Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, is one of the most anticipated attractions coming to the Walt Disney World resort. Based on the hit Marvel movie of the same name, the attraction replaced Ellen’s Energy Adventure at the Universe of Energy pavilion at EPCOT.
The attraction was announced at the 2017 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California as part of an overall reimagining of EPCOT. Originally, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was scheduled to open sometime this year as part of the celebration of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary.
Construction began in late 2017 and was moving along until last year when the coronavirus pandemic caused a global shutdown, including every Disney park.
Last spring, at the Walt Disney Company Q2 earnings call, it was announced that there would be a $900 million decrease in CAPEX spending anticipated for FY20. The reduction was mostly due to the postponed construction and refurbishment projects that were already underway at Disney Parks.
Disney eventually announced projects that were already started would continue to be built and some that had yet to be started would be postponed or canceled entirely. As construction on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind resumed later in 2020, many Disney fans thought that the attraction would indeed make its 2021 opening deadline. However, this past February, in an interview with USA Today’s Arthur Levine, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products said, “The Florida resort will mark its 50th anniversary in October, and there are some E-ticket attractions and more in the works that Disney had said would be ready for the big celebration. Now, the rollouts have been delayed, and their timelines are murky.”
Levine went on to say “the most anticipated new attraction at the park is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind” however he does not say whether it will make it in time for Walt Disney World’s anniversary or not. There were rumors going around that the attraction would definitely miss the 2021 deadline and open sometime the following year. However, with recent comments from the film’s writer and director, James Gunn, it now appears that the attraction will definitely miss its 2021 opening.
When asked by a user on Twitter if the ride scenes for GotG: Cosmic Rewind also on his filming itinerary or have been shot separately Gunn responded, “Yes Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Disneyworld [sic] is also on the agenda.”
The inquiry was prompted by a post from Fandom tweeting about Gunn’s busy 2021 schedule:
The film industry has also been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and filming of any kind has been shut down for most of last year. Like many other industries, the entertainment industry is experiencing backlogs in production. Since it makes sense to film the actors involved in “GotG Vol 3” for the attraction at the same time, the timeline for the attraction’s open date will then be dependent on when that occurs.
