We recently had the opportunity to explore the new Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana attraction at EPCOT. The walkthrough experience was initially announced in 2019 as part of a larger EPCOT refresh and includes characters, imagery, and themes from the 2016 film “Moana.” No firm opening date has been announced, though Disney has previously stated that the attraction will open in “late 2023.”
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at EPCOT
We made a video documenting our latest trip through Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, and you can watch that below:
You can also click here for a full photo tour of the experience.
The experience is thorough and nuanced in its detailing and focuses on environmental themes. A sign at the entrance even tells guests that the trail “encourages us to protect the world’s water cycle.”
The walkthrough serves as an educational experience in addition to acting as an immersive and entertaining adventure, in some ways ringing true to EPCOT Center’s original goal of offering attractions that both inform and entertain.
Upon entering Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, guests quickly encounter a sign that informs them about the Earth’s water cycle, describing it as something that “connects us all.” An illustration of the water cycle is included on the right of the sign, with Moana appearing underneath it.
Before learning more about the Earth’s water cycle, guests come across signage that explains EPCOT’s water cycle.
Guests learn more about the intricacies of the water cycle as it’s illustrated on the initial sign throughout the rest of the attraction. Each part of the water cycle — rain, stream, wetland, spring, land, lake, river, ocean, and sky — serves as a themed section of the attraction, each part containing descriptive signage that explains that aspect’s importance.
It is in these sections that guests can interact with water à la Moana herself. Guests are invited to interact with and control water in several ways; from simple interactions like initiating a water feature by stepping on a prompt in the ground, to creating music by running their fingers through “strings” of water.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana offers both wet and dry paths, with the “wet” path certainly living up to its name.
Restrooms are also included in the attraction.
The attraction is delicately detailed, even subtly including imagery and characters from “Moana” in the rockwork. Heihei is included in this rock near the “Dry Path” signage in “blink and you’ll miss it” fashion.
Similar details are included throughout the experience. Moana, Kakamora, and the sea turtle as seen in the beginning of the film are carved into rocks throughout the attraction in varying degrees of subtly.
We’ve even noticed Tamatoa, Pua, and Moana’s boat depicted in the rockwork. Maui is also depicted in an incredibly subtle way; you’ll likely notice new characters, imagery, and details in each walkthrough.
More Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana Details
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is one the last major additions to debut as part of a years-long EPCOT refresh that also saw the openings of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France Pavilion and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind inside of World Discovery. CommuniCore Hall and Plaza and Dreamers Point are also part of the EPCOT overhaul; they, like Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, have no firm opening dates, though it is known that those locations will likely not open before Disney starts celebrating their 100th anniversary at EPCOT on September 22.
There are some rules that need to be followed in order to partake in the interactive water features in Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. They include:
- No food or beverages in the interactive water feature or on interactive water feature wet deck. Commercially bottled water in plastic bottles is allowed on the interactive water feature wet deck for interactive water feature patron hydration.
- No glass in the interactive water feature or 50 feet from unfenced interactive water feature.
- Bathing load: 151 persons
- Children under the age of 12 must have adult supervision
- Do not swallow the fountain water, it is recirculated
- Do not use fountain if you are ill with diarrhea
- For safety, diaper age children must wear swim diapers
Did you enjoy our video tour of Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at EPCOT? Will you be checking out the attraction when it opens later this year? Let us know in the comments.
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