EPCOT's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind wins Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement

Nov 15, 2023 in "Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind"

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Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind complete walk-through and tour

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Posted: Wednesday November 15, 2023 7:16am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has been honored with a prestigious industry Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement – Attraction in 2024 by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA).

Internationally recognized, the Thea Awards acknowledge exceptional achievements in the themed entertainment industry and celebrate the creative teams who bring immersive experiences to life.

Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind Imagineering Team

"On behalf of all Imagineers, I would like to thank TEA for this tremendous recognition of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and for continuing to drive the themed entertainment industry forward," said Barbara Bouza, president, Walt Disney Imagineering. "As our Imagineering teams push the boundaries of creative storytelling in innovative and exciting ways, it's always the highest honor for our work to be recognized by friends and colleagues from around the world."

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind features several "firsts," including the first reverse launch for a Disney coaster and the first Disney Omnicoaster ride system, where vehicles make controlled rotations.

Guests in the loading station at Cosmic Rewind

"Congratulations to Walt Disney Imagineering on this well-deserved recognition," said Jeff Vahle, president, Walt Disney World. "A highlight of our EPCOT transformation, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind combines the Disney hallmark of great storytelling with a ride experience that literally has guests coming back for more."

Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind Imagineering Team

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ToTBellHopMay 13, 2026

Just install one of these behind each door and activate them randomly.

osianMay 13, 2026

It happens on a smaller scale with Tron. In the reveal room, people who've ridden before will huddle around the exit door. Assuming it's closed to begin with.

Professortango1May 13, 2026

I see it on Disneyland's Rise every time. The thing which helps is that the First Order Officer breaks the flow by boarding the shuttle and many folks want to take their hangar picture for the gram.

easyrowrdwMay 13, 2026

I think the number (and pointlessness) of the rooms contributes to the problem. You have a big room with nothing in it and then a second room with a pointless video before finally getting to the pre-show that most directly relates to the ride. At that point, I think people are just tired of waiting so they’re more inclined to rush out of the room. Of course this just leads to another line anyway. It’s an annoying set up. Compare it to something like Rise, for instance, which also has multiple waiting areas. Aside from the line in the middle, each waiting area feels like it has a story purpose. I’ve rarely seen people pushing or rushing from one area to the next.

James AlucobondMay 13, 2026

It's a difference of two or three minutes. Those seconds really don't matter, and I say this as someone who only goes maybe every three to five years. By jamming up against the far wall, you also confuse everyone else in the chamber not accustomed to this particular brand of insanity. Last time I went, a confused woman with her two children asked me what was happening and I just told her to not pay attention to them.

Br0ckfordMay 13, 2026

I push, shove, trip, pull....also during the teleport, I tie people's shoe laces together. 😈

gorillaballMay 13, 2026

I rode several times a couple weeks ago. Some days both doors opened and all flowed. But a couple times they held one door back while the other moved. I have migrated to the always wait crowd. Also shocked they STILL just have temporary stanchions up restricting the space behind the middle door. Make a decision and fix it Disney. Whatever modification you need to make would be paid for with a day or two of LL$$$. I’m exaggerating a little. But it’s bad design that needs a tweak for human behavior. Don’t let bad show continue for something that should not be a discussion point.

MisterPenguinMay 13, 2026

You lose about 2-3 minutes of queue time by letting the holding room go before you. You lose 20-30 minutes of anxiety-related mental fatigue from your lifetime by elbowing your way thru the scrum.

bmr1591May 13, 2026

As I tell my wife every time we go on it, "Last in this group is still ahead of first in the next group."

Skibum1970May 13, 2026

I was there last week as well and rode Guardians on Friday morning. While they had ropes kind of segmenting, they opened the left and right doors only (not the middle) and let everyone go like a flood. I have started staying to the far side to avoid the crush of people rushing to save five minutes. If they wanted to truly fix it, they would have a queue line set up in the teleportation room and force people to wade through it. Also, the joke about where Terry Crews asks "What do we call them?" and some person yells "Alcoholics" is played out. Time to give it rest.

Disstevefan1May 13, 2026

GET OUT OF MY WAY! I PAID FOR LLPPs FOR MY FAMILY OF FOUR!!!!!!!! ;)

neo999955May 13, 2026

We enter and go to the right and take whatever the right most open space is. It really just depends who is already in front of us doing the same thing.

lazyboy97oMay 13, 2026

But then you’d have to manage an even bigger merge. And random doors risks more people being sent to one side. If the computer opens Side A three times in a row, do you make the group sent to Side B wait? How do you know when it’s their turn if more people get sent to Side A?