Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy ride will be hugely impressive

Ahead of the 2021 Disney celebration, Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy Ride will impress theme park guests not only with its huge size but also its technology.

Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy ride might be a large construction zone currently, but in 2021, it will be an impressive theme park attraction. Set to be the longest enclosed roller coaster, this Disney theme park ride is a huge undertaking. As new details emerged during Disney’s Bob Chapek’s keynote speech during the GM/Owners Breakfast at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), it’s clear this roller coaster will definitely bring huge thrills.

Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy ride is slowly rising to great heights over Future World. Set in the area that previously held the Energy attraction, walls erected to keep eyes away from the pixie dust only can shield part of the build. The soaring metal structure looms over the Epcot parking lot.

Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy construction picture. Photo by Cristine Struble.

Earlier this year, this ride represented the largest concrete pour for Disney Parks. Such a massive structure was an indication of the gigantic size and undertaking of this particular build. As stated in Chapek’s speech, this ride is set to be the longest enclosed roller coaster.

Now, longest doesn’t necessarily mean the tallest or fastest. This statement could mean that the track is the longest, which could loop inside of the building on various levels, turns and banks. It doesn’t necessarily give insight into how thrilling the new ride could become.

While titles like the longest enclosed roller coaster sound impressive, the roller coaster test video shown during Chapek’s speech could be a huge game changer for Disney. Looking at the test video, the roller coaster car twists and turns throughout the ride. The car itself is responsive to the storyline within the ride experience. (You can see the car in this video from Theme Park Review around the 1:44 mark.)

By having the car spin in response to the story, the riders are positioned to see the best angle for the ride’s intended view. It seems likely that the twisting and spinning car will have riders re-positioned throughout the ride to increase the overall experience. Instead of just being a ride thrill, riders will feel that they are part of the story.

Chapek specifically said that the Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy ride is a storytelling coaster. This statement is quite telling for Disney. While many theme parks continue to focus on extreme thrills, world breaking feats and intense adventures, Disney focuses on its huge value, stories.

Looking ahead to the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek announced exciting plans across Epcot to realize the original vision of the park while making it more timeless and relevant than ever before, including a brand-new E-ticket attraction based on the rockin’ and action-packed world of Guardians of the Galaxy. photo provided by Walt Disney News

Although the exact storyline of this particular indoor roller coaster isn’t completely known, it appears that riders will go on an adventure. Most likely the immersive storyline will start from the beginning of the queue.

It will be curious to see if Disney will incorporate experiences within the queue to help with wait times. Currently, the Play App has been a huge success with theme park guests. Special experiences should be incorporated into this queue as well. But, an additional “waiting room” experience, like at Avatar Flight of Passage, could set the tone for the story and keep guests entertained before actually stepping onto the ride itself.

Additionally, based on the cars seen in the video, this roller coaster should be a ride for all ages. The majority of Disney rides are appropriate for families. Disney has been extremely conscious that its rides need to appeal to a wide variety of ages.

While Disney focuses on being the biggest disruptor in the industry, it knows that the stories drive fans to its theme parks over and over. Disney wants to offer that fully immersive experience from the vacation planning to the car ride back home. That attention to every detail is what brings fans back time and again.

Especially when dealing with Marvel characters, Disney understands that fans are very particular. They want all the details from the movies and stories. From the Easter eggs in lines to the tiniest details on the roller coaster itself, fans will want to feel as if they have become part of the action.

Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy construction picture. Photo by Cristine Struble.

Guardians of the Galaxy has been a hugely successful brand for Disney. Earlier this year, Epcot hosted Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Live. The performance was very popular. Also, Disneyland rebranded the Tower of Terror to Guardians of the Galaxy: Breakout!

While the classic Disney characters always have a place in fans’ hearts, Marvel themed experiences are expanded within Disney properties. From Disneyland Paris to Hong Kong and even Disneyland California Adventure, Mickey is going to become fast friends with the popular superheroes filling movie theater screens. Additionally, the potential from its developing stunt animatronics, the superhero franchises have enormous opportunity to bring in more guests.

As construction continues on Epcot’s Guardian of the Galaxy ride, fans can continue to speculate on the storytelling coaster’s immersive experience. 2021 might be a long time to wait. Knowing Disney, it will definitely be a must ride at the re-imagined Epcot.