Walt Disney Imagineering has unveiled the earliest stages of its design process for Epcot’s new Moana-themed attraction, ‘Journey of Water’.
The upcoming experience at Epcot is taking shape, with Imagineering’s team now sculpting the rockwork before paint and further details are added.
In a post on Disney Parks Blog, Imagineering’s lead concept designer Reid Ekman described the attraction as an “immersive exploration trail” that will allow guests to “explore and engage with water as it travels from our skies to our oceans and back again”.
Walt Disney Imagineering has teamed up with artists and cultural consultants from Walt Disney Animation Studios to create Journey of Water.
“We were also inspired by Moana’s fierce determination to protect her environment – her bond with water is unique, and we are excited for guests to learn about the importance of water and experience its playful personality just as she did,” Ekman said.
Immersive exploration trail at Epcot
Familiar shapes and characters, including Moana, are being carved into the rocks and waterways throughout Journey of Water. Moana’s iconic spiral can be seen above.
“You can see the creativity rooted in storytelling that is coming to life, and I’m so excited about the work that [Ekman] and the team have been doing on this uniquely-Epcot attraction,” Disney Imagineer Zach Riddley wrote on Instagram.
Journey of Water, Disney’s first attraction based on its 2016 animated film Moana, is located within World Nature, Epcot’s neighbourhood dedicated to the natural world.
Epcot’s first-ever roller coaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, opened earlier this year as part of the ongoing transformation of the park.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a new attraction based on The Princess and the Frog, is opening in late 2024 at Florida’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in California.
Images: Disney
