding job with increasing capacity on their newer rides, which means you never feel like you’re stuck in one spot for too long. That actually goes for the entire line, as Cosmic Rewind incorporates a lot of things to see. On what felt like a steady day at the park, we didn’t wait longer than 45 minutes to get from the entrance to the ride to the front of the line. We were all incredibly impressed!
Xandarian Model City in Cosmic Rewind Queue
As for the ride itself, I feel as though Disney has absolutely nailed their first attempt at Marvel in the Orlando area, and really gives Universal a run for their money with what they’re able to bring to the IP. The ride is forceful, but not intense. It utilizes a very new ride system to make what’s a classic indoor roller coaster, feel new again. It uses visuals to give it a dark ride experience, however, I do wish Disney had done a little more in this regard, as some points during the ride seem too dark and I’m not sure what I should be looking at. That being said, the duration of the ride still makes it feel like you’ve gotten a truly full experience, which when waiting in lines as long as Disney can get to be, makes this ride feel like you really got your money's worth.
Speaking of money, Disney does offer individual lightning lane for this attraction at an additional cost, however, we found the day that we were there, we didn’t need to use it. We were able to ride twice; once with a lightning lane pass, and once with a virtual boarding pass, and we barely noticed a difference. If you wake up early enough the day of your visit to the park, and can book your virtual boarding, you should be fine.
Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue Screen
All in all, I believe these are the types of attractions that I hope to see continue to be incorporated at EPCOT, as Disney works to refresh the park, and give people more reasons to come to the park than just their festivals. I’ve always been a fan of EPCOT, but unfortunately always felt like it was a park with a bit of an identity crisis. Cosmic Rewind helps to give us all a direction as to where the park is heading towards, and I personally couldn’t be more excited for the future.
As for just Cosmic Rewind itself, I would put it at the top of my list of must do attractions when visiting the parks. Its whimsical, futuristic setting fits right in with what makes DisneyWorld the perfect family vacation, and I hope to be able to give Disney’s new Tron Lightcycle Power Run at Magic Kingdom a similar review when it opens to the public this spring.
We at Second Trip can’t wait to get out to Orlando this summer to give TRON a proper test and see how it stacks up to this amazing EPCOT experience!
If you are dying to hit up these new experiences like we are, be sure to request a quote at the top right of the page and let us make your Disney experience as magical as it can be!