Greetings, Terrans! With just one day left before Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction blasts off, Disney cast who have had a hand in creating some specialty items tied to the attraction are eager for guests to finally see some of these treasures at EPCOT.
Much like our group of intergalactic outlaws, cast with a wide range of expertise were called into action to bring together these exciting new collections.
Each collection has its own important backstory to help support the storyline of the attraction, which is an extra layer that Thomas Scott, graphic design manager, enjoys putting into his art. “What you’ll see are products that are designed in the context of Xandarians having their first ‘other world’ showcase pavilion,” he shared. “It’s neat that this collection of products is all new and unique to this particular story.”
Amanda Luna, brand merchandising manager, also loves being part of guests’ memories. “My favorite part of my job is dreaming of and creating these ideas that become tangible memories for our guests,” she said. “It’s so fulfilling to see a child or an adult gravitating towards an item you had a hand in developing. Seeing the joy on their face gets me every time.”
For Maria Stuckey, product design manager, supporting the retro Guardians of the Galaxy: Through the Eyes of Quill collection meant more than taking a trip through time and space. “I grew up going to EPCOT in the late 80s with my family and it was always a special place for us,” she said. “Retro EPCOT was my happy place, so working on this line, I was able to think back to what I liked most back then and tie it to this story.”
Maria’s favorite part of the product design process is finding elements of the story that people love and bringing them to life with special design details – like a bag shaped like Star-Lord’s cassette player or using the same body of a vintage Figment mug from the Journey Into Imagination attraction’s original debut to illustrate Peter Quill’s first trip to EPCOT.
For these talented cast and “Guardians of the Galaxy” superfans, telling this story in a whole new way through these collections and being part of the guest experience is an adventure like none other in the galaxy. “Being able to play a small role in guests’ memories and make something that resonates with fans, it’s just…magic,” Maria shared.
To bring home some magical memories from the Wonders of Xandar pavilion on May 27, be sure to visit Creations Shop where you’ll find awesome new Guardians of the Galaxy-themed merchandise, including opening day merchandise. Keep following us here at the Disney Parks Blog as we prepare to launch this out-of-this-world attraction as part of the ongoing transformation at EPCOT.
