GotG & EPCOT - Making It Work

[DAK1928]

With all the controversy surrounding the addition of the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction to EPCOT's Future World, I thought it would be a fun and useful exercise to discuss ways in which Disney COULD make the attraction "work".

James Gunn has attempted to assure fans that the attraction will work within the overall mission of the park, stating "I know what's in store and I think it's absolutely in line with Walt's vision & couldn't be more so" this month.

It's safe to say that we are all hoping this goes beyond a handful of EPCOT Center in-jokes and references.

What would you do thematically to bridge the message of the park with the potential for the attraction?

Here's my go at it:

• After a series of particularly messy (yet galaxy-saving) missions, the Guardians have been assigned the much more docile task of teaching earthlings about advanced clean energy technologies.
• While Rocket and the the other adventure-seeking Guardians resent their tame probationary mission, Peter Quill is ecstatic to work at EPCOT and interact with guests (as we all now know, he visited as a child in the 80's).
• As always, something goes horribly wrong during the presentation, and mayhem breaks loose, throttling the once slow-moving dark ride into a high-speed thrill ride.

Would greatly enjoy to hear your own thoughts on this project! What could Disney do to make this attraction work for YOU?

PS. Building it elsewhere (or nowhere) at all is not a valid answer

 

[zengoth]

I like the idea of a slow moving ride turning into a thrill ride. Without exactly making a parody of the current energy ride, it would definitely fit into the GOTG sense of humor to literally "derail" the slow moving primordial forest we have now. (Ducks before outraged purists throw assorted meats and cheeses at me.)

 

[larryz]

Here's what I'd like to see:
a) a highly themed queue in the style of a Noma museum gallery telling the story of how the Guardians originally gathered. Film clips, artifacts, perhaps an animatronic or two discussing the Guardians' impact, leading into
b) a simulator with the story line that guests are riding a shuttle to see the Guardians protecting the remains of a Celestial, leading into
c) a dome-enclosed spinning coaster with the "dead Celestial brain mine" projected against the inside. Rogue scavengers, Kree and, ultimately, Thanos, appear during the ride to threaten and finally force the guests to leave the area under cover of Noma security.
d) a massive gift shop where you can buy replicas of just about every prop used in the movies.

 

[marni1971]

Move it to DHS.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I just want to see them launch those moving theater ride vehicles into a verticle loop.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Sure GotG could work in EPCOT. As a comic book explaining basic energy concepts to small kids.

• As always, something goes horribly wrong during the presentation, and mayhem breaks loose, throttling the once slow-moving dark ride into a high-speed thrill ride.

That is 90s/00s imagineer level ride-design right there! And yes, that is both a serious and a sarcastic remark, all in one.

 

[Jeff456]

It's never going to work for me in that I will always feel the loss of the UoE pavilion, they can soften the blow by having multiple references to it.
I'm sure I'll enjoy the ride regardless no doubt they'll spend plenty of money and we should be left with something pretty stunning, it's where they are putting it that I don't think I can get over, at least the building looks to have been spared...

 

[Bender123]

It's never going to work for me in that I will always feel the loss of the UoE pavilion, they can soften the blow by having multiple references to it.
I'm sure I'll enjoy the ride regardless no doubt they'll spend plenty of money and we should be left with something pretty stunning, it's where they are putting it that I don't think I can get over, at least the building looks to have been spared...

Was just on UoE last week and wow...its not doing so well anyway. 35 years of wear, tear and general age made it an exercise in pixie dust and rose colored glasses. In three trips, various cars were non-functional or failed to move from the first theater, the lights didn't rise at all on the first scene (the dinos were just black shadows), the movies were grainy and sometimes distorted sound was off, etc...

I am not a big fan of the GotG theme mixed with Epcot, though I am excited for a GotG ride and I am excited for a replacement to UoE.

Ill enjoy it, but I will be upset about it...just like Frozen, which is a better ride than Maelstrom, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth for its existence.

 

[HMF]

I can think of two ways 1. make it about an Epcot-worthy topic and 2. drop the Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

[Jeff456]

Was just on UoE last week and wow...its not doing so well anyway. 35 years of wear, tear and general age made it an exercise in pixie dust and rose colored glasses. In three trips, various cars were non-functional or failed to move from the first theater, the lights didn't rise at all on the first scene (the dinos were just black shadows), the movies were grainy and sometimes distorted sound was off, etc...

I am not a big fan of the GotG theme mixed with Epcot, though I am excited for a GotG ride and I am excited for a replacement to UoE.

Ill enjoy it, but I will be upset about it...just like Frozen, which is a better ride than Maelstrom, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth for its existence.

Oh wow sounds like it's in really bad shape... I didn't think it was too bad the last time I. Saw it in 2014, I'm guessing they don't feel. The need to maintain it much now

 

[DisneyNittany]

Not a Marvel expert (I just really enjoy the movies), but don't the "Infinity Stone" have to deal with "energy"? Specifically, the Universe's source of energy? Seems like, if they really put their imagineering hats on, they could make the concept work, without ruining the original purpose of Epcot too much.

 

[Miru]

It could still involve dinosaurs somehow; but this time, they'd be accurate, feathered ones. I suggest maybe having a Dory cameo in there (maybe a plush we could have Howard sleep with in his cameo?).

 

[graphite1326]

Is Ellen going to make a cameo?

 

[No Name]

I hope he's intentionally using "Walt's vision" as a general stanard, but I fear he thinks Walt was involved with the park. That doesn't give me an awful lot confidence in his opinion.

I hope the ride does make some effort. Nobody's stated that it won't, have they?