Alongside a whole host of movie news, Disney’s D23 Expo announced some big changes for its theme parks, and in particular, Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort Florida. Joined by a whole host of new attractions, two of the biggest rides planned for the park’s future will be based on Ratatouille and Guardians of the Galaxy.
The park is undergoing something of an upgrade in the run up to Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021. First opened in 1982, Epcot was originally designed as a world’s fair attraction, but has been criticized for looking tired in more recent years. Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek announced the news about the rides, and he hopes that some new brand-named attractions will help Epcot compete with more popular parks like Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom.
For the Guardians of the Galaxy ride, it is confirmed to be completely different to California’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!, making it the second ride to be opened about the popular team of MCU heroes. So far, we only have a loose concept for the attraction and know that it will be a new E-ticket experience, taking over the aged Universe of Energy ride.
Expect things to get very meta, because apparently, a young Peter Quill visited Epcot before he was whisked away from Earth. D23 revealed that the ride will follow the Guardians as they land on Earth, where Rocket Raccoon steals an old photo of Quill as the group begins to investigate. Don’t expect it to be as high-adrenaline as Mission: Breakout!, but confirmed to be a mix between a dark ride and a rollercoaster, it will undoubtedly be fun for the whole family.
Elsewhere, the Ratatouille ride which became famous at Disneyland Paris will also find a home in Flordia. Coming to the World Showcase area of Epcot, the attraction will occupy a brand new space by the existing Eiffel Tower. With the France area already built at Epcot, and Paris having a ride based on the Pixar entity since 2014, the Ratatouille addition seems like a logical fit. The 2007 film of the same name following the culinary brilliance of a young rat in a fancy French restaurant, we can only imagine food will somehow be involved with the Ratatouille ride.
Chapek also announced that the “closed for refurbishment” Mission: Space will re-open with a new “Green” mission, while the existing “Orange” trip to Mars will be more spectacular. Elsewhere, the whole entrance to Epcot is getting an overhaul, but undoubtedly Guardians and Ratatouille are the biggest news.
Both the rides had been rumored for a while and recent construction permits seemingly confirmed the work, however, D23 gave us a closer look at what to expect from a revamped Epcot. There will obviously be those who will criticize the park for moving away from its original mission statement, but looking to bring in a whole new crowd with two of Disney’s best-known entities, surely this can only be a good thing?
