New update to Disney's website reaffirms a late 2023 opening for Journey of Water Inspired by Moana at EPCOT

Aug 16, 2023 in "Journey of Water Inspired by Moana"

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Journey of Water Inspired by Moana Imagineering test and adjust

Posted: Wednesday August 16, 2023 10:30am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has updated the Journey of Water Inspired by Moana webpage and once again stated a late 2023 reopening.

Journey of Water Inspired by Moana concept art - May 2022

The new update says, "Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is scheduled to open in late 2023 within World Nature—the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty and balance of the natural world."

Note that the opening time frame is in a bold typeface.

Limited Cast Member previews have been underway over the last month, with more scheduled for the coming weeks.

Journey of Water Inspired by Moana Imagineering test and adjust

Guests with imminent trips may have hoped for guest previews in the coming weeks, with an official opening not far behind.

A couple of upcoming dates would have seemed to be a great opportunity to open the new attraction. EPCOT will begin the Disney100 celebration on September 22, and EPCOT will celebrate its 41st anniversary on October 1, 2023.

As Imagineering wraps up work on Journey of Water, we will hopefully get an update with a specific opening date and details of any Annual Passholder and DVC previews.

Here is the full updated description of Journey of Water Inspired by Moana.

Where Water Comes to Life
Stroll along a self-guided outdoor trail where you can play with water as it travels from the sky to the oceans and back again. Along the way, you’ll find that:
Water Is a Friend: Moana befriended the ocean… and you can, too! Enjoy magical encounters with water and discover its playful personality, just as Moana did on her heroic voyage.
Water Connects Us All: All water is connected—and it connects us to one another. As you traverse this trail, you’ll connect and interact with water in new ways. And you’ll learn about the global water cycle, which takes water on a wondrous adventure around our planet.
Water Needs Protection: Throughout your journey, you’ll learn how you can help protect this precious natural resource and make a positive impact on the world.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is scheduled to open in late 2023 within World Nature—the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty and balance of the natural world.
Make a Splash… or Stay Dry!
You can choose to get wet—or take the dry path instead—as you explore this whimsical, watery world.

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BocabearMar 10, 2024

but then again, it should have been instantly corrected before people started tripping over them...Anyone can see it would be a problem... That is the biggest problem when we do installations...people tripping over our stuff as we are working...and even if they are beyond the barricades we installed, they will still blame us... So we have become hyper aware of this issue...I am shocked someone at Disney did not see this and flag it .... and come up with something for it... Tiny bench surround, etc.

retr0gateMar 06, 2024

I could be completely wrong here, but I find it hard to believe the mounds were an intentional part of the design. It seems far more likely that there was an issue with the grading and they decided to just leave it as is / improvise something during construction. I've worked on similar projects (albeit, not in theme parks) and what we draw does not always reflect what's actually built on site. You can usually expect to see a lot of small discrepancies like this, especially when it comes to site work like pavement, lighting fixtures, etc., usually because something was overlooked during installation, not the design process.

Disstevefan1Mar 03, 2024

LOL. This is why I love these boards! 🏆

_calebMar 02, 2024

*concrete

Cmdr_CrimsonMar 02, 2024

How bout this....😏

Disstevefan1Mar 02, 2024

I don’t know what this means, but the mounds of cement the designers chose as lamp post bases in World Malformation in EPCOT was a tripping hazard and they looked ugly. It makes you wonder, did they run out of time and/or money and the cement mounds was just a cost cutting mistake? Maybe a CFTOD inspection flagged it and made them fix it? LOL! Whatever the reason, they are ending up spending even more money to correct it.

Cmdr_CrimsonMar 02, 2024

CntrlFlPeteMar 02, 2024

I found it crazy when I was there the other day in the way they had Pluto out in the walkway right across from Daisey (who was in one of the sections). Each time I needed to go through that area, I needed to dodge folks going between the two characters while the crowd is trying to walk in the walkway. Just looked/felt like a cluster that did not need to be.

SoFloMagicMar 01, 2024

Or just ban double wide strollers

HauntedPirateMar 01, 2024

That would make much more sense, and I sincerely hope your guess is correct and that there is work being done in that area to move the queue. Without a change in the queue placement, that walkway is going to be miserable during busier times. Even when it's not terribly busy, it only takes a few families and a few dozen people going each way to clog things up.

James AlucobondMar 01, 2024

If you look back at the plan from when the festival center was still a thing, it did appear to include the M&G oriented in that way (see below for flow). We basically have the exit area on the right, and I suspect they're working on some variation of the proposed queuing area right now, though it might ultimately be a bit more of a straightaway that also provides backstage access rather than what was originally proposed. I could be wrong, though.

HauntedPirateMar 01, 2024

That would definitely be a preferable area for that queue.

James AlucobondMar 01, 2024

I'm hoping they intend to swap the queue to the opposite side between the M&G and Coral Reef once that area is done. They're doing a lot of paving over there that wasn't in the original site plan, so I have to imagine it's in support of the M&G, which also wasn't in the plan.

HauntedPirateMar 01, 2024

I really wish they had better placement for the meet and greet. In its current spot, the line has a tendency to create a choke-point on that walkway when things are busy. Or when you have a couple of families with double-wide strollers and they don't see the need to move close to the side. ;)