As part of Disney World's 50th anniversary, there is a new movie called "Guardians of the GALAXY: Cosmic Rewind". The first story-driven roller coaster inside of Epcot is inspired by the movie "Guardians of the GALAXY". It is not a ride that is so intense that you can't follow the story. It takes inspiration from the films, but also from the concept of the first other world pavilion in the park. Disney Imagineering has found a way to make guests feel like they are in the MCU with some of their favorite heroes. Glenn Close as Xandarian leader Nova Prime, Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax are among the movie stars who will reprise their movie roles at the attraction. Finding intellectual property that still fits in with the theme of Walt Disney's vision for the future is part of the ongoing reimagining of Epcot. The connection Peter Quill made with his memories of Earth is where the Guardians of theGalaxy comes in. He remembered it when he was a kid, so he said, "I have the perfect place!" The park has a section where various countries have their foods and cultures represented. Visitors can get a taste of drinking around the world in one spot. Wonders of Xandar, the setting of Cosmic Rewind, takes us even further in the park's World Discovery area, which features other space travel-themed attractions. The queue for the ride is set up as if it is the first other world showcase, so that you can experience the sci-fi elements of the Guardians films through Xandarian culture and tech. It opens on a presentation about the world coming from the same space dust as we do. We saw a glimpse of the planet in the movie. I am an advanced society with sustainable living and circular city planning with models that are very reminiscent of Disney's Progress City. It is written into the story that Xandarians affirm Disney was onto something. You can see the inspiration taken from the past by looking at the pavilion. There is a lot of that which has changed. It is a brand-new story set in motion, which is exciting, but it will be appreciated by people who know the park. Next-Level Sound can be experienced. Theater-like sound surrounds you with spatial audio with dynamic head tracking.
Why Did Epcot Need a New Guardians of the Galaxy Adventure?
As guests get deeper in the queue, they learn more about the protectors and heroes of Xandar, a primer on the Nova Corps and the team-up against the Accuser during the battle of Kree. There are displays of the Corps ranking system and models of ships like the Milano from the first film, but they fly their second ship, the Benatar, on the ride. There are Good Morning Xandar news segments where Rocket, Star-Lord, Gamora, and Drax are interviewed, and you get that funny banter to fill in guests on the story from the films.
When we reach the pre-show on a star charter above Earth before the ride, Nova Prime appears to do a technological cultural exchange with Xandar's cosmic generator to help Terrans advance their space travel through the network jump points used to move throughout The idea is that this speed will affect the ride. Cosmic Rewind does a better job of getting non-coaster folks to leave their comfort zones than the drop tower of Mission Breakout does. It's a good gateway coaster for kids and adults who don't like the stomach-drop feeling, and was built with that in mind.
I have kids, and I have been through all those situations as well. Drake, who leads creative development on major film attractions at the park, said that he has some great stories of overcoming that fear and graduating to the next coaster or the next. You graduate to the next step. The approach taken on this attraction is fun because we wanted to make sure that every fan of all ages could experience this. We had to deliver on the thrill and fun of the movie.
The story takes a turn when Eson the Searcher crashes the tour and takes the generator. Hellbent on ensuring humanity never exists, Eson time-jumps back to the Big Bang in the vastness of space; the Guardians follow suit and bring us along for the ride.
The idea is that the ride vehicles which run on the park's first omni-coaster track will be reprogramed by Rocket so that we can chase Eson until he is captured. The story plays out on large screen projections, but with cinematic action set pieces starring Rocket and friends. It is a pure spectacle that you can see as the ride vehicle rotates on a smooth, thrilling track. Drake said that the function adds to the excitement, the thrill, the story, the fun, and puts you in the middle of it without having to be as physically hard on the body. It was an ambitious project from the beginning, and that was taken through every part of our design. Our format wants us to deliver stories in a different way. The guest becomes a central figure in the story. That is a new paradigm.
Kevin Feige and company were involved in guiding Cosmic Rewind's story, even though the cinematic universe can get tricky on the East Coast. Drake said that they have an incredible relationship with the studios. Kevin Feige loves the parks. Epcot is one of his favorites, but not his favorite park. To tell the next chapter of that story and get to expand the universe is something that is awesome.
Disney Imagineers were on the set of the movie "Guardians of the GALAXY Vol.", which is why you know you are in the universe from the moment you get to the end of the ride. 3 to film with the cast for a new attraction. Drake said of gathering the 75 minutes of original content you will see throughout the attraction, "What do these characters stand for and and how do we interact with them?" The composer scored over two hours of original music.
The Nova Corps star blasters linking in the same energy barrier net formation as they did when attempting to stop Ronan the Accuser's Dark Aster warships during his Kree invasion is one of the Easter eggs fans will recognize. Now that you're a part of the story, it's to more successful results, and you're given the title of an "Honorary Guardian of theGalaxy" when you disembark. The ride doesn't bridge into the expanding phases of the films, but it does bring you into your own adventure, as imagineers like Drake intended. As soon as you walk into this attraction, it's happening. There is no timetable. We aren't putting you in a time and place. It is here and now. You are in the middle of the story.
They didn't forget the big part of the adventure.
The music choices that James Gunn brought to the franchise have been key drivers to everything. He shared that while Imagineering was heavily involved, there was no moment where they picked up a song from a future film. They had hundreds of songs to choose from, but they had to decide on a ride-ability. We rode hundreds of songs to find the Awesome Mix. The flexibility of every time you ride is all that matters.
You won't know what you'll hear until the Guardians hit play. They are all songs that fit various motion profiles on the ride vehicle that change per song, and gives it enough distinction to make fans come back to ride each version. Imagineers hope that they will, at least. Touching anything in Epcot means that you need to come back with something incredible.
I want to go back and get all the songs. I'm two out of six.
The opening of the movie "Guardians of the GALAXY: Cosmic Rewind" is at the Disney World Resort in Florida.
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