ORLANDO, Fla. – Celebrating 100 years, the Walt Disney Company will be opening a new attraction at EPCOT.
The immersive experience takes visitors into the world inspired by the animated Disney animated film, “Moana.”
Disney Imagineer Kate Worth is one of many team members spreading the magic at EPCOT’s newest attraction, “Journey of Water, inspired by Moana.”
“It’s been a long time coming, but we are so excited to finally be open,” said Worth.
This new land five years in the making is made up of tropical paths highlighting the water cycle from the sky to rivers and lakes.
And it’s interactive. Wave to the water and it may wave back. You can also swipe your hand through the rain harps to make music.
Every turn you take, every trail you track, every path you make, leads to rock formations revealing hidden characters and symbols from the hit film like Pua and Maui’s fish hook.
Keep your eyes peeled for chicken tracks. If you follow them, you may find Hei Hei.
“One of our not-so-small hidden characters is our Manta Ray in the rock formation. It represents Gramma Tala from the movie. She’s easy to miss, but once you see her, it’s magical,” said Worth. “We worked very closely with our partners at Disney animations studios to make sure our characters were correct and that we’re portraying them the right way and I think we’ve translated that very well.”
The hunt for hidden characters may grab the attention of visitors, but the attraction also offers edutainment, promoting water conservation.
Placards throughout the attraction describe different points of the water cycle and ways you can help protect shared water resources.
“We start with the rain, through streams and springs and rivers, to the ocean and each one of those scenes introduces a new educational element. So it might start a conversation such as ‘what can you do to help conserve water while you’re brushing your teeth,’” said Worth.
You can cool down in one of many shaded areas and water features like a splash pad. The waves symbols on the ground along the path signify an interactive experience opportunity.
“There’s a part of the attraction where you can work together as a group. If everyone steps on the wave signs lining the rock formation and raise their hands at the same time, it creates a special reaction from the water,” said Worth.
Don’t want to get wet? There is a dry route that still allows visitors to experience the attraction.
Just like the Wayfinder, Moana, the journey leads you to Te Fiti. The structure holds her arms out, protecting the water. The details are stunning, transporting you right into the movie.
“There’s a really great moment that signifies end of the attraction, just like the end of the movie, where Moana puts the conch shell on the top of a stack of rocks. We imitate that here so following those moments from the movie really ties it all together,” said Worth.
With so many immersive and interactive features, we had to ask about the inner workings of the attraction. Worth said there were dozens of teams made up of engineers, animators, special effects, production designers and construction workers involved in making ‘Disney Magic’ come to life.
“We love to take what might not seem possible and make it possible, and that’s one of the things we did here. We truly allowed water to be its own character as well as all the characters you might see from Moana,” said Worth.
Journey of Water officially opens on Oct. 16 at Epcot and there’s just no telling how far it’ll go.
Advice for first-time visitors of the attraction? Take. Your. Time.
“Take your time through this attraction because there’s so much to see with so many hidden details, so much to interact with and play with,” said Worth. “Every time that you come back, there’s going to be something new that you didn’t see before.”
‘Journey of Water, inspired by Moana’ is also ADA accessible with a wheelchair-accessible trail through the “dry path” and service animals are allowed. Across from the attraction, Moana may show up from time-to-time to greet visitors for pictures and a chat.
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