BAY LAKE, Fla. – After guests help save the cosmic generator on the all-new attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, they might want to take home a souvenir.
The new family roller coaster attraction is currently in early previews but is scheduled to officially open to all guests on May 27 at EPCOT.
During an event last week, members of the media were among the first to take a look at the merchandise inside the Treasures of Xandar.
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The gift shop, located just around the corner from the ride exit, is home to a number of Guardians of the Galaxy merchandise including T-shirts, hats, bags, mugs, key chains and a specialty collection dedicated to everyone’s favorite tree-like character, Groot.
So why is it called the Treasures of Xandar?
The story of the shop is that Xandarians hired The Broker to operate the new merchandise location on Terra (Earth), which is home to several new product lines.
When the store opens it will be home to four different merchandise collections including the Heroes of Xandar Collection.
“One of the stories we have is rock stars. So, we know that the Guardians helped save Xandar in the first films, so in their eyes they’re the rock stars of the galaxy,” said Elisa Melchiori, brand merchandising manager at Walt Disney World. “We created a whole line of merchandise that is inspired by that rock style lifestyle including a great concert tee.”
[VIDEO: WATCH FULL INTERVIEW WITH DISNEY MERCHANDISING TEAM BY CLICKING LINK AT TOP OF ARTICLE ]
In addition to some rock star concert tees, the collection also features a red Star Lord jacket and helmet and a Peter Quill cross body mix tape bag.
One of the more memorable collections is Groot Through the Years, which celebrates the tree-like creature and his journey to becoming a defender of the galaxy.
“We know we have fans of baby Groot all the way to adolescents groups - to our adult group,” Melchiori described. “One of my favorites is this plush here. It is fully posable and we actually learned that Groot smells like cedar and cinnamon, so this plush is not only posable but scented as well.”
Other items in the Groot collection include T-shirts and even an “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” singing Groot bubble blower.
Another popular collection is going to be the Guardians of the Galaxy: Through the Eyes of Quill Collection, which feature retro silhouettes and graphic designs.
“Peter Quill visited EPCOT in the ‘80s,” Melchiori said. “We’re really inspired because Peter Quill when he was talking to Xandarians - he kind of still thinks this is the fashion, everything from the ‘80s. So, we wanted to take that inspiration and put together a full collection line that is inspired by EPCOT in the ‘80s through the eyes of the Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Many of the prints in the collection feature designs that guests might have seen at EPCOT in the ‘80s. The collection features shirts, mugs, frames and even a neon light.
The final collection is the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Honorary Guardians Collection. Honorary Guardians will be distinguished in their rank through the official Honorary Guardian colors of navy and gold paired with the Honorary Guardian emblem, which is proudly displayed on each item including hats, bags and shirts.
Treasures of Xandar will open with even more items when Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opens on May 27.
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