The One Day in November You’ll Regret Riding Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT

 

November brings about a slew of changes to Disney World as it sees the transition from spooky season to the holidays and a jump in crowd levels as everyone comes down to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

These changes not only impact the wait times for rides, but also how the ride operates, and there is one specific day in EPCOT you should avoid because it’s bound to be a big one for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

November 25th is a big day for EPCOT’s most popular attraction as it will transition to its holiday overlay! From then until January 6th, 2027, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will replace its regular soundtrack with one filled with holiday songs! These include:

• “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams
• “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra 8
• “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses

November 25th is a Wednesday, so you shouldn’t have to worry about the lines being too long, right? WRONG! This is also Thanksgiving weekend, so crowds will be at peak level. A new ride experience + holiday crowds = a disaster. You’ll have over a month to ride this attraction while it has a holiday overlay, so there’s plenty of time to do it without the large opening day crowd!

Now, if you do want to experience it on opening day, but don’t want to risk waiting in a long line, you can always purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for the attraction. On November 25th, the Single Pass for Cosmic Rewind will likely cost around $23-$25 per person.

This isn’t the only attraction with a holiday overlay at Disney World this year. Other holiday overlays include:

• Jingle Cruise: The World-Famous Jungle Cruise has officially transitioned to Jingle Cruise! During this overlay, skippers will tell holiday-themed jokes (yes, you can never escape the corny-ness of this ride) while scenes are decorated with holiday cheer!

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets – Obligatory Holiday Overlay: From now until January 6th, 2027, this Hollywood Studios attraction will play festive music throughout the courtyard and bring you into holiday rehearsal with Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd, Janice, Zoot, and Lips! The normal soundtrack of the attraction will change to a holiday version with the following songs:
  • Holiday Road – The Electric Mayhem ft. Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear
  • Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – The Electric Mayhem ft. Jennifer Hudson
  • Silver Bells – The Electric Mayhem ft. Cyndi Lauper

• Alien Swirling Saucers: Also in Hollywood Studios, the family-friendly attraction in Toy Story Land will get some new tunes! The intergalactic soundtrack will be layered with holiday-themed music, with Christmas-colored lights lighting up the attraction at night! This is available from now through January 6th, 2027! The songs included are Toyland, Deck the Halls, Swirling, Swirling Saucers, and Joy To The Swirl.

• Tomorrowland Speedway: For the Christmas Party, this attraction will transition to Tomorrowland Speedway Race Through the Holidays. Guests will be able to experience the ride decorated with trees and lights. While we don’t usually recommend this attraction, the decorations (especially at night) make this attraction worth it!

There are also some holiday overlays that are exclusive to Magic Kingdom’s Christmas event, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These include:

• Space Mountain: This thrilling attraction turns into Space Mountain – Holiday Run! during the party, playing Christmas music and featuring Christmas lights.
• Mad Tea Party: During the party, this attraction will light up with Christmas lights and holiday music!
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor: While the jokes won’t stop, they will turn festive, making your “ha, ha, ha’s” turn into “ho, ho, ho’s”

If you’re headed to EPCOT on November 25th, be warned that there may be high crowds due to a holiday overlay being added to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind on Thanksgiving weekend. Stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more Disney news, updates, tips, and tricks.

Know about the Disney World closures before you go! Check out the video below.

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Are you headed to Disney World for the holidays? Let us know in the comments below!