With a cost of a whopping $500,000,000, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is currently the most expensive coaster in the world!
But let’s take it step by step.
Where is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Located?
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is located at EPCOT, one of the 6 parks that make up Walt Disney WORLD. If you’re not familiar with it, I created a video overview of the entire resort.
At the moment, this is the only Disney attraction featuring Marvel characters on the east coast of the United States.
Due to a complex agreement between Marvel and Universal—signed long before Disney acquired Marvel—Disney cannot freely use all Marvel characters in parks east of the Mississippi River within the U.S.
That’s why Avengers Campus was built at Disneyland in California, where you’ll also find the first Guardians of the Galaxy-themed attraction in the world. You can read my full review here.
What Type of Coaster Is It?
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is an indoor roller coaster featuring a magnetic launch, onboard projections, and audio. The ride does not include any inversions that would turn you upside down; in fact, the minimum height requirement is set at just 107 cm, demonstrating that it’s an attraction suitable even for younger guests. For the more technically inclined, the ride utilizes the OmniCoaster system, specifically designed for this attraction, allowing the vehicle to rotate 360 degrees to direct your view toward a precisely programmed point. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
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Record-Breaking Numbers of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
The impressive figures associated with this attraction include:
- First magnetic launch attraction within Walt Disney World
- 960 cement trucks were used to construct the main building
- The building could house two Spaceship Earth structures
- 3 minutes and 20 seconds is the total ride duration
- 6 songs that you can listen to during the ride, played randomly
- $500 million construction cost
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How to Experience Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind?
This might seem like a straightforward question, but it’s not at all.
As of February 25, 2025, Walt Disney World has discontinued the Virtual Queue system for this attraction, replacing it with a traditional standby line. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Therefore, you can now approach the entrance of the attraction and join the queue as you would for other rides. However, due to its popularity, wait times can be significant. To minimize your wait, consider arriving early or utilizing the Lightning Lane option, which is a paid service allowing expedited access to certain attractions.
What Is the Paid Lightning Lane?
Lightning Lane is a paid skip-the-line system at Walt Disney World, part of the Genie+ service. It allows you to reserve access to certain attractions at specific times, reducing your wait. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is included in this system. For more details on Genie+ and Lightning Lane, you can refer to this dedicated article.
How to Use the Paid Lightning Lane?
To utilize the Lightning Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, follow these steps:
Preparatory Steps:
- Purchase park tickets
- Make a Park Reservation for EPCOT
- Download the My Disney Experience App
- Log in with your My Disney Experience account
After completing these steps, proceed as follows:
- Tap the menu icon located at the bottom right on the home screen
- Tap on Tip Board
- Ensure EPCOT is selected; if not, tap Change Park to switch it
- Scroll down to find the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind section
- Tap on Individual Lightning Lane LL
- Select your desired time slot
- Select the individuals for whom you want to purchase Lightning Lane access
- Tap Continue
- Review the summary and tap Continue
- Complete the payment with a credit card
- Wait for the notification and proceed to the Lightning Lane entrance, confirming your reservation using your Magic Band or Magic Mobile in your smartphone’s Wallet
Virtual Queue & Lightning Lane: PROs and CONs
As you’ve seen, the two systems are similar but have substantial differences.
PROs of the Virtual Queue:
- It’s free
- You get the full themed queue experience
CONs of the Virtual Queue:
- No guarantee of securing a spot in a boarding group
- Longer wait times both inside and before the attraction
- Can only be used once per day
- You must be physically inside the park for the 1:00 PM drop
PROs of the Lightning Lane:
- Shorter wait times
- Available for purchase starting at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit
- Can still be purchased even if you’ve used the Virtual Queue
CONs of the Lightning Lane:
- It’s a paid system
- Limited availability, often sold out by midday
- You miss out on the full queue experience
Tips to Optimize Your Visit
If you only have a few days to visit Walt Disney WORLD and your dream is to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, I highly recommend the following:
- Try your luck with the free Virtual Queue system — and even if you’re successful, I strongly advise you to
- Immediately purchase a Lightning Lane with an evening return time so it won’t interfere much with your EPCOT touring plan
Final Thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
In my opinion, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind isn’t just the most expensive coaster ever built — it’s also one of the most immersive I’ve ever experienced.
The storyline, theming, projection quality, smooth motion, and music — everything is designed to make you feel like you’re right there alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy. All that’s missing is smell-o-vision to make the experience complete… though come to think of it, what would space even smell like?
