Cast members previews for Walt Disney World's newest attraction are about to begin.
Cast previews for the new Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana walk-through at EPCOT are slated to continue through at least the first week of September, so look for a public opening not long after that.
Walt Disney World today shared a look at the nearly completed attraction via its social media.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana offers a decorated walk-through environment with several interactive water play elements. This is not a "sprayground" where you run through fountains or anything like that. The video shows a couple of the interactive water elements, such as passing your hand through water streams to sound musical notes and another experience where water fountains react to your arm movements.
The opening of Journey of Water brings Walt Disney World one step closer to finishing the latest round of changes at EPCOT, which has seen the expansion of the France pavilion in World Showcase, the conversion of the old Energy pavilion into a Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster and the reimagining of Future World into three neighborhoods: World Discovery, World Celebration, and World Nature.
For more on these changes as well as our reviews and advice for visiting the park, please see our Vistors Guide to EPCOT.
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@Russell: these are all valid concerns. As a father to a toddler, however, I’m looking forward to the diversionary stimuli and green environment that this is going to add, if only to serve as no more than a “plussed” way to get from Point A to B. But you and others on this site raise a good point: what does Disney stand to gain if this is marketed as an “attraction” when in fact it is simply a walkable path? I guess we will have to see what they have in store for us. But I think if they market this with limited fanfare (not likely lol) and as a nice place to come visit whilst enjoying the sights and tastes of their year-round festivals they could find a sweet spot with the public. But if they cram it down our throats as the Next Big Thing the online backlash will be swift and belligerent, way more than it already is I think. Have a trip booked for November so I’m hoping this is open by then.
Chapek really ****ed up the theme parks in ways that sadly probably won't be corrected for many decades. Consider the fact that before Chapek was in charge, Disney made areas for IPs that really weren't that universally loved, but the theme park lands are amongst the best things ever done in the theme park industry and still draw huge crowds to this day (Cars, Avatar etc).
Then here comes Chapek and totally botches Avengers (the biggest movie franchise of all time by box office) and completely screwed the pooch with Epcot. The saddest thing is this took like 4 years to build and probably a gazillion dollars.
Small potatoes
Meanwhile, Universal can build an entire park in a little more than the time it is taking for Disney to finish one walkthrough attraction.
In regards to this attraction, the topiary looks amazing. However, I am concerned with the upkeep of the water effects. Seems like it could be a headache once the attraction has some time under its belt and that many effects could need to be run at B-level or shut down entirely for maintenance.
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I still don't know what to make of this "attraction" other than a welcome change from the shade-less brutalist-style design that has dominated most of FutureWorld prior to the recent renovations. I worry that this is nothing more than a 5-10 minute diversion with a maze of paths delaying guests walking to more interesting parts of the park. There's been very little that has leaked from the recent play-testing, aside from a few photos here and there. This area certainly looks the part, but is it really worth any kind of time investment from guests who don't have little ones that might be engaged by the interactive water effects (assuming they are engaging). The jumping fountains in front of Imagination just steps away from this area are tough to beat in satisfying that young curiosity, so this has a high bar to clear.