I finally rode!!!After dreaming about it for years, I finally rode Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot! My ride was part of an Annual Passholder Preview. Since Cast Members and Passholders have been able to ride for a while now, I’ve been reading up on what other people had to say, without reading spoilers. Everything that I’ve read about Cosmic Rewind being awesome is true. I had high expectations, and the ride blew me away. My daughter said that it’s the best ride that she’s ever been on. I still prefer Rise of the Resistance, but my allegiance will always be to Star Wars.
One warning that needs to make the rounds. If you have epilepsy or are bothered by flashing lights, proceed with caution. Let a Cast Member know at the ride’s entrance. The preshow will be especially bothersome, but there are blinking lights on the actual ride.
The attention to detail is amazing in the queue. It’s kind of a shame that Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane are going to be used exclusively for a while. I wouldn’t mind paying closer attention to every detail. The Guardians of the Galaxy cast is featured throughout the queue, which makes it feel more “authentic”. That said, you don’t have to have seen the movies to enjoy the ride.
The ride itself is beyond words. It’s by far the best roller coaster that I’ve ever been on. My thrill ride level is pretty low, I’m not a fan of drops or going upside down. I do love going fast. If you like high intensity roller coasters, that isn’t what you’ll find with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. It’s intense, but it’s a different type of intense.
There are no large drops on Cosmic Rewind. There was one drop that was slightly larger than I expected, but it was fun instead of hitting the pit of my stomach. Cosmic Rewind is fast. I don’t know what speed it reaches, but because of the story you need to be moving.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is incredibly smooth. I thought that Slinky Dog Dash was a smooth coaster, but this has it beat! The ride vehicles are comfortable. A lot of people have worried about Cosmic Rewind’s spinning. It doesn’t spin as in Mad Tea Party, it more turns so that you’re always facing the action. If you’ve ever ridden Escape From Gringotts at Universal, it’s similar to that.
As far as motion sickness is concerned, I can see why so many people are having a problem. Between the fast movement and the screens that keep you immersed, it’s a lot. If you’re prone to motion sickness take something before you ride. Also, it’s not a bad idea to wait to eat or drink until after you get off.
One of the fun features of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is that it has a playlist. One of the main questions people ask when they hear you’ve ridden is which song did you get? On our ride it was Everybody Wants to Rule the World, which fit into the storyline perfectly. The other songs are Conga, Disco Inferno, I Ran, One Way or Another, and September. The song played is random.
There was a very friendly PhotoPass Photographer outside, taking pictures in front of the Xandarian Starship. There were regular shots, enhanced shots, and a MagicShot that came out so poorly that I will never let anyone see it! That’s okay, we’ll be back.
For the preview we could only experience the ride. The Wonders of Xandar gift shop was not yet open. I’ll add pictures once I finally get to see that, but it will be a while because I’m headed to California next week for a couple of days at Disneyland followed by Star Wars Celebration.
Those are my first thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. I hope to ride again sometime in the near future. This is one ride that lives up to the hype!