New update to Disney's website reaffirms a late 2023 opening for Journey of Water Inspired by Moana at EPCOT

Aug 16, 2023 in "Journey of Water Inspired by Moana"

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Journey of Water Inspired by Moana Imagineering test and adjust

Posted: Wednesday August 16, 2023 10:30am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has updated the Journey of Water Inspired by Moana webpage and once again stated a late 2023 reopening.

Journey of Water Inspired by Moana concept art - May 2022

The new update says, "Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is scheduled to open in late 2023 within World Nature—the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty and balance of the natural world."

Note that the opening time frame is in a bold typeface.

Limited Cast Member previews have been underway over the last month, with more scheduled for the coming weeks.

Journey of Water Inspired by Moana Imagineering test and adjust

Guests with imminent trips may have hoped for guest previews in the coming weeks, with an official opening not far behind.

A couple of upcoming dates would have seemed to be a great opportunity to open the new attraction. EPCOT will begin the Disney100 celebration on September 22, and EPCOT will celebrate its 41st anniversary on October 1, 2023.

As Imagineering wraps up work on Journey of Water, we will hopefully get an update with a specific opening date and details of any Annual Passholder and DVC previews.

Here is the full updated description of Journey of Water Inspired by Moana.

Where Water Comes to Life
Stroll along a self-guided outdoor trail where you can play with water as it travels from the sky to the oceans and back again. Along the way, you’ll find that:
Water Is a Friend: Moana befriended the ocean… and you can, too! Enjoy magical encounters with water and discover its playful personality, just as Moana did on her heroic voyage.
Water Connects Us All: All water is connected—and it connects us to one another. As you traverse this trail, you’ll connect and interact with water in new ways. And you’ll learn about the global water cycle, which takes water on a wondrous adventure around our planet.
Water Needs Protection: Throughout your journey, you’ll learn how you can help protect this precious natural resource and make a positive impact on the world.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is scheduled to open in late 2023 within World Nature—the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty and balance of the natural world.
Make a Splash… or Stay Dry!
You can choose to get wet—or take the dry path instead—as you explore this whimsical, watery world.

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Chef idea Mickey`=1 hour ago

Perhaps this is just Epcot crying out I don't want this transformation that none of us asked aside minor enhancements or upgrades like Creation Shop and Connections made well better for Epcot how it was.

DisCOT_974 hours ago

Did I ever suggest that? I simply stated that these things should not be happening within months of opening such things. Especially when you’ve made the consumer wait so long and had the park under walls for half a decade. It’s just bad show.

eddie1044 hours ago

Listen I get the complaints but I will never attack Disney for fixing or repairing their mistakes. It’s unfortunate that things are already breaking in a newly constructed area. Maybe they need better oversight on these projects or a different contractor.

Incomudro4 hours ago

They shouldn't break this fast. It's embarassing. And we're not talking about complicated AA's. We're talking about lights and a water feature. And those lights failed after one night.

eddie1044 hours ago

Things break…would you rather them ignore it?

tparris4 hours ago

All of this.

DisCOT_975 hours ago

The problem isn’t that they’re trying to solve the issue, it’s that this park went through a multimillion multiyear “transformation” and some of the things promised don’t even fully function. That middle area has been behind walls for how long? And those new “lights” stopped working after night one…Moana isn’t even a year old yet and it’s already proving to be a maintenance workload.

KeithVH6 hours ago

Yeah! And I bet as soon as they get the Yeti fixed, they'll straighten this brand new problem ASAP . . .

Virtual Toad8 hours ago

I can't speak for others, but to me the fact that the state of "show" at Epcot is so poor now, especially when compared to what it used to be, that lack of reliability among newer effects becomes a more glaring issue when so many other effects, new and old, remain broken or in b-mode months or even years after failing. Ironic that a park systematically stripped of complex effects and moving parts over the past 25 years remains in relatively poor condition, and definitely below the baseline WDW show standards of the past, especially when there are fewer things to maintain.

monothingie8 hours ago

eddie1048 hours ago

Why do you guys always want to fault Disney for doing their jobs? They are working on it and here you are complaining that the issue is being addressed.