Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Hey Ohana,

I know that most blogs (including our own) usually wait until the very end to give you their official stance on something when writing a review of something, but I simply can’t wait that long… THIS RIDE IS AWESOME! It’s one of those rare attractions that you sincerely want to get right back onto as soon as you get off…(something I was able to to do twice during our last visit!) Amazing, fun ride!

The new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction is located in EPCOT where Ellen’s Universe of Energy was once located. It’s the giant blue building that almost blends in with the sky (something the ingenious Disney Imagineers did on purpose of course). As you pass by the new Creations shop, hang a right and pass by Test Track and Mission Space until you come face to face with the amazing Nova Corp ship siting outside the entrance of the attraction. This is definitely going to be one of the “hot spot” photo locations for some time and Disney actually has a Photopass photographer stationed there as well We didn’t wait in the line for this shot, but we have seen some pretty cool “magic” shots from those who have…we’ll have to try it out next time we visit!

(Lincoln gives his seal of approval! This Nova Corp ship is a sight!)

Right now, Cosmic Rewind is utilizing the virtual queue which Disney has been doing when a new major attraction opens over the past couple years. Essentially, you wake up the day of your visit (must have a EPCOT reservation) and use the mobile app to try and get a spot. You HAVE to wake up early and try right as it opens as they do book VERY fast! The virtual queue however is not your only option and if you’re looking to have a better chance of getting on the ride AND having a much shorter wait time you can also use the Individual Lightning Lane option to purchase a spot. When we visited it was $14 per person to use this option…which we did each time we went on. Essentially, the virtual queue (if you’re lucky enough to get one) is the stand-by line while the LL is the “fastpass.”

I mentioned earlier that I was able to ride back to back times, but please be aware that you CAN NOT purchase back to back LL. The way it worked out for me was we purchased LL for everyone in our party, but Krystle was unable to ride as she’s pregnant. Therefore, I went on using my reservation, and then again using hers. I don’t really support doing this as a way of taking advantage of the system as it essentially could prevent another person from getting the chance to ride, but we had accidentally hit “entire party” when purchasing and I didn’t want the $14 to go to waste so I rode again.

One of the most exciting things for me personally about this ride, this trip, was our son Lincoln (5) got to go on it with me! This was his first roller-coaster and he was super brave. The fact that he loves Guardians of the Galaxy was enough to convince him to come on with me. He was definitely a little scared, especially the first time he rode (I almost thought he passed out at first because he wouldn’t respond to me, but he was just clinging to my arm). After getting off he said it was fun but scary and that he didn’t want to go on again…by the time our vacation was over though, he had ridden 2 more times, each time getting a little more into it! If you’re on the fence about bringing a younger kid on, we always suggest letting them decide, but if they are ok with speed, then this ride should be fine for them.

Now since we did purchase the LL option each time we rode we did not get to experience the full queue which many people have been saying is great. However, I will say that while the LL option is definitely quicker than the virtual queue line, it is still a decent amount of time overall because they utilize the holding room system (3 different ones in fact!) Once the virtual queue and LL lines merge you enter the first holding room which is pretty boring, for lack of a better word, because nothing is going on. Then the doors open to a second holding room, but this one has a short video. The third and final “holding room” is by far the best – get RotR stormtrooper room feels (but a little smaller). This is the primary “story” part of the ride as well. PRO TIP – when you get into the second holding room, stay to the right and try to get up front. When you enter the third holding room, go all the way to the right, but about half-way forward. Once the “portal” on top flashes and lights go out, walls will open making the room larger. Move quickly to the right wall and stand in front of the middle set of doors. Once they open quickly move through door and to the right (hallway) you’ll shorten your wait significantly in the loading area if you beat the rest of that holding room into that hallway and down the ramp.

(This will flash a lot. When it goes black, the walls will open and that's when you QUICKLY move to the far right and get in front of the middle door.)

Once you get out of the last holding room you’ll enter a hallway with a series of ramps that serve as the line for the loading dock. Once you reach the bottom, a CM will ask how many in your party. There are 2 lines here where they put even number parties in one and odd in the other. If you have the option, the odd number line always seemed shorter than the even each time we rode, but this might not always be the case. Once your car arrives you move in, store objects, and pull down individual lap bars. The seats are actually pretty comfortable and as somewhat of a bigger guy they are pretty spacious as well.

The ride begins moving forward slowly, but once you stop for the first time the real ride begins with a reverse take off so be prepared as it is pretty fast! This is also when one of the real “stars” of the attraction begins as well…THE MUSIC!!! The attraction has 6 different songs (with supposedly a holiday one coming as well) and I was lucky to experience 5/6 during this trip…I couldn’t believe that I actually got a different song EVERY time I rode (I just need Conga to complete the set list!)

It should be noted that this is a thrill ride. It’s fast, loud, has lots of twists and turns, and some g-force feelings at certain points. The best comparison I can give to another WDW attraction is Rock N Roller Coaster without the inversions and it’s longer.

This is also an omni-coaster meaning that the cars themselves spin while you are moving along the track. Some people have complained of motion sickness, but I didn’t experience this, although some in our party felt slightly (SLIGHTLY) dizzy after. If you keep your head looking forward (don’t look around- the car will rotate where you should be looking), you should be fine.

Once the ride comes to a stop, you’ll definitely want to go on again and again. The most amazing thing is just how much the music you get impacts the overall feel of the ride. Each time I rode and got to experience a new song, it was like riding it for the first time again and this will certainly help the re-rideability factor. It wasn’t just that the ride itself was thrilling and fun that made me want to go again, but the desire to experience another song as well! In my opinion, some of the songs are definitely a lot more fun than others (wasn’t a huge fan of Disco Inferno for example), but this will also depend on your own music preferences.

As you’re leaving the building, the music continues from that time period which is a nice touch. Leaving the attraction does require you to go up and down a decent sized staircase, but there are elevators available to you if needed. Unlike most over Disney attractions, the ride doesn’t actually force you through a gift shop to exit, but you will most definitely want to visit the Treasures of Xandar giftshop which is actually outside the building. Once you exit the building the entrance to the shop is located on your right and you may be greeted with a short wait to get in depending on how busy it is. All I can say is there is LOTS OF GREAT STUFF in here and I definitely ended up spending more than I thought I would and there was still plenty more that I wanted!

(SO much cool stuff in the Treasures of Xandar gift shop! Photo cred: Marvel.com)

So to end where we began, THIS RIDE IS AWESOME! The debate over whether it belongs in EPCOT or if it’s worth replacing Ellen will rage on, but if you go in just to enjoy the attraction itself, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, and I honestly think this will quickly become many people’s favorite ride in WDW. It’s definitely in my top 10 (if not 5…I’ll have to really sit down to make that difficult list lol) and I personally can’t wait to get back to ride again.

As always we want to hear from YOU! Have you ridden Cosmic Rewind yet or do you plan on it or not? What did you think? Head over to our FB and IG accounts to continue the conversation and let the rest of the Ohana know your thoughts!

Thanks for reading along and See Ya Real Soon!