To say that this ride is truly an out-of-this-world experience, isn’t really giving this new attraction the credit it deserves. This ride is unlike anything I’ve experienced, and was so much fun we rode it multiple times on our recent trip to Walt Disney World.
(c) MZ Photography
I’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room – motion sickness. I’m sure, like me, you have read other blogs that have told you many guests are experiencing motion sickness on board this new ride. I read this and to be honest, was pretty nervous to ride the attraction, but excitement overtook me so I went onboard. Now I am prone to motion sickness, especially on boats and rides that spin (looking at you Tea Cups!), but I rode this ride without any motion sickness meds and I was totally fine. I did feel a little dizzy getting off the first time, but never sick. IF you are prone to motion sickness on rides like Expedition Everest, Space Mountain or Rock ‘n Rollercoaster I will say you will likely experience the same motion sickness here so plan accordingly. It is a high-speed rollercoaster in the dark and there are screens. My strategy was to look straight ahead vs looking around at everything going on and this worked well for me.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk riding strategy. There are two ways to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
1. Through the Virtual Queue – this opens at 7am and 1pm. I recommend joining this queue! We joined the 1pm queue and we were called back at 6:30pm. We waited in line for about 25 minutes before we boarded and we were able to rider swap for our little guy who was too scared to ride (he did ride once, more on that later)
2. Buying an Individual Lightning Lane – this was $17/rider the days we visited. We purchased this the day of our visit at 7am and I am very glad that we did. The wait to get into the preshow was less than 5 minutes.
Personally I would recommend utilizing both options if you are a thrill seeking family. The main reason would be there are multiple songs that can be experienced during the ride! Each makes for a unique experience.
When I rode, I heard the following songs:
- Conga by Gloria Estefan
- Disco Inferno by The Trammps
- September by Earth, Wind & Fire
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears
Our family favorite was Conga – it was upbeat, fun and really brought the ride to life! Our oldest daughter just competed a dance to this song, so there was definitely a personal connection to the tune! Now, that said, we LOVED all the songs for different reasons, so you can’t go wrong! All four songs brought their own unique twist to the ride and felt very “Guardians of the Galaxy” to us!
There are two songs I was unable to experience (and hope I can get these tracks in the future): I Ran by Flock of Seagulls and One Way or Another by Blondie. My husband and daughters rode to “I Ran” and absolutely loved it!
The queue experience is very interactive and flows quickly. The Lightning Lane option will be the fastest way onto the ride. We had good luck with the Virtual Queue and waited no longer than 25 minutes. I have heard of some people waiting much longer so it will depend on crowds and time of year. If you want a shorter wait, then purchase the Individual Lightning Lane at 7am.
I won’t chat too much about the pre-show but we all loved it. It really got you excited for the ride and embodied the Guardians of the Galaxy spirit. While on the ride, the first time we didn’t really follow the “story line” as there is SO much going on. But after our second and third time on the attraction, we started to pick up on the storyline and really enjoyed it! It’s a lot of fun – and fits the vibes of Guardians of the Galaxy perfectly.
Now – who should ride this attraction. I already covered if you are prone to motion sickness from high-speed rollercoasters or sensitive to screens, take precautions to manage motion sickness before riding, or sit this one out.
We did have my four-year-old ride one time and while he exited with a smile, he had no interest in riding for another time. Ultimately it was probably a bit too intense for him and I would say ages 6+ are best to ride, or if you have a younger thrill seeker, they should be fine! The attraction launches backwards which was the part that scared my youngest the most – but he did LOVE the fact the ride moved all around, it felt less like a traditional rollercoaster which was a hit with him.
Ultimately you know what is best for your family, so if you have a child who is completely afraid of Slinky Dog Dash – do not put them on Guardians. Instead use rider-swap and everyone will be happy! While you’re waiting with your youngster, take advantage of the PhotoPass photographer set-up right outside the ride! They have some incredible Magic Shots!
My overall review of this ride is – it is a MUST RIDE for thrill seekers. It is a much-needed addition at EPCOT and we found ourselves visiting EPCOT much more than ever before. I’m excited to see EPCOT when all of the construction is completed to experience this re-imagined park in all it’s glory. It’s sure to be out-of-this-world!