According to cast members who work at Epcot’s Universe of Energy, they have been informed by managers of a closing date for the Ellen’s Energy Adventure attraction.
If the cast members are to be believed, the attraction will shutter in January 2017 to make way for the rumored Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster attraction. The Guardians of the Galaxy ride is likely to be announced at the upcoming Destination D event by Bob Chapek according to internal rumblings at the company.
The Guardians of the Galaxy ride for Epcot was originally slated to be announced at Comic Con alongside the Mission: Breakout attraction replacing Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure. It seems as though the Epcot ride was simply not completely “green-lit” in time to make the announcement a dual one.
Do keep in mind that much of what you read above is still in the realm of rumor at this time (as is anything until finally confirmed by the Walt Disney Company), but with the rumblings growing stronger and stronger each day, it is seeming more and more likely to become a reality.
What part of Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow includes roller coasters?
EPCOT: Everyone Prefers Coasters Over Thought
EPCOT: Every Peanut Contains Original Trains
EPCOT: Energetic Pumpkins Officiating Tennis
What part of “the parks are not museums” do you not understand?
Agree 100% bro!
Actually, yes they are museums.
What part of this is not the 1980s anymore dont you understand
Yes it is still the 1980s and Disney needs to keep Epcot Center in the 1980s like Universal needs to keep its parks in the 1990s (get rid of HP and bring back Jaws, Kongfrontation, Nickelodeon Studios, and Back to the Future The Ride).
What part of EPCOT was ever an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow?
Like you, I enjoy the “edu-tainment” aspect of EPCOT & that was Walt’s original vision for the park. I’m perplexed by all the fanatics who want roller coasters so very badly…go to Universal, Sea World or Busch Gardens (they have plenty – and good ones at that!) Disney isn’t exactly known for roller coasters.
But if they are putting in a coaster, I can live with that, it’s the theme that bothers me most. I don’t see how Guardians fit the Epcot motif at all. UoE needs an overhaul of some kind (& I love the ride, always have, but it is old). Put Guardians in HS, at least there it makes sense.
And for all the trolls as I see there are many, yes, I do think the Frozen ride should be in MK with the other princesses (I don’t hate it but it again misses the point). And no, I don’t re-check comments so don’t bother replying.
Walt’s original vision for the park? He never had a vision for EPCOT as a park. His original vision was for a community that was separate from the Magic Kingdom. Making it a park was a compromise once he passed away, but nothing about EPCOT was ever Walt’s vision, so don’t use that as an excuse. Also I love how you assume anyone responding to you is a troll and not just someone that doesn’t agree with your views.
None of what RayMondo has any bearing on reality of the history or plan EPCOT…or what would make it much more profitable for that matter. Either way, the park needs updating and moreso, EXPANSION!
So sad as this is my favorite napping attraction during food and wine. While it is in serious need of an update it would have been nice to keep an energy focus. I’m concerned this new attraction will be more catered to IOA than anything Epcot related.
Well technically since it’s a roller coaster, it is about kinetic energy.
So you would rather it remain an attraction to sleep on, than become an entertaining ride based on a successful and well received property? Ok….
Maybe they’ll announce it at New York Comic Con–an announcement for each coast’s park at each coast’s Comic Con!
thrilled! UoE always has a place in my heart, but it’s time to move on, and I love me some Guardians!
Now it’s time for the middle aged WDW fans to lament about change in the parks as if they are the only ones who go….
I’m one of those middle age folks you’re referring to, and I personally welcome the change. Been going a long time and frankly EPCOT is boring now. It’s a theme park, not a museum. Give me something new to justify my AP!
I’m with you – I’m almost 46 and am enjoying the changes (some more than others).
I too am a middle aged grumbler. Put it in HS. Though I do hate Millennials more than I hate guardians.
It’s ok, Rick. Millennials hate you, too.
So excited. Ive been a passholder for almost two years now and living in Orlando I go to epcot once every two weeks or so. Its my fav park and I can say Ive never once have been on this ride and will be very happy to see it replaced …especially with Marvel.
Considering the Disney coasters are all I can get my now-11-year-old daughter to ride (she’s tall enough for everything but still won’t ride RnRC or EE though, and nearly nothing at Universal, darn it), I welcome this addition. And I guess we might try to ride Ellen’s ride a second time in December as a family farewell. We thought it was too long and boring the first time we rode (back in 2010) but we liked the Ellen parts (“Stupid Judy.”) and will bid her adieu. At least now my kiddo knows who Bill Nye and Ellen are. That said, we love us some Starlord and Groot!
More BS out of the “rumor mill” that isn’t going to happen. Also GOTG is a terrible film and all DC movies are better including Batman & Robin. Joel Schumacher needs to take over Marvel and make the heroes wear suits with nipples, carry credit cards, and show close ups of their butts.
*cough* troll *cough*
Nope. I’m serious. UoE isn’t going anywhere and All DC movies are better. People are stupid these days and need to have their tastes in movies dictated to them. More why Disney needs to be run by a dictator who will kill Marvel and ruin the actors careers.
Glad they are changing the ride. It was boring ride. You sleep though the last half of it.
Isn’t that the point? Cool dinosaurs and a nap sounds like a good idea to me!
Assuming it will happen, I’m genuinely curious as to how it will fit in to “future world”. To this point, there has been a loose theme of science and industry, and technically still is albeit with IP (looking at you Seas).
Looking at that side of the park, there is already a space themed ride, and test track, which has a rough future feel since the refurb. It wouldn’t take a huge leap of logic to conclude that they are splitting the front half into two distinct parts: future and present; or maybe technology and life? I highly doubt that either The Land or Nemo/The Seas are going to see any major changes considering the money they’ve put in building a 3rd theater for Soarin’, and the fact that Nemo/Dory are as popular as ever. The Imagination Pavillion is a wild card; hopefully they dont just abandon it.
I’m not opposed to GOTG and a new coaster, or even IP for that matter. You’d just have to think that they won’t abandon a boader theme completely. Just my thoughts.
Damnit…Can Disney open ANYTHING without closing something, or making ALL about advertising? I get they don’t hold the theme of the park, that train left long ago, but damn, everywhere is a construction zone of new marketing and sales centers (hard to call them attractions).
This reminds me of the famous Walt quote “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. Now get over it fanboy, daddy needs a new polo pony.”
Why not change Ellen’s Energy Andventure into a dining experience?!? Put in tables and chairs into the moveable theater cars. Let people eat and drink as they get escorted through the ride!
Epcot is no place for a guardians of the galaxy ride, if they want to build it anywhere building it in Hollywood studios, I agree that Epcot needs some updates, but I don’t believe this is the way to do it, they will be losing an iconic ride, it would be like tearing down space mountain in magic kingdom and the tower of terror in Hollywood studios
I agree with both sides of this story. I think that it would be bad to see Ellen go, but also think it is time for change. I think that before they get any ideas of taking Energy and Imagination down, they need to move food and wine and flower and garden from wonders of life to the abandoned parts of innoventions, and bring back life to WoL, wether it’s by tearing down the pavilion and build a new one, or if they refurb it and bring back something like body wars. But this is where WoL ties into Energy. They r right next to each other! If a new pavilion came to either of the 2 (especially WoL), we would likely see changes to the other. Honestly, Ellen is dated and REALLY needs a refurb. I just don’t think Guardians is the thing to do. I think they should include the more modern ways of how we get energy, and even include ways in which we use it. The thing about the GoftG ride is that we don’t know what it will be about. We know w it will be a roller coaster, but what if it is one that also has slow parts that inform and educate, or “edutain” guests about energy. I think that would be okay and also keep the theme – ENERGY. Thinking all of this has got me thinking what a mess Epcot is right now. But remember the slogan when EPCOT was about to open – THE DAWN OF A NEW DISNEY ERA. I think that starting 2017, will be the dawn of a new Epcot era. Instead of the old way of entertainment and education in Epcot, Disney could use characters, instead of people that aren’t well known, to “edutain” guests, with even a broader focus on education, but the characters themselves would be the “education” part of edutainment. While I am still talking about this, that would probably mean a whole new Seas pavilion, with Nemo still as the star and focus point, but Nemo teaching us about the oceans, instead of an ok attraction based of of the film. Disney can do this to all of Epcot (except SpaceshipEarth that ones great!). That will be the “true” DAWN OF A NEW DISNEY ERA.
i just went to epcot today and rode universe of energy and i gotta say that its very underwhelming the whole ride seems so dated including the 90s style of dismissing alternative sources of energy and heavily leaning on petro and coal(probally cause it was sponsered by exxon)i agree that UoE needs completely redone but not as a rollercoaster it would be awsome if they could use the classic building without demolishing it because it is so good looking but disney needs reinvent the wheel with energy and focus on alternative sourcesof energy and energy sources of tomorrow but if theh HAD to put in a licensed product how about tron it would fit in better with the look with test track and mission space and they could make it bout the energy that light cycles run on plus imagine the outside at night with the tron trim theme