Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Opening May 27!

Join Rocket, Groot, Drax, Gamora and Star-Lord (a.k.a. Peter Quill) as they’re off to save the galaxy (again!) on EPCOT’s newest attraction, opening Memorial Day weekend.

Cosmic Rewind will be EPCOT’s first true roller coaster, and will feature several new innovations. The first of these happens right at the beginning, where you will be launched BACKWARD on your way to your interstellar adventure. The reverse launch system is the first for a Disney coaster, and a fitting inclusion for what will be one of the longest fully enclosed coasters in the world. Cosmic Rewind will also utilize a programmable Omnicoaster ride system, allowing the vehicles to rotate towards the action as they move along the track. As explained by Wyatt Winter (a senior producer at Walt Disney Imagineering), this storytelling coaster will “provide unique sensations while letting guests focus on the action and adventure taking place in front of them. The rotational element, quick speeds, music, and more happening all around you combine to create the adventure guests will experience.”

And these won’t be your conventional roller coaster cars. The vehicles here are called Starjumpers, and every one of the vibrant blue ships is pockmarked with damage…yes, these ships have been through quite a lot! Each ship can rotate 360 degrees, creating a completely immersive experience.

But that’s not all! No Guardians of the Galaxy adventure would be complete without an Awesome Mix of songs, and much like the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, your trip to the cosmos will come with its own soundtrack blasting out of your own individual speaker system built into the vehicle. Disney recently announced the line up of songs, and it includes:

• “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire
• “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps
• “Conga” by Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine
• “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears
• “I Ran” by A Flock of Seagulls
• “One Way or Another” by Blondie

The pavilion itself (formerly the location of Ellen’s Energy Adventure) will include a few other surprises that will take you to the world of Xandar. Disney describes it as the first “other-world” showcase pavilion at EPCOT. According to the backstory, the Xandarians traveled from their homeworld in the Andromeda Galaxy to Earth – or Terra, as they call it – to create the Wonders of Xandar pavilion, inviting you to learn more about their people and their advanced technologies. That is … until something goes wrong and the Xandarians call the Guardians of the Galaxy for help.

The Wonders of Xandar pavilion will feature three main sections:

• The Galaxarium: A sweeping planetarium-style space showcasing planets, stars and other intergalactic wonders that connect Terra and Xandar – reinforcing the notion that we’re all born of the same space dust. The Xandarian supercomputer, Worldmind, provides narration in the Galaxarium and gives context to the stunning visuals.
• The Xandar Gallery: Here you can learn more about the Xandarian people, culture and history – including the heroes of Xandar – through specially crafted displays including models of starships and a Xandarian city. The gallery also features excerpts from “Good Morning Xandar,” where a host interviews the Guardians of the Galaxy about their heroic deeds.
• The Phase Chamber: Here you’ll instantly teleport from EPCOT to a Nova Corps Starcharter cruiser orbiting Earth, where you’ll learn about the Cosmic Generator, a piece of Xandarian technology that creates jump points – artificial tunnels in space allowing for rapid travel across vast distances.

You can also hunt for Guardians of the Galaxy-themed fashions, accessories, home décor, collectibles and toys at the Treasures of Xandar shop. The Xandarians hired The Broker to operate this new merchandise location on Terra, which debuts several new product lines, including:

• What if the Guardians were rock stars? Inspired by vintage concert merchandise of the 1980s, the Heroes of Xandar Collection imagines all of the gear and memorabilia fans would collect during the Guardians’ fictional intergalactic tour.
• The 1980s nostalgia continues with a bold and colorful line celebrating Peter Quill’s childhood visit to EPCOT. The Guardians of the Galaxy: Through the Eyes of Quill Collection features retro silhouettes and graphic designs evoking decades past.
• After helping save the galaxy, guests of all ages are invited to show off their new hero status in style with the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Honorary Guardians Collection. Honorary Guardians will be distinguished in their rank through the official Honorary Guardian colors of navy and gold paired with the Honorary Guardian emblem, which is proudly displayed on each item in the collection.
• The Groot Through the Years Collection celebrates the sentient tree-like creature and his journey to becoming a defender of the galaxy. The collection, which includes toys, home décor and children’s apparel, illustrates Groot’s evolution from baby to adolescent to adult.

So who’s ready for some fun-filled, thrilling, and yes – out of this world excitement, Guardians-style? The new attraction is having soft openings as we speak, and is scheduled to officially open on May 27. There’s just one thing left to say…

I am Groot.

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