News Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind attraction confirmed for Epcot

[TalkingHead]

Why do you care? You're not going to like either anyways, right?

Huh?

 

[trainplane3]

Oh, I absolutely agree that each park (in a resort) needs to be distinct and to have some defining characteristics that distinguish them. I'm not in any way arguing against that and there is a real and legit concern about the various WDW parks becoming somewhat homogenized. I'm just saying that I don't think you need to have an individual park have to have some overarching theme that has to be slavishly referred to by each land.

TDS has a distinguishing concept binding everything together (sea/water) but fundamentally it's set up in a very similar fashion to TDL and other castle parks. What it does, however, is present new and different themes for lands than TDL and executes them (mostly) brilliantly. As I said, I think having individual lands that are individually cohesive and high quality is more important IMHO than having a park concept that everything has to adhere to.

About TDS, I'm convinced that's what happens when you take a stupid amount of money, give it to Imagineering, and say "Make whatever you want. Just make it GOOD" without worrying about IP1 and IP2 or investors. Man, I want that to happen in a US park.

 

[Mike S]

It is. What's the difference?

Back on topic, when is Guardians expected to open? Before or after Star Wars?

Have you ridden it?

Okay, I was going to write this up later. But with all due respect, I experienced seven anxiety attacks while reading your post. So here's what I say. And I'd love to hear if and how you/others disagree.
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Fifty years ago, the idea of spending a week at theme/amusement parks was completely foreign. "Why would anyone want to do that... wouldn't that be too much of the same thing?" they'd say. Disneyland was built with the intention of being a day-trip (or one night) place, just like any amusement park or carnival. Magic Kingdom was also built with the intention of being one park in a resort of other things (like a city of tomorrow).

When Disney decided to add more parks to WDW, they had to sell people on the idea of a theme park vacation. So they made each park fundamentally different.

It's fine to have one Magic-Kingdom-like park, but two? Three? Four? Think about how terrible UO would be with Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Peninsulas of More Adventure, and Plateaus of Epic Adventure. I already can't tell the difference between the two parks... four of them would feel rediculous, confusing, and probably unappealing to the general public.

Today, the theme park vacation is so ingrained in our culture that things won't change overnight. But if guests begin to feel that it's too much of the same thing, they could begin to spend less time or fewer vacations in Orlando. Or at DL. Or at any place that wants you to go to more than one park. As someone who has no interest in seeing the downfall of the theme park resort, I really think each park needs to be fundamentally different.

I agree but there's also a very easy counterpoint to make:

The difference between the parks are the attractions they have, obviously.

 

[Amidala]

That is very true. My biggest issue with MK is really character interaction. It seems everything is so processed where in DL it seems it's more on the fly. Sort of "here wait in this 30 minute line to see X" vs "oh hey X is out walking around, I'll try to get a picture". I can't remember the last time I've seen a character jump on a ride with a kid at MK. There seems to be a lot less "aw that's nice" moments at MK vs DL. But MK (1 day) and AK (maybe the whole morning) are the 2 parks I barely spend any time in. DCA seems like it's in a good spot aside from the tower. The state of Epcot just straight bums me out. It could be so much more. And I don't mind 2 parks vs 4. I've been to WDW 25+ times (once a year with some double visits in a year) and I want a change of scenery. Plus I want to ride a Space Mountain that's been cared for and given love, as stupid as that sounds.

This all definitely does make a lot of sense! The "DL is special because it's Walt's original project/Walt walked here/etc." argument never did much for me, but I love the idea of DL as a smaller, more intimate space...I'd definitely like to see it for myself one day, fingers crossed. Even when I was younger (as recently as the mid to late 90s), I remember character interactions being much more natural. Characters walked around the parks at all hours of the day, and I have a very distinct memory of riding the carousel with Mary Poppins. I'm guessing this is no longer possible at MK b/c of the sheer number of people in attendance. Although this does make it doubly exciting during Halloween and Christmas parties, when there are wandering characters (the Country Bears at Mickey's Very Merry are a favorite of mine).

100% agree on Space Mountain...I'm hoping WDW's will get a refurb before the park's 50th. It's getting pretty rough, and I'm super jealous of Hyperspace Mountain.

 

[marni1971]

If I had to guess, 90% of it is getting dumped? Probably a couple AA's being saved but the rest being scrapped/repurposed.

What gets me with all of this, they must've really wanted this ride system GONE. To close GMR and UoE on the same exact days sends a strange feeling out. Which is sad because it was a truly unique ride system that could move a metric crap-ton (official term) of people in one go.

Are you going to be there to document the last days?

I'm hoping some of the AAs may be put in storage for an overhaul and future use elsewhere. Aside from that it's looking like a full gutting beyond the preshow room sadly. As it stands, both ride systems need a lot of money pumping into them. GMR as we know also needs an artistic overhaul. Many of the Energy show components are life expired. The company has deemed its not worth it to fix them.

Energy has been documented in huge detail since December for me. I won't be there when it closes. The pavilion holds a lot of personal memories for me. It was the first EPCOT Center attraction I rode in 1987 and had a huge impact on me. Bitter sweet.

 

[TP2000]

I'm hoping some of the AAs may be put in storage for an overhaul and future use elsewhere. Aside from that it's looking like a full gutting beyond the preshow room sadly. As it stands, both ride systems need a lot of money pumping into them. GMR as we know also needs an artistic overhaul. Many of the Energy show components are life expired. The company has deemed its not worth it to fix them.

Energy has been documented in huge detail since December for me. I won't be there when it closes. The pavilion holds a lot of personal memories for me. It was the first EPCOT Center attraction I rode in 1987 and had a huge impact on me. Bitter sweet.

This has been said so many times before by so many, but thank you for all that you do to document these things.

My first visit to EPCOT Center was also in 1987. In the spring, whenever Easter was that year. As a West Coaster I had always been a Disneyland fan growing up, but that '87 visit to EPCOT made me a WDW fan too. I bought an EPCOT Center Official Soundtrack cassette and played it in my Volvo on occasion throughout the late 1980's after that trip. Before the Internet, listening to the Official Soundtrack cassette in a Volvo stuck in Seattle traffic was heady stuff. I really miss the 1980's, it was truly a glorious decade, and EPCOT Center was glorious too.

Technology truly dazzles now in ways we never could have dreamed of in the 1980's. But it's very, very sad that WDI can't create shows that can move 2,000 to 3,000 paying customers per hour through them. Now they build dazzling E Tickets that are lucky to get 1,500 per hour, and the WDI and Disney executives in charge could care less about the schmucks in the two hour Standby line because whenever they take their families to the parks they have a Plaid to sweep them in through the exit or via Fastpass whenever they want.

 

[neoshinok]

Well, maybe OT but I'm upset my last chance for Energy ended in failure. It was down when we arrived, we did a couple attractions and it opened, saw most of the pre-show until the Jeopardy scene when the video went black while audio continued. The doors opened at the usual time but they escorted us right past the vehicles to the exit on the left. By that time we needed to leave. Guess they're done maintaining it.

 

[trainplane3]

I'm hoping some of the AAs may be put in storage for an overhaul and future use elsewhere. Aside from that it's looking like a full gutting beyond the preshow room sadly. As it stands, both ride systems need a lot of money pumping into them. GMR as we know also needs an artistic overhaul. Many of the Energy show components are life expired. The company has deemed its not worth it to fix them.

Energy has been documented in huge detail since December for me. I won't be there when it closes. The pavilion holds a lot of personal memories for me. It was the first EPCOT Center attraction I rode in 1987 and had a huge impact on me. Bitter sweet.

Which probably stems from the low ridership and needing a decent upgrade for something that might not have a guaranteed draw after a lot of money is spent. It's like they took the safe and lazy route by cramming an IP in there. I guess I'm glad the building mostly survives even if it's going to be gutted.

Has there been any talk of a send off or final ride event on the 13th? I'll be in Epcot all afternoon.

 

[FullSailDan]

I'm hoping some of the AAs may be put in storage for an overhaul and future use elsewhere. Aside from that it's looking like a full gutting beyond the preshow room sadly. As it stands, both ride systems need a lot of money pumping into them. GMR as we know also needs an artistic overhaul. Many of the Energy show components are life expired. The company has deemed its not worth it to fix them.

Energy has been documented in huge detail since December for me. I won't be there when it closes. The pavilion holds a lot of personal memories for me. It was the first EPCOT Center attraction I rode in 1987 and had a huge impact on me. Bitter sweet.

Just out of curiosity Martin, how often do you make over here to see the parks?

 

[marni1971]

Just out of curiosity Martin, how often do you make over here to see the parks?

We're lucky to be able to spend three weeks in Central Florida each year. Though I have a lot of friends around Orlando to help me out with things when I`m not there.

 

[George]

I'm hoping some of the AAs may be put in storage for an overhaul and future use elsewhere. Aside from that it's looking like a full gutting beyond the preshow room sadly. As it stands, both ride systems need a lot of money pumping into them. GMR as we know also needs an artistic overhaul. Many of the Energy show components are life expired. The company has deemed its not worth it to fix them.

Energy has been documented in huge detail since December for me. I won't be there when it closes. The pavilion holds a lot of personal memories for me. It was the first EPCOT Center attraction I rode in 1987 and had a huge impact on me. Bitter sweet.

In 87 it was really nice. Loved the Radok blocks. The finale was actually grand and epic. I was 17 at the time. Height of my EPCOT visiting. I worked two jobs (movie theatre concessionist and mowing lawns which is essentially full time in Florida) and some of my money always went toward the "three season salute" pass for Floridians. In January, May, and September I was in MK or EPCOT with about twice as much time spent in EPCOT. I mean I was there almost every free moment. During the other 9 months I (and my friends) spent a fair bit of time dorking around the Contemporary and Poly arcades/pools. Don't tell anyone on the boards though. Those behaviors are frowned upon.

I'd love to have the dinosaurs re-purposed as background dinosaurs for the dinosaur zoo that would make Dinoland USA pretty top notch. But, I'm sure that is just silly daydreaming.

 

[Bocabear]

I would love to see them add the Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World to the train at the MK, like in Disneyland, and they could repurpose the dinos there...and with the new projection enhancement, those dioramas look amazing...

 

[No Name]

Have you ridden it?

I agree but there's also a very easy counterpoint to make:

The difference between the parks are the attractions they have, obviously.

Well of course. But if every park feels like another Magic Kingdom... guests will get tired, I suspect.

 

[trainplane3]

In 87 it was really nice. Loved the Radok blocks. The finale was actually grand and epic. I was 17 at the time. Height of my EPCOT visiting. I worked two jobs (movie theatre concessionist and mowing lawns which is essentially full time in Florida) and some of my money always went toward the "three season salute" pass for Floridians. In January, May, and September I was in MK or EPCOT with about twice as much time spent in EPCOT. I mean I was there almost every free moment. During the other 9 months I (and my friends) spent a fair bit of time dorking around the Contemporary and Poly arcades/pools. Don't tell anyone on the boards though. Those behaviors are frowned upon.

I'd love to have the dinosaurs re-purposed as background dinosaurs for the dinosaur zoo that would make Dinoland USA pretty top notch. But, I'm sure that is just silly daydreaming.

I really wish I could've seen the original. The music for the ride was great, especially the exit track:

Heck, Ellens orchestral score was really solid:

I REALLY hope Guardians has a good soundtrack in and around the ride. But then again it could have "action movie violin syndrome".

 

[huwar18]

Sorry, if this has been discussed already. However, do we know what type of ride Guardians is going to be? I haven't been on this thread in a while and I have not had the chance to read through what I missed. I know earlier t was said to be a coaster. I haven't heard any more on this front.

 

[Mike S]

Well of course. But if every park feels like another Magic Kingdom... guests will get tired, I suspect.

If anything DHS is starting to feel more like Universal Studios than Magic Kingdom while Animal Kingdom still retains its nature focused identity. Epcot is strange. The rides are changing but the look of the park itself is still radically different from anything else. It's one of my favorite places just to walk around.

 

[Haymarket2008]

Sorry, if this has been discussed already. However, do we know what type of ride Guardians is going to be? I haven't been on this thread in a while and I have not had the chance to read through what I missed. I know earlier t was said to be a coaster. I haven't heard any more on this front.

That's basically all that has been said about it. Just a coaster with some interesting show elements.

 

[huwar18]

That's basically all that has been said about it. Just a coaster with some interesting show elements.

That's what I thought. Thank you!

 

[rocketraccoon]

So this is a thing

Shirt is $30, hat is $25. There's also passholder merch of a slightly different shirt and an ornament ($15). Being sold inside the exit to UoE and one of the stalls on the bridge to World Showcase. They're using Hanes as the base for the shirts.

At least UoE is getting merch but I didn't expect it to be this sad. Hat is alright though.

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

So this is a thing

View attachment 220584
View attachment 220585

Shirt is $30, hat is $25. There's also passholder merch of a slightly different shirt and an ornament ($15). Being sold inside the exit to UoE and one of the stalls on the bridge to World Showcase. They're using Hanes as the base for the shirts.

At least UoE is getting merch but I didn't expect it to be this sad. Hat is alright though.

Current management LOVES to take any opportunity to make a fast buck, especially on something closing. Did it with TOT in DCA. They're doing it with this, and GMR. They know they're annoying people by shutting these doors, and this is their way to say "sorry...but at least you can get some exclusive new merch on the way out!"