Disney has made the Memorial Day weekend opening date for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind official.
EPCOT's new $450 million Guardians of the Galaxy-themed rollercoaster will officially have its opening on Friday, May 27 2022.
The Memorial Day weekend opening does not come as a surprise since a high-ranking Disney executive let the cat out of the bag via social media following a test ride last month.
Memorial Day is typically Disney's start of the summer season, with many schools in Florida beginning summer vacation at the end of May.
'Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind’ was initially planned to open in Spring 2021, before the start of Walt Disney World's 50th-anniversary celebrations. The COVID-19 shutdown and subsequent cost-control measures that Disney imposed delayed the project, but it will now serve as Disney's headline attraction to market for the summer and remainder of 2022.
Although Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind will officially open on May 27 2022, we can expect some early previews for certain groups of guests.
Assuming that previews follow the recent opening of Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT, we should expect previews for Club 33 and D23 members, Cast Members, and Annual Passholders. It seems that random soft openings for guests who happen to be in the area are a thing of the past, with Disney preferring to use the soft opening period to plus the membership offerings for those select groups.
When the attraction does open, we should also expect a virtual queue to manage guest numbers. It would seem likely that an Individual Lightning Lane purchase will be offered, allowing Disney to quickly monetize the new ride. Should Disney go this way, as it did with Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, it does mean there will likely be no standby line option available to guests who miss out on either of the two ride reservation systems.
Located in the park’s newly renamed World Discovery neighborhood, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be the first “other-world” showcase pavilion at EPCOT.
Xandarians traveled from their homeworld in the Andromeda galaxy to Earth – or Terra, as they call it – to build this Wonders of Xandar pavilion, inviting EPCOT guests to learn more about their people and their advanced technologies. Until the Guardians arrive, anyway, and adventure ensues …
In addition to the Wonders of Xandar pavilion, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will offer several other "firsts," including:
- The first coaster attraction at EPCOT.
- The first reverse launch for a Disney coaster.
- The first Walt Disney World attraction to feature the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be one of the longest fully enclosed coasters in the world, housed in one of the largest show buildings ever constructed for a Disney theme park. By volume, four Spaceship Earths would fit inside the attraction’s massive new show building.
The Wonders of Xandar Pavilion
Xandarians have come to Earth and are hard at work building their new EPCOT pavilion.
Highlights include:
- The Galaxarium, a sweeping planetarium-style space showcasing planets, stars and other intergalactic wonders that connect Terra and Xandar.
- The Xandar Gallery, where guests will discover more about the Xandarian people, culture and history – including the heroes of Xandar – through specially crafted displays and projections.
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