EPCOT's Journey of Water Inspired by Moana to begin soft openings

Oct 05, 2023 in "Journey of Water Inspired by Moana"

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Journey of Water Inspired by Moana overview

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Posted: Thursday October 5, 2023 6:00pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has confirmed that EPCOT's Journey of Water Inspired by Moana will begin soft openings from October 6 through October 15.

Operating hours during the soft opening period are 9 am to 9pm. The experience is not included in Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours during the soft opening period. As we saw during the Annual Passholder previews, Disney says a Virtual Queue accessed via My Disney Experience may be used during busy periods. Note that Journey of Water will be closed on October 11 and 12.

Journey of Water Inspired by Moana overview

Journey of Water Inspired by Moana officially opens on October 16 2023.

Here's what to know about Journey of Moana Inspired by Moana soft openings:

When a virtual queue is available, EPCOT Guests may join throughout the day starting at 9:00am, using the My Disney Experience app. Guests must be in EPCOT to join the virtual queue.
A standby queue may not be available when a virtual queue is in use.
Each Guest can request to enter this virtual queue no more than once per day during regular park hours.

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Jayspency9 days ago

So they could turn it into an Apple store

DreamfinderGuy9 days ago

Ultimately they did do an early cancellation with Glidden, that was a five year contract that they ended in four. The West building I believe they did the same since all the exhibits closed at once, including the relatively new IBM Think which was presented by their longest running sponsor. That closed so abruptly because they had plans for the West building that they were going to act on imminently, which would later be canceled.

Bocabear9 days ago

I disagree. It would have been a different animal.

James Alucobond9 days ago

You were responding to a comment about Innoventions. Innoventions was a series of interactive exhibits with a variety of sponsors. Now, you have a series of interactive areas themed to Disney programming (the Moana IP) as you suggested. Whether or not water is involved in the exhibits is pretty much irrelevant, but you bring it up endlessly in an attempt to trivialize it for whatever reason. The loss of the building is a legitimate complaint, and we all know CommuniCore Hall is a bust, but your "it's so easy" idea for programming is essentially what happened minus the roof.

bpiper9 days ago

I am surprised that those contracts with the companies were that iron clad that Disney couldn't end them early, instead of waiting years for the last one to expire while the building just got more vacant as time went by. The last few years were very bad show.... But that could be said of a lot of things there now a days. They just don't care anymore on how it looks.

Bocabear9 days ago

Not really... at all. The building was razed.... They built a Water play and exploration trail. They built another building with some meet and greets that look like a bust and truck tour of Disney on Ice.... and a "flex space"...

James Alucobond9 days ago

That’s literally exactly what they did minus the indoor part.

DreamfinderGuy9 days ago

Disney wanted the space back to use for themselves

Bocabear9 days ago

they didn't try hard enough? They could have easily programmed that space themselves as a Disney attraction... It could have been an amazing indoor character Meet and Greet where the characters all had beautifully detailed settings within an indoor forest setting... Something that could have been a fantastic thematic wow... Making visiting the M&G a lot of fun instead of a long line for just a picture....That space was large enough it could have had all of those settings and a central court area with vending and refreshments....which would have been the cooler place to go in the summer or during storms...they would sell merch and F&B (snack) and would have been a much needed indoor gathering spot...But they would have had to actually design and beautiful indoor environment and not a Marriott Hotel Meeting Room...which it seems is all they are really designing these days....

bpiper10 days ago

Any idea why?

DreamfinderGuy10 days ago

Innoventions never had trouble finding sponsors lol, it died a slow death because Disney stopped accepting new ones and ran out the contracts on the old ones

Bocabear10 days ago

We would rarely ever get any of the food in the World Showcase during the food and waine festival and did the Party For The Senses instead where you could actually sit with your food...But years of cuts and changes had really ruined the PFTS...it was not longer a fun special thing, but just a bunch of Disney restaurants providing Tapas for a $150 ticket....

Chef idea Mickey`=10 days ago

It's an improvement, but for years it was like. It was funny when for Food and Wine debuted they removed some seats inside Detention Hall. 😁

MisterPenguin10 days ago

It still needs improvement, but EPCOT is getting better at non-restaurant seating/tables. Part of the empty expansion pad between Morocco and France now has picnic seating. Same with the waterfronts area in front of America down toward Germany. Morocco now has a nice hole-in-the-wall outdoor lounge into which to bring food. There's a new picnic area on the Rose walkway between Canada and Imagination. The new hub has several seating/table areas, as well as Communicore Hall having indoor seating.