Previews For New Moana Ride At Disney World To Start SOON
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on July 12, 2023 at 1:01 AM EDT
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is going to be one of the newest attractions at EPCOT in Walt Disney World.
The company has referred to Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana as a “lush exploration trail” which will allow Guests to “play with magical, living water.”
According to the Walt Disney World website, Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana will open in “late 2023". Although an exact date has yet to be announced, it seems Cast Member previews will begin this month -- meaning the ride could open to the public before the end of summer.
Cast Member Previews Announced For Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
According to reports, Cast Member previews will run from July 25 through August 19. Typically, when a new Disney World attraction gets ready to open to the public, Disney will hold Cast Member previews so that a select group of Cast Members can experience the ride before it officially opens. This also allows Disney to work out any kinks or other issues that may not have come up during construction.
After Cast Member previews, Disney typically holds Annual Passholder previews, followed by the official opening of the new attraction or ride. Although an exact date for the opening of the new attraction has yet to be announced, the fact that Disney is holding Cast Member previews this month means that the company is getting ready to open it to the public.
What Is Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana?
In 2019, Disney World announced that the all-new attraction, themed after the story of Moana, would be arriving at EPCOT in the future. The new attraction is called Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana and, according to Disney officials, will be the “first-ever experience inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ hit film [and] will let Guests interact with magical, living water in a beautiful and inspiring setting.”
Disney World describes the upcoming attraction as:
Stroll along a self-guided outdoor trail where you can play and interact with water as it travels from the sky to the oceans and back again. Along the way, learn about the importance of water and discover its playful personality—just as Moana did on her heroic voyage.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is scheduled to open within World Nature—the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty and balance of the natural world.
The company also previously stated that the new attraction is “designed for all ages" and "will allow guests to explore and engage with water as it travels from our skies to our oceans and back again.”
“Fans of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 'Moana' will be delighted to see familiar shapes and characters carved into the rocks and waterways throughout Journey of Water," the company stated. "A great example of this is Moana herself, who will be positioned proudly – celebrating water’s arrival to our ocean.”
The upcoming attraction is based off of the hit film, “Moana,” which stars Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Rachel House (Gramma Tala), Temuera Morrison (Chief Tui), Jemaine Clement (Tamatoa), Nicole Scherzinger (Sina), and others. The film is currently streaming on Disney’s streaming service, Disney+.
An exact opening date for Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana has yet to be announced.
