What We Know So Far About EPCOT’s ‘Journey of Water Inspired by Moana’

EPCOT is currently undergoing the largest renovation project in the park’s history, which has already reimagined the former Future World into three new distinct neighborhoods, World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature. We have already seen updates come to World Celebration, which includes the park’s newest dining addition with Connections Cafe and Eatery, as well as World Discovery, which will open EPCOT’s newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind later this month. What’s coming up for World Nature, though? This neighborhood’s main new attraction will be Journey of Water Inspired by Moana. Here’s what we know so far.

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While considered an attraction, Journey of Water Inspired by Moana is a walk-through experience, perhaps most comparable to the animal walking trails in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or something like the Swiss Family Treehouse in the Magic Kingdom, albeit with potentially more immersive theming.

It should also be noted that while other areas of EPCOT’s current renovations are quite visible to Guests visiting the park, Journey of Water’s construction progress remains entirely walled off so it can be difficult to see where it is from inside the park (though you can see some views of rockwork being installed from the monorail). The attraction will basically be located on the site of the former Innoventions within what is now World Nature approximately in between The Land Pavilion and The Seas With Nemo & Friends.

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Journey of Water is set to take its cues from both classic EPCOT principles as well as Moana (2016) in a way that should provide peak “edutainment” to Guests visiting World Nature. Once on the path at the attraction, Guests will experience a natural environment focused on the importance of water by both seeing it firsthand and through its use in the storytelling seen in Moana.

Disney Imagineer Zach Ridley recently spoke to Gizmodo, where he discussed the future of EPCOT, and the upcoming Journey of Water attraction sharing some thoughts on the new attraction, “…These [are] themes that Epcot uniquely can bring. We do have an entire greenhouse on Living With the Land, the showcase of all that technology. With Journey of Water—this is a good example of how Epcot and Disney intellectual property come together. Journey of Water inspired by the Moana is another experience that’s coming as part of the vision. And that’s in the World Nature neighborhood, which is on the other side of the park that’s adjacent to The Seas and The Land.”

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With so much focus from a publicity standpoint remaining (understandably) on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and other EPCOT projects that are either further along in construction or have already opened, we have not heard too many additional details on the Journey of Water, but Ridley did share some additional insight on what Guests can expect to see in the attraction.

“You actually get a chance to meet water the same way Moana meets her friend water in the film, and we have some really fun experiences as you move through this trail that are totally unique, invented for this, Ridley explained, “But the underlying subject is really the importance of preserving water, like the cycle of water, the fact that all water is essentially finite, and it’s important for us to understand its role and to preserve it as a resource, so we’re able to use elements from Moana’s story.”

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Even without all of the details released, we can tell from Ridley’s comments that the trail will offer interactive experiences for Guests to learn about the cycle of water and to see more of Moana (who has rarely been featured at Walt Disney World, so far only as sporadic character meet and greets and as a segment in Harmonious).

Walk-through attractions tend to be less popular among Guests than rides (just look at every Guest who claims to have done everything in Animal Kingdom but missed seeing most of the animals). The creativity that seems to be a part of the Journey of Water, however, combined with interactive elements Imagineers come up with could make this attraction a true hit for Guests when it opens in EPCOT.

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And, despite the inclusion of IP, we’ve already seen lots of classic EPCOT inspiration popping up in the newly redesigned areas of the park, so the combination of entertainment and education that Imagineers hope to present with Journey of Water could be just what this section of EPCOT is missing.

“The EPCOT story is about water and its conservation; that idea is rooted in real ideas, real things that inspire us but then actually take you into that experience. That’s what we think the unique space of EPCOT can bring to life,” says Ridley.

So far no opening date is confirmed for Journey of Water, but we will have updates for you here on Disney Fanatic as Disney releases official details on the new attraction. In the meantime, be sure to visit the new Connections Cafe and Eatery, and plan to experience the park’s newest thrill ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind when it officially opens on May 27, 2022.