The Moana walkthrough experience at EPCOT will be completed this summer, but Disney has not announced an opening date for the “attraction”. When it opens, guests will be invited to walk through an interactive experience where they will learn about the water cycle. The edutainment-style walkthrough will essentially utilize Moana and the presenting sponsor where guests will find nods to the movie throughout the experience.
While visiting EPCOT recently, we decided to take a lap on the monorail to get an elevated view of the construction zone. What we saw appears to be some of the finishing touches such as the installation of a welcome podium and safety signage. These types of things typically indicate the end of the construction timeline, but it’s too early to say when the attraction will be ready to open.
Water has been flowing as Imagineering tests the experience before opening to guests. It would make a lot of sense to have it open for summer, but with the rest of The Pit still much further behind in construction than Journey of Water, it’s possible that it will sit completed for some time. One signal that work is progressing well is the refilling of a pool that sits behind construction walls but isn’t necessarily part of the experience. It was drained as part of the construction efforts and refilled recently.
Making our way toward the entrance to the experience, we can see a lack of work on thematic details and a more concerted effort with regard to some of the tech such as lighting and other electronics. Essentially, the rockwork and pathways appear to be complete and the focus has shifted to finishing touches.
Here’s a look at the entrance to the experience, with a welcome podium and safety signage now installed. A crane has been used to block the logo for some time now, perhaps so it doesn’t draw the attention of guests.
Here’s a look back at the completed logo when the crane wasn’t being used to block it.
Here’s a closer look at the podium and safety signage. As you can see, at least a portion of the experience will be considered a pool or “interactive water feature”. The bathing load of the “interactive water feature” is 151 people. It’s not immediately clear if that is the capacity for the entire attraction, with the podium serving as a gated entry of sorts, or if that only applies to the splash pad areas throughout the attraction.
Nearby, a walkway has opened to guests that more directly cuts through World Celebration. If Disney chooses to continue a phased opening of the area, we could see Journey of Water opening in a couple of months. That said, it’s possible that Disney holds back on a reopening until later this year when the whole World Celebration area is ready to open. It’s worth noting that Journey of Water – Inspired by Moana is in World Nature.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!