We finally have an opening date for one of the most anticipated new attractions at Walt Disney's (DIS 0.18%) massive Florida resort. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will officially open at Disney World's Epcot on May 27, kicking off what would've been a busy Memorial Day holiday weekend even without the new coaster.
The debut announcement isn't a surprise. There have been reports of ride testing for weeks. A Disney executive also accidentally mentioned a Memorial Day opening on social media after going on the ride last month (before deleting the post).
It's also right around the time that Disney would open a ride with a "summer" announcement, even if late May is technically still springtime. Barring any setbacks, the new coaster was going to be opening in late May or early June to make sure it made the most of the peak summertime travel season.
A promotional rendering for Disney World's new roller coaster. Image source: Disney.
Be kind, rewind
There are a lot of reasons this is the biggest new ride to open at Disney World in more than two years. We can start with the obvious attraction of a roller coaster in a park that lacks this kind of thrill ride. Epcot is the only major theme park in Central Florida that doesn't have a coaster, and that distinction will be toast next month.
It's an important addition for Epcot that has historically not catered to teens or thrill-seeking adults. The park relies on its pavilion-style attractions and international country showcases that pop during a perpetual slate of festivals. The new coaster will get a lot of people who haven't been to Epcot in a long time to revisit the attraction.
This is also an interesting coaster even by Disney standards. The enclosed family-friendly thrill ride will be the first at the resort with a reverse launch. Disney is also calling Cosmic Rewind its first "storycoaster" as the cars will fully rotate to show off key themed elements of the ride as passengers help save the galaxy.
It might seem hard to fathom at first, but this will also be the first ride at Disney World featuring a Marvel franchise. It's been 13 years since Disney shelled out $4 billion for Marvel. But you can't lay all of the blame on Disney for taking this long.
Before the Disney buyout, Marvel struck a partnership with Universal Studios -- now owned by Comcast (CMCSA -0.37%) -- that calls for exclusivity in theme parks east of the Mississippi River for key Marvel characters. This is why Disneyland in California and Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure have Spider-Man rides, but you won't see one at Disney World. Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the Marvel franchises that is not covered in the Marvel deal with Comcast.
Capacity is another reason to get excited about the new coaster. There is greater consumer need for escapism than Disney's theme parks have the ability to satisfy. Disney World and Disneyland have had a park reservations system in place since reopening during the pandemic that is unpopular but necessary to make sure that most resort guests and folks buying pricey one-day tickets have access. Cosmic Rewind should help Disney increase the number of guests it can comfortably let through its turnstiles each day at Epcot by 2,000 or more (I would imagine). Even more guests will be able to visit the Magic Kingdom later this year when it reopens its iconic Walt Disney World Railroad and introduces its Tron-themed coaster.
There's also a bigger financial incentive now for the world's leading theme park operator to create major attractions. Disney is now able to charge customers for expedited queues for its more-popular experiences through its Lightning Lane platform. There will be no shortage of people willing to pay up to spend as little time as possible in line for Cosmic Rewind next month. New rides used to be a way to draw guests, but now they're also a new incremental revenue stream for Disney. This is going to be a great summer for leisure stocks in general, but Disney is making sure it's loaded and ready to go.
