Unfortunately, an unexpected malfunction in one of the theme park’s newest attractions recently ruined the day for thousands of guests.
Credit: Disney
Redditor u/EastPomegranate1188 recently posted a photo to the social network taken during a ride breakdown aboard Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, one of the newest EPCOT rides. The picture showed the attraction’s interior with the lights on — which some have deemed underwhelming— while the guest’s vehicle remained static.
The user mentioned that they, and surely dozens more, were evacuated from the attraction on March 6, 2024, before an extended closure, ruining the day of thousands of guests after waking up at 7 a.m. to secure their spot in the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
In the comments, the original poster explained that he and likely multiple other groups were stuck aboard the attraction during a shutdown that took place between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on that day, with the ride remaining out of commission until about 12:30 p.m. when a fellow Redditor commented they were able to return to the EPCOT attraction to use their Lightning Lane.
The user added that they waited “about thirty minutes” before being evacuated and received two Lightning Lane passes from Disney cast members for the inconvenience, which they used to ride the attraction “twice more.”
A shocking statement considering that, in most cases, Lightning Lane passes given to guests after a ride malfunction cannot be used on attractions included in Disney World’s list of Individual Lightning Lane rides — attractions not included in the Disney Genie+ Service like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened in 2022 following Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which opened in 2021 following an extended delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, is the newest attraction in EPCOT, having opened last year.
If you haven’t had the chance to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, Disney describes the new attraction as follows:
INTRODUCING A REVERSE-LAUNCH COASTER
This family-thrill attraction features the first ever reverse-launch on a Disney coaster and is one of the largest fully-enclosed coasters in the world! An innovation from Walt Disney Imagineering—this coaster rotates 360 degrees so you can focus on the action!
A WORLD BEYOND BELIEF
Begin your adventure by touring the Galaxarium—a planetarium-like exhibition showcasing the similarities and differences between Xandar and Earth’s galaxies. You’ll even get to discover some of the incredible wonders of Xandar and learn about their technology.
Credit: Disney
AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL ESCAPADE
Just as you are about to reach the culmination of the tour, everything goes sideways, and you are called into action to help the Guardians of the Galaxy. Join Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Star-Lord on an urgent mission where you’ll rewind, rotate and head towards the action through an exciting space pursuit.Ready for an awesome quest across the cosmos to save the galaxy? It’s all up to you!
What do you think of this incident? Have you ever had a similar experience at Disney World? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks guest experience. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.
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Credit: Ed Aguila, Inside the Magic
