Moving some thoughts over from the Moana/Zootopia thread:
I'll agree to disagree on Cosmic. The story is incomprehensible but it's the most fun I've ever had on a theme park ride. I love the teleportation part of the pre-show, the music adds so much to the coaster & I really like the theming even if it's just darkness for "space".
I think Disney needs to see how Zootopia 2 does before committing to a land for it. I definitely agree that there's not a lot for it just yet.
If they go through with these plans, it seems like Disney already knows that atleast since it just seems to be the area around the Dinosaur ride. While Oceania (hopefully not solely Moana) gets the land.
I agree the Gaurdians Coaster is one of my fave rides in any Disney park as well and I usually get sick feeling on coasters but its just so smooth I loved it. You can argue it should have gone in another park but the ride I think is a great addition to Epcots lineup.
Come on, Guardians is great. A lot of fun.
I am not saying I don't miss UoE, but Guardians is good time. I was lucky to ride it twice this past December.
Add me to the choir here. Guardians is so much fun - you could strip the story entirely and still have a next-generation Space Mountain on steroids. That comparison comes up a lot, and I think it holds well.
At this point, MK's Space Mountain feels clunky, jerky, and sad. So much potential with the iconic architecture and queue, but the ride itself is unfortunate. Guardians and Tron both reinvent what Space Mountain's ride experience should be, IP or not, and while I haven't experienced stateside Tron yet, I'm grateful we have both (no intention of visiting Shanghai again).
Epcot is still a mess, and I'm so sad we might not ever see a worthy RoE successor + new World Showcase pavilion, but it needed something like this.
That's not my point, though. It can be a ton of fun without being a great themed design -- as I said, I think it's a great coaster.
Slinky Dog Dash is super fun (and no, I'm not suggesting SDD is on the same level as Guardians because it isn't), but that doesn't mean it's an amazing design.
I just don't see Guardians as anywhere near the same level as rides like Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Great Movie Ride, Spaceship Earth, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Expedition Everest, Rise of the Resistance, etc. from a themed design standpoint. That doesn't mean people can't have more fun on it than any of those attractions, though.
You're not wrong about the themed design + storytelling aspects of Guardians, but I think the magnitude of each (design, storytelling, and fun) matters as well.
From a design standpoint, Guardians isn't far behind what it replaced, with the biggest downside being the atrocious gravity building. They've made that one easier to swallow by making the same blunder across all four parks (though their egregiousness varies) and cluttering the skyline with ugly, boxy towers as well. The Cosmic Rewind box, while unfortunate, isn't a lone offender.
Then there's the storytelling aspect. Perhaps Cosmic Rewind aims to tell a more ambitious story than Space Mountain, and if you factor in the queue + pre-shows, it absolutely does, perhaps to a fault. But those also make the experience feel more appropriate to Epcot, so (while I wish they were skippable) I'm glad they were included. Space Mountain offers a similar on-ride 'story,' and the physical sensations it generates can be downright painful.
Finally, fun. Sure, Slinky Dog punches above its weight, but personally, I don't think it's
that fun. Bonus points for the nighttime lighting package. Guardians, on the other hand, is possibly the most fun ride I've been on anywhere, and that's comparing all 12 Disney parks, two Six Flags parks, UOR at its best (Hagrid & VeliciCoaster), etc. Not nearly as thrilling as the last one, but it doesn't need to be.
If you asked me to pick one of WDW's three futuristic, cosmic, blue-lit coasters for demolition tomorrow, I know which I'd be picking, and it isn't close.
