Credit: Inside the MagicIf you have ridden Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT over the last few years, chances are you’ve experienced the exact same viral moment in the preshow room.
Actor Terry Crews, playing Centurion Tal Marik of the Nova Corps, appears on the giant screen welcoming Earth visitors. As he greets the crowd, he pauses to ponder: “What do they call themselves? Epcoters? Epcotians? Citizens of EPCOT?” For years, that brief dramatic pause was met not with silent awe, but with a chorus of parkgoers yelling out “ALCOHOLICS!” or “DAY DRINKERS!” at the top of their lungs.
What started as an organic joke quickly turned into a recurring meme—and eventually became a familiar part of the Cosmic Rewind preshow experience. Now, Disney has quietly changed the sequence, removing the pause that allowed guests to shout out their own answers.
Without making an official public announcement, Disney updated the preshow video for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, cutting out the pause entirely. Here is a look at what changed, how the edit affects the long-running joke, and how EPCOT’s unofficial drinking tradition helped fuel the viral trend in the first place.
The Joke That Wore Out Its Welcome: What Changed in the Preshow?
When Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened in May 2022, the preshow was designed to establish the lighthearted, comedic tone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before guests step into the teleportation chamber (the “Phase Chamber”) and board their OmniCoaster ride vehicles, they are grouped in a briefing room where Centurion Tal Marik explains Xandar’s mission on Earth.
In the original cut of the video, Tal Marik struggled to find the right demonym for EPCOT residents, leaving a noticeable pause after asking what citizens call themselves. Early on, crowd responses were harmless—guests might yell out “Humans!” or “Disney fans!”
However, as EPCOT’s “Drinking Around the World” tradition continued to gain popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Facebook, one specific answer took over: “Alcoholics!”
In room after room, groups of adult guests would yell out “Alcoholics!” or “Day drinkers!” right on cue. While it occasionally elicited a laugh from fellow adults, the joke also became a recurring source of complaints among guests who found the constant shouting disruptive. Parents and other visitors have voiced frustration online about hearing the same punchline repeatedly while waiting in line for a family attraction.
The reason Disney made the change has not been publicly disclosed. What is clear is that Disney silently trimmed the video playback, removing the gap between Tal Marik’s options and bringing his next line immediately forward. If a guest attempts to shout out “Alcoholics!” today, Tal Marik’s voice speaks directly over the response, effectively removing the built-in opportunity for the meme to play out.
The Rise of ‘Drinking Around the World’: How EPCOT Became an Adult Playground
To understand why the “Alcoholics” line took such a firm hold on Cosmic Rewind, one has to look at the cultural evolution of EPCOT over the past two decades.
When EPCOT Center first opened in 1982, it was designed primarily as an educational and cultural showcase focused on human achievement, technological innovation, and international unity. While beer and wine were available in World Showcase restaurants to complement authentic international dining, alcohol was a smaller part of the overall experience than it is for many guests today.
Fast forward to today, and EPCOT has become one of Walt Disney World’s most prominent dining and beverage destinations. The popularity of seasonal events—most notably the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, the Festival of the Arts, and the Flower & Garden Festival—has made sampling food and beverages from around the globe a major part of the park experience.
This evolution gave birth to the fan-created challenge known as “Drinking Around the World.”
The unofficial challenge directs guests to purchase an alcoholic beverage in each of the 11 World Showcase pavilions—starting in Mexico with margaritas and winding through Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, the UK, and Canada.
What started as an informal bucket-list activity has grown into a highly visible Disney fan tradition:
- Custom Merchandise: Entire Etsy storefronts and boutique apparel shops sell matching t-shirts, “passport” checklists, and custom lanyards designed specifically for drinking groups.
- Social Media Groups: Online communities dedicated to Disney day drinking organize meetups, share drink reviews, and celebrate park crawls.
- High-Profile Specialty Bars: EPCOT offers a wide range of beverage-focused locations, including spots like La Cava del Tequila in Mexico, Choza de Margarita, the Rose & Crown Pub in the UK, and Regal Eagle Smokehouse.
While “Drinking Around the World” is an established unofficial guest activity, there is no publicly available figure showing how much revenue it specifically generates for Disney. EPCOT’s broad food-and-beverage offerings have nevertheless become an important part of the park experience.
As crowds mix alcohol consumption with Florida heat and long lines, individual incidents involving disorderly or intoxicated guests can occur. However, there is no reliable evidence establishing that public intoxication or park altercations have risen specifically because of the “Drinking Around the World” trend. The preshow shout-outs on Cosmic Rewind became a visible example of guests turning an attraction line into an audience-participation joke.
How Disney Fixed the Problem Without a Public Reshoot
One of the most noticeable aspects of the preshow update is how seamlessly the change appears to have been executed.
Because the original video starred Hollywood actor Terry Crews, fans may have wondered whether Disney would alter the preshow or leave the sequence untouched. Instead, the existing video has been edited so that the pause following Tal Marik’s question is no longer present.
The precise technical process and the Disney team responsible for making the edit have not been publicly disclosed. The result, however, is straightforward: the silent gap has been removed, allowing Tal Marik’s next line to play immediately.
The trim is subtle enough that first-time riders may never realize a gap existed. The rest of the preshow experience—including the teleportation effect into the Nova Corps ship, the appearance of Rocket Raccoon and Groot, and the ride’s randomized multi-song soundtrack—appears to remain unchanged.
Balancing Family Magic with Adult Entertainment
Disney’s decision to remove the preshow pause comes as EPCOT continues to balance its family-oriented attractions with its reputation as a major dining and beverage destination.
While EPCOT continues to offer drinks throughout World Showcase, Disney maintains guest-conduct policies designed to preserve a comfortable environment for everyone visiting the resort. The company has also made adjustments to operations and guest policies in other parts of Walt Disney World when necessary to address changing guest needs.
By cutting off the preshow shout-outs on Cosmic Rewind, Disney effectively removed the built-in pause that had become a cue for the recurring joke. Whether the edit was specifically intended to stop the “Alcoholics!” responses has not been confirmed by Disney.
For parents and fans tired of hearing the same punchline, the preshow edit may be a welcome change—ensuring that saving the galaxy remains fun, immersive, and family-friendly for all.
