I Previewed The New Guardians Of The Galaxy Roller Coaster, And Here's What To Know

If you’re wondering where Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind takes place in the MCU timeline, Walt Disney Imagineering told Elite Daily that the ride is placed after the events of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. While James Gunn did tweet that the ride is “in its own universe,” it’s possible that both are truth, thanks to the multiverse. Either way, you’ll definitely want to re-watch the first Guardians of the Galaxy film before your trip if you want to be familiar with the characters.

Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Drax, Gamora, and Groot are all on hand to help you save Earth from being destroyed. Glenn Close also makes a cameo as Nova Prime, Irani Rael, and you’ll be reintroduced to the planet Xandar.

Before you even get to strap into your ride vehicle, there are a few pre-shows for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. These pre-shows not only help to explain the backstory and set up the adventure you’ll be going on, but they help to make it feel like you’re not just waiting in a long line. One of the pre-shows introduces you to Terry Crews’ new character, Centurion Tal Marik, and it has a cool reveal within the room.

Along with some nods to the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind also has some good Easter eggs for Disney World fans. While waiting in line, you may get to see a Good Morning America-like interview from the fictional Good Morning Xandar featuring Gamora and Peter, where Peter explains why they chose Epcot as the location for their Wonders of Xandar tour.

As a kid, Peter visited Epcot, so he enthusiastically says he can’t wait to check out some of his favorite attractions like Horizons, Kitchen Kabaret, and Universe of Energy. Disney fans will recognize these as attractions that no longer exist at Epcot. In fact, the Guardians of the Galaxy ride is where Universe of Energy was before. There’s also a Walt Disney cameo you can spot as you’re waiting in line as well.

Just like the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! attraction at Disneyland, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has six potential songs you could get that are randomly played each time you ride. You never know what you’ll get, but just like the awesome mixes from the Guardians of the Galaxy, each song is a certified bop. Disney Imagineers even narrowed their song selections down from over 100 songs to pick the best six that fit with the roller coaster.

Those songs are "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire, “Disco Inferno" by the Trammps, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears, "One Way or Another" by Blondie, "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls, and "Conga" by Miami Sound Machine and Gloria Estefan. My personal fave was “Conga,” which had me dancing throughout the ride.

You don’t have to re-watch all the MCU films to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, but it might help to watch the first Guardians film and the Eternals as well. The villain of the Guardians ride is a Celestial who deems Terra — aka Earth — to be not worthy of existence and decides to go back in time via Jump Points to stop it from ever existing.

This is where you come in to keep an eye on the Celestial as the Guardians of the Galaxy come to save the day. It’s obviously not necessary to know what a Celestial is and they explain the story perfectly for any non-MCU fans, but it also helps to know who you’re up against.

While there’s a lot to take in as you’re zipping around a roller coaster, singing along to the soundtrack, and checking out space, you also want to listen out for the jokes during Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The banter between Peter, Gamora, Drax, and Rocket is hilarious and changes each time you ride.

Of course, since the Guardians of the Galaxy ride is an OmniCoaster that spins you where you need to look, every row gives you the best views of the galaxy. The best row for the reverse launch, though, is row nine. You’ll be directly in the back — aka the front — for the launch and it adds that extra bit of thrill to the experience.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind really is a first of its kind. It’s one of the largest indoor roller coasters in the world, has a reverse launch, is an OmniCoaster, and introduces the Marvel characters to Disney World for the first time. Some people may compare it to Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Space Mountain, and Expedition Everest — and it does have elements that will remind you of those rides — but Cosmic Rewind is a totally unique experience.

If you’re worried about the lines for Cosmic Rewind when it opens, you may be relieved to find that there will be no standby line. Instead, the attraction will use a Virtual Queue, which you can book through the My Disney Experience app the morning of your visit to Epcot. The Virtual Queue will open early in the morning, so you’ll want to have your phone ready the day of your Epcot reservation. There will also be an Individual Lightning Lane for purchase if you miss out on the Virtual Queue.

Be camera ready as you launch into space, because there is a ride photo for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and it happens right away. During the reverse launch, that’s when you need to smile (or scream) for your photo. Be sure to check out the My Disney Experience app afterwards for your photo to appear.