Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is an indoor, coaster that uses a unique ride system to simulate flight through space. The ride holds the distinction of being EPCOT’s first roller coaster, and Disney’s first backwards-launched roller coaster overall. With the lights on, the coaster track is 5,577.4 feet long, and features a backwards launch up into the massive show building. However, the experience goes beyond a typical roller coaster.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Pre-Show

Disney adapted the traditional OmniMover ride system – – think classics like the Haunted Mansion – – and “put it on top of a roller coaster.” The vehicles use Yaw Rotation, meaning the vehicle rotates riders about the vertical axis.

According to Disney, “to use this technology, Imagineers needed to make sure that the Yaw Rotation could happen throughout the attraction in any orientation, configuration, banks, twists and turns of the coaster. To do so, they used a computer to analyze the energy and clearance needed to create the rotation that will bring thrills that mimic the feeling of flying through space.”

©Disney

Once the Yaw Rotation was perfected, Imagineers were able to use the concept combined with the vehicles to rotate, pitch, and point the ride vehicles at various show elements and screens, essentially combining a roller coaster with traditional dark ride elements.

The vehicles during the testing phase. ©Disney

Beyond the technologically advanced ride system, Cosmic Rewind features most the of the franchise’s major stars – – Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Zoe Saldaña as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, and Glenn Close as Nova Prime Irani Rael – – in new footage directed by series auteur James Gunn.

Behind the scenes of the shoot for the Guardians Cosmic Rewind ride at at Epcot. pic.twitter.com/1gOI6mE86E

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 31, 2022

The ride also features a new character, Centurion Tal Marik, portrayed by Terry Crews. Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel – – the voices of Rocket and Groot respectively – – did not return for the attraction.

Of course, we can’t talk about Cosmic Rewind without touching on the music. Like the Guardians films, the ride uses popular rock and pop songs from the 1970s and 1980s, each set to match the motion profile of the ride vehicles.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

The songs are randomly selected by computer for each ride. The songs currently available on the attraction are:

• “Disco Inferno” by the Trammps
• “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls
• “Conga” by Miami Sound Machine
• “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears
• “One Way or Another” by Blondie
• “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is one of Disney World’s most technologically popular attractions, and boasts an impressive bit of technology behind the scenes. Stay tuned to DFB for more of the secret’s behind Disney’s biggest attractions.

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