Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind – Is it Worth the Wait?

Share with a friend!

My family LOVES a good roller coaster. It’s probably the first and last ride they ask for whenever we go to any theme park. We hadn’t heard much about Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, the new roller coaster at Epcot, but based on the fact that you can’t just get on a line and wait, we figured it had to be great.

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! A new innovation from Walt Disney Imagineering—this coaster rotates 360 degrees so you can focus on the action!

Currently, guests are required to use the My Disney Experience app to secure a spot in a virtual queue. Each Guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day during regular park hours. We were in the park for the second queue, so I set the alarm on my phone to ensure I didn’t miss it. You basically have minutes (if not seconds) to claim a spot. We were ecstatic to get a notification that we were scheduled to return at 6:25 pm.

Boarding groups for a virtual queue are limited, subject to availability, and are not guaranteed. Not all boarding groups may be called to return based on the availability of the experience. View important information about the virtual queue.

Guests may also purchase Individual Lightning Lane entry for this attraction. Lightning Lane entry purchases are limited in availability, are subject to change or closure, may vary by date, and are not guaranteed. Lightning Lane was not available during our stay but that could be because we missed the opportunity first thing in the morning.

We received a notification when our hour window was available. We walked (in the rain), toward the ride, without knowing what we were about to experience. We assumed this queue was similar to lightning lane when in fact, it’s just an invitation to enter the regular line.

The line takes you through a series of rooms with different things to look at or watch. Just when you think you’ve reached the end, you turn the corner to find another room. We thought we would be in that line forever, but we were in line for 30-35 minutes. I spent a good portion of that googling whether or not the ride goes upside down, just making sure. I read an entire post about how “not-scary” the ride is for kids. I remember thinking how wrong that person was while we were on it.

When it was finally our turn to get on the ride, I looked over at my oldest, who had this permanent smile plastered. She had been waiting all day. You know when a roller coaster starts off shooting you backward at high speeds, it’s going to be good. I didn’t expect what came next.

The best way to explain this ride without giving too much away is non-stop adrenaline. I skip roller coasters because I don’t like how bumpy they can be. I hate the sounds of the tracks that make me think they will break at any moment.

But Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind wasn’t bumpy, and there were no sounds. It was so smooth I almost forgot I was on a roller coaster. While I’m sure I felt fearful several times, I was never really concerned that we would fall or the ride would break.

The spinning and tipping freaked me out. My husband’s hands were straight up for most of it and I couldn’t help wondering how when I was gripping the bar so tightly, I imagine my knuckles were white.

Is Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind scary?

I’m not sure the best word for it is scary, but that will depend on who is going on it. My oldest two daughters (13 and 17) and my husband called it “exhilarating.” They loved every single part of it.

My youngest daughter, who is 9, said she felt a mixture of fear and excitement. When she walked off the ride, she immediately asked to go on again, so I assume that fear was fear of the unknown.

Now for me, I’m not a fan of roller coasters that go upside down. And while Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind does not go upside down, it does move around in the dark in a way you aren’t sure which way you are facing (if that makes sense) and whether or not you were right side up. There were moments when I was scared but also couldn’t stop thinking how smooth it was. I wound up walking off with a smile on my face. I would definitely go on it again.

Does Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind have a height requirement?

Yes. You have to be 42″ or taller to ride.

Is it the best ride at Epcot?

In my opinion, absolutely. Soarin’ has been our favorite ride in Epcot for a while. They have a few new really exciting rides. But Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind was by far the best one.

We hope you enjoyed our Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind review. If you have questions we haven’t answered, please leave them in the comment section below, and we will add them! Stay tuned for more about our most recent trip to Disney World. Make sure to read about all of our family adventures in Florida.

Featured image credit: Marvel

PIN IT

Share with a friend!