It is media preview day at EPCOT, and Disney has released photos and video of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind' for a first look inside the 'Wonders of Xandar' pavilion.
The First ‘Other-World’ Showcase Pavilion
Star-Lord visited EPCOT as a child and loved the experience so much, he suggested the Disney park as the perfect place for Xandarians to connect with Terrans. The Wonders of Xandar pavilion features three main sections:
- The Galaxarium is 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.
- In the Xandar Gallery, guests 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 pavilion tour concludes in the Phase Chamber, where guests instantly teleport from EPCOT to a Nova Corps Starcharter cruiser orbiting Earth. Here they 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.
Watch the video below for some highlights from inside the Wonders of Xandar pavilion.
An Intergalactic Chase Through Time and Space
Upon reaching the Starcharter, guests quickly realize things are not going according to plan – or even 12 percent of a plan – when a massive being appears outside the ship …
- Eson, a Celestial, has been watching Earth for eons and now intends to use the Cosmic Generator to jump back in time and change the course of humanity.
- Nova Prime Irani Rael commands her top officer, Centurion Tal Marik, to contact the Guardians of the Galaxy right away and ask for their assistance (again).
- The Terrans must evacuate the ship via Starjumper shuttles – small escape pods that launch from the Starcharter cruiser.
- When the Guardians arrive on the scene, they reprogram the Starjumpers so guests can help them track down Eson, following the Celestial through a jump point on an intergalactic chase to save the galaxy. As Drax so matter-of-factly points out as guests prepare for their journey … if they can’t help stop Eson, “then you are likely doomed.”
A New Kind of Family Thrill
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind offers several “firsts,” including:
- The first coaster attraction at EPCOT.
- The first reverse launch for a Disney coaster.
- The first Disney Omnicoaster, where vehicles make controlled rotations to always keep guests focused on the action.
- The first Walt Disney World attraction to feature the Guardians of the Galaxy.
An ‘Awesome Mix’ for an Awesome Coaster
Just like the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind weaves classic pop music – or “poet sorcery,” as Gamora would say – into the fabric of its experience. The attraction’s onboard audio cranks hit tunes from the ’70s and ‘80s as guests race through the cosmos.
Disney Imagineers tested more than 100 potential songs for the attraction.
Imagineers used a combination of virtual and physical rides to assess which tracks best matched the spirit and movement of the coaster, finally choosing six songs in their original classic versions:
- “September”
- “Disco Inferno”
- “Conga”
- “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
- “I Ran”
- “One Way or Another”
Guests won’t know which song they’ll hear each time they ride until they jump into space with the Guardians.
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