Walt Disney World Resort is testing a new pre-show protocol for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, aiming to manage crowding and improve the guest experience. The new measures follow years of complaints from Disney Park guests about issues, including loud outbursts and overcrowding, in the pre-show areas.
Inside Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, there are multiple pre-show rooms where guests experience different stages of the ride before entering the actual attraction. The first pre-show room, where Lightning Lane and standby guests merge, is spacious with several doors at the front. In this room, a pre-show video featuring Terry Crews plays, where he asks what citizens of EPCOT call themselves. The popular response among some Disney Park guests has been to shout “alcoholics!”—a reference to the “Drinking Around the World” tradition at EPCOT.
Once the first set of doors opens, guests proceed to the second pre-show room, where they are instructed to keep a safe distance from the walls. Guests are meant to spread out evenly in a circle. After the lights go out, guests experience a “hyperjump” to Xandar. When the lights turn back on, the walls disappear to reveal a spacecraft looking out at the galaxy.
However, rather than following the instructions, many guests flock to the right side of the room, where the doors to the final ride queue are. This behavior has made it challenging for Disney cast members to manage the flow of guests and maintain a smooth operation.
To address these issues, Walt Disney World Resort has implemented a new protocol that segregates Lightning Lane and standby guests in the pre-show rooms. According to WDWMagic, Disney cast members are stationed in the middle of both rooms, directing Lightning Lane guests to the right side and standby guests to the left side. This new setup enables Lightning Lane guests to proceed directly to the final queue before standby riders, ensuring a more organized flow of people through the pre-show and into the ride. Standby guests must now wait instead of rushing toward the doors.
Walt Disney World Resort has not released any public information about whether this new system will become permanent or if the park plans to implement additional measures to prevent crowding. Disney Parks fans have had mixed reactions to the new protocol, with some criticizing Disney for creating a pre-show layout that encourages dangerous crowding in the first place.
Theme park journalist Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin on X, formerly Twitter) shared original concept art showing that Walt Disney Imagineers had initially planned to include animatronics of Groot and Rocket Raccoon in the pre-show. However, these characters didn’t make it into the final design of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
you want people to look to the left? I have an idea
you want people to look to the left? I have an idea pic.twitter.com/OoPZsB3fcQ
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 29, 2025
Have you noticed any other operational changes at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park? Disney Dining would love to hear from you in the comments!
