Overall Thoughts:
This is a great ride in the same way that a Big Mac is a great burger. I had an amazing wagyu steak a few nights ago, but I’d rather eat a Big Mac
right now. I came off disappointed and my girlfriend (who absolutely LOVED it) pressed me about what ride I’d prefer to ride again
right now and honestly, that list was short. It’s more FUN than Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Rise, etc. but doesn’t hit the level of “artistry” those rides do. On one hand, nobody expected it to, but on the other, I think I still kind of overestimated it.
Comparisons
This is the best indoor Disney coaster in Florida. It’s surprisingly zippy and forceful to the point that I (a pretty seasoned rider) came off a little dizzy. If you ever looked to the side during the turns on Space Mountain to get that stomach-churning feeling…this is like that for a whole ride. I’d go as far as to say it’s more intense than Rock N Roller Coaster minus the first inversion. But I still wouldn’t call it “intense” overall—snappy and smooth are better descriptions.
Aesthetically, it reminds me of a lesser version of Paris’s Space Mountain. SM out East is a total darkness experience with crisp screens along the way—it’s totally disorienting and doesn’t give you any sense of being in a larger space. How they achieved this when it’s 30 years older (and has a hole at the top of it) I’m not sure. But on this ride I was very aware I was in a warehouse the whole time. There is one WOW moment when you FIRST exit the launch (it’s really impressive and matched with some good G-forces) but that trick gets tired quickly. The helices around the planets are fun in theory, but it’s very obvious you’re looping around props set on the floor.
One more comparison—the sequence before you launch is Mummy turntable-room levels of bad. You’re not in space so much as a big carpeted room with poor projection effects. This was the most disappointing part of the ride by far.
Story
The general conceit is actually fine. The role the Guardians play isn’t *too* contrived. It’s better than the average “you’re a recruit you have to fight” storyline. But the villain comes from nowhere with no real motivation…like at all. Even then, I could look past that if he was built up to in the queue or something. As it is now, he just appears in the pre-show and it’s just not well-thought-out.
Music
We got Conga—it was fun. I had a smile the whole time. The start of the song and launch synced up well.
Epcot Fit
I didn’t hear or see any references to old Epcot rides…I’ve been pretty vocal that I don’t mind that. I will say, though, the aesthetics of the queue are VERY in-line with what Epcot is supposed to feel like. Regardless of your opinion on the fit of the IP in the park, I feel confident that going ride to ride at Epcot, this will not FEEL jarringly different. It’s actually pretty well done IMO.
Budget
Again, I don’t really care…but I have thoughts. Knowing very little about the costs of theme park CAPEX, I dont know if Disney got a good bang for their buck or not. Comparatively speaking, though, I
understand why this costs more than your average Universal ride. The materials used in the queue seem a bit heftier than, say, the faux columns in Gringotts. The queue rooms are designed 360 degrees around compared to, say, the blatant warehouse ceilings at Kong. There was also a clear attempt at designing things from the ground up…character designs, Xandar models, music, etc., which all cost a lot (and from what I understand Imagineers fancy themselves big-time Hollywood artists without the pressure of studio budgets reigning them in). The time it took to craft all of this original content (and pay the A-list actors involved) certainly cost money. Hell, having just built a new house I was noticing the floor tile in the queue thought, “dang I know that was expensive.”
I think the question isn’t, “was the ride overpriced?” I think it’s, “Do you appreciate where that money went?” Did we need to pay an Imagineer their fee to design a full-sized model of a planet only seen in brief glimpses in a Marvel movie? Did we need a huge planetarium? Did we need original music or Glenn Close and Terry Crews? Probably not. But it definitely adds an extra dimension to the experience as a whole…your mileage may vary as to whether that matters to you or not. Me, personally, I do wish we could’ve gotten dividers in the main ride building to eliminate some light bleed, and would kind of laugh if that got eaten up by Glenn Close’s salary.
Summary
Like I said, there are few rides at Disney I want to ride again right now. At Universal, the list would be a little longer but I think a fast little family coaster still would have a place there too. But as a fan of the Guardians IP, I don’t think it accomplished being reflective of the characters or stories from the movies. As a fan of theme parks, I don’t think it brought anything new to the table. But I’m glad to finally have a good thrill ride at Epcot, though, and would gladly wait 45-60 minutes for it again (especially after a few drinks around the world).