PHOTOS - Latest look at Epcot's Guardians of the Galaxy from the air

Feb 26, 2019 in "Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind"

Gallery / 3 Photos
Guardians of the Galaxy construction - February 2019

Posted: Tuesday February 26, 2019 1:39pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Epcot's Guardians of the Galaxy is still over two years away from opening, but work on the exterior of the ride building is nearing completion.

Guardians of the Galaxy construction - February 2019

Only a few access areas remain open, along with the launch tunnel that links the former Universe of Energy building to the newly built ride building.

Guardians of the Galaxy construction - February 2019

When it opens in a rumored Spring 2021, the ride will feature a new coaster ride system and promises to be one of the longest enclosed coasters in the world.

Aerial photos for WDWMAGIC by Colin Chardavoyne @cchard

Guardians of the Galaxy coaster ride vehicle concept art

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

gerarar16 days ago

The VQ system has finally ended today for GOTG: CR! Standby line starts tomorrow Tuesday, February 25, 2025. The VQ system was reportedly supposed to end multiple times during some lull periods, but never came to fruition. It went through 2 hurricane closures, but nearly 3 years later after the ride opened May 27, 2022, the VQ has concluded and standby is finally here. Scatterplot of every single VQ data point collected for the past 1002 days. Here's my final update for it and wrap-up post:

Andrew2516 days ago

I for one hope that one day they can find a way to add railings within the pre-show spaces to reduce the pain point that is the funnel at the end. Ideally, it would be tiered "rows" within the preshow space where a CM then can release each section one by one instead of the mass release. I also think Disney should really enforce kicking people out of line who exit the preshow early to get a headstart.

Professortango116 days ago

I am aware. I was speaking more to the concept of the room rather than the function.

Agent H16 days ago

The stretching room is not an elevator in Florida

Professortango116 days ago

HM also has a trained CM in the elevator with us, so they can manage the emergency release if an incident were to occur.

lazyboy97o16 days ago

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts also has an elevator scene in the queue. Florida Fire Prevention Code, NFPA 101 12.4.9.2.1.3 allows designs that “confound the egress path” when combined with “approved directional exit marking that becomes apparent in an emergency”. Section 12.4.9.6.2 also requires an Emergency Action Plan approved by the local fire department. The big thing to do when designing these spaces is to ensure systems fail in a safe manner. In a situation where the door is obscured the easiest solution would be for the default, no-power position to be that the door is open with signage visible when open.

Agent H16 days ago

Hm I didn’t think about that. maybe the haunted mansion is just sort of grandfathered in because there’s not really a way to change it?

Purduevian16 days ago

Guessing that might be a fire code issue? I have no idea how the HM stretching room gets away with having no visible windows and doors from a legal/code standpoint

Agent H16 days ago

That’s really cool but maybe we also need doors that can’t be pushed open so easily?

Purduevian16 days ago

There was apparently supposed to be an impressive AA figure on the opposite side of the room from the doors (on the left). It would naturally spread the crowd out a lot better. Sure there would still be a group of people that will squeeze up against the doors to the ride. However, a lot of people would drift to the left to see the AA. When the preshow ends, the group is already more spread out and it wouldn't be as much of a crunch. Kind of like the HM stretching room. People that know, stand under the parasail girl for an easy exit, however, most people don't know where the exit is, and thus spread out.

JohnD16 days ago

I traveled with a family of three almost a year ago. I told them we were going to hold back and that they didn't want to be squeezed in. Much better being among the last in the group. Yes, the next group comes in behind us but we're almost into the main loading area by then.

vikescaper16 days ago

That’s exactly how I feel, too. Plus, we usually request rows 9 and 10 so it doesn’t really benefit us rushing out as we will have to wait regardless.

Agent H16 days ago

How would that have solved the problem? Don’t get me wrong of course they should have done that but how would it have solved this problem?

JohnD16 days ago

When I'm in the teleportation room and everyone goes right, I go left. You go rush those doors and squeeze yourselves in like sardines. I'm good back here. What am I going to lose. Another minute?