A group of Walt Disney World Resort guests and Disney cast members gave each other a fright during a Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind evacuation. The guests fled the broken roller coaster through the incorrect emergency exit and ended up in a backstage area where EPCOT employees were taking their breaks.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is EPCOT’s newest attraction. The first-ever reverse launch coaster at a Disney theme park, the attraction takes guests from a guided tour of the Xandar Pavilion into a soundtrack-backed battle to protect the galaxy alongside Star Lord, Groot, Drax, Mantis, Rocket Racoon, and Gamora. Each individual roller coaster car spins 360 degrees so guests can stay focused on the action.
On Thursday, Inside the Magic reported another Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind evacuation. In this incident, all the screens on the ride “went black,” and hundreds of guests were forced out of the ride’s queue. Disney cast members weren’t permitted to comment on what shut down the indoor roller coaster.
According to Redditor u/klfet, a similar incident occurred in April. Disney Park guests were waiting to ride when the smoke alarm suddenly blared, forcing hundreds of riders to evacuate the building.
The guest and their immediate neighbors were in the tight queue hallway after the roller coaster’s pre-show and couldn’t see any Disney cast members. They followed their instinct and used the nearest emergency exit, accidentally ending up backstage.
“We were in the last room before squishing down the hallway,” the Disney Park guest recalled. “We went out [an] emergency exit & a lot of [cast members] were sitting out back on break (or so it appeared). They were rather surprised to see a bunch of us.”
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened shortly after the incident. Whenever the attraction shuts down, guests with timed Virtual Queue windows or Individual Lightning Lane time slots are automatically granted an all-day pass to return whenever the roller coaster opens.
When evacuating a Disney Parks attraction, it’s best to listen to Disney cast members’ instructions. However, finding the nearest marked emergency exit is the next best thing if you can’t see or hear a Disney cast member. Always proceed calmly to the doors and don’t push other guests; allow everyone to evacuate safely.
Have you evacuated a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort attraction? Share your experience with us in the comments.
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