Cosmic Rewind Signals A Fresh Direction For Epcot, Without Forgetting Its Past

More than its fitting location and ability to spike park patrons’ pules, Cosmic Rewind contains a number of call-outs to both Epcot and its revered history. Easter eggs, as well as more obvious fan-servicing inclusions, are peppered throughout the coaster’s pre-show. References to Walt Disney’s early ideas and ambitions for Epcot, subtle audio and visual nods to the old Universe of Energy attraction and pavilion — where Cosmic Remind now sits — and Star-Lord enthusiastically recalling his 1980s visit to Epcot (“I cannot wait to get to go back and ride Horizons!”) are among the coaster’s numerous efforts to pay tribute to what came before it.

But Cosmic Rewind goes a good deal further in this respect by tying its story directly to Epcot’s early edutainment ambitions. As the tale goes, Star-Lord — inspired by his aforementioned love of Epcot — was instrumental in selecting the park as the location for Xandar’s Earth/Terra-based cultural pavilion. Dubbed the “Wonders of Xandar,” it’s designed to mimic the look, feel, and experience park-goers have when visiting any of the country-based pavilions that make up Epcot’s World Showcase. The Wonders of Xandar is also cheekily referred to as the first “Other-World Showcase.”

Of course, the big difference here is that it’s all fictional, trading easily digestible education for pure entertainment. So rather than, say, strolling through an exhibit on Canada’s history and culture, then viewing an informative Circle-Vision film on the country, you learn all about a faux, far away galaxy, then set off to save it.