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Credit: Inside the Magic Reader Submission On Thursday, EPCOT‘s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster was shut down due to an unknown emergency or error. Walt Disney World Resort guests spoke out online after being unable to access the attraction with their Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane Single Pass reservations.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened in EPCOT’s World Discovery neighborhood in May 2022. The ride is Disney’s first reverse-launch roller coaster and one of the world’s longest indoor roller coasters. The ride vehicles spin, allowing guests to take in all the wonders of the universe as they jump through time with Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Groot, and Rocket Racoon.
Already one of Walt Disney World Resort’s most unique attractions, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind also features a rotating soundtrack. Upon boarding, guests have no way of knowing whether they’ll ride along to “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire; “One Way or Another” by Blondie; “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears; “Conga” by Miami Sound Machine; “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls; or “Disco Inferno” by the Trammps. During the 2022 holiday season, the EPCOT coaster offered a controversial Christmas music remix, which didn’t return in 2023 or 2024.
On February 13, some guests didn’t have the chance to jam along with the Guardians of the Galaxy. The ride was broken down for an extended period on Thursday despite offering Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane Single Pass reservations that morning.
Redditor u/dizzlvizzl shared this screenshot from Walt Disney World Resort’s My Disney Experience app, showing that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was “temporarily closed:”
Guardians of the Galaxy
“Finally got in the virtual queue for guardians of the Galaxy cosmic rewind and saw this,” the disappointed Disney Park guest wrote. “Today is our last day at Disney, so hopefully we will get a chance.”
Disney Parks fans reassured the frustrated guest that they’d likely have a chance to experience the roller coaster.
“If it’s down when your LL time arrives, they’ll give you an experience pass you can use on that attraction or any other you would like to,” u/juliacar wrote.
“They’ll honor your queue later,” u/HeirofZeon replied. “This happens multiple times pretty much every day.”
Walt Disney World Resort didn’t publicize the reasoning for Thursday’s closure.
Luckily, disappointed EPCOT guests didn’t have to wait long. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind reopened by Thursday afternoon and was operating normally when this article was finalized.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind still requires a Virtual Queue or Lightning Lane Single Pass reservation to ride. Guests can sign up for a complimentary Virtual Queue on the My Disney Experience app at 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Only those already at EPCOT can register for the afternoon Virtual Queue.
Has a ride breakdown impacted your Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort vacation? Inside the Magic would love to hear from you in the comments!