The new Guardians of the Galaxy ride coming to Epcot has been officially confirmed to be a roller coaster. This news, courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog, confirms what many insiders had reported about a roller coaster attraction coming in to replace the old Universe of Energy attraction.
Beyond knowing that the ride itself is a coaster, we also now know that it will be one of the longest indoor coasters in the world.
With the “Guardians of the Galaxy”-inspired coaster, we’re going big. This one-of-a-kind family attraction will be one of the world’s longest enclosed roller coasters when it’s added to Future World at Epcot. It’ll feature a unique story currently being created by Walt Disney Imagineering and include a new innovative ride system that’s guaranteed to “wow” guests.
The statement “one of the world’s largest enclosed roller coasters” sounds very impressive, but it’s important to remember that it could mean the coaster is in the top-5 or top-10 of all indoor coasters. Without any specifics, that talking point doesn’t pack much of a punch outside of PR-speak.
Beyond that, the length of the ride is still yet to be determined. A coaster can be long, but also can be quite short. It all depends on whether it involves lift hills or launches. Based on the family-friendly nature of the ride, one has to assume the coaster won’t go overly fast.
The more interesting part here may be the ride system. It’s difficult to imagine an innovative system that also fits the bill of a family-friendly attraction. Maybe it has more to do with the load/unload system rather than how visitors will actually experience the attraction? Time will tell.