By the time this blog post is published, Journey of Water inspired by Moana will officially be open to all guests, showing us more progress on the much-anticipated updates of EPCOT. Over the last few weeks, media, Cast Members, their family and friends, and more recently, Disney Vacation Club members and Annual Passholders were able to preview this “lush exploration trail” that allows guests to “play with magical, living water” through an immersive, self-guided walk-through attraction.

My wife being a cast member herself, I was fortunate enough to preview Disney’s newest attraction last month. In short, we had an incredible time and I absolutely cannot wait to show my parents this attraction when they come visit.

A Different Type of Blog Post

While I’ll be discussing my thoughts here, this is not a review of everything inside Walt Disney World’s newest attraction. There’s already plenty of great reviews you can find both on social media and on Google (and I highly encourage you to do so if you want to learn more about it!).

Instead, I want to share my thoughts on Disney’s direction with the EPCOT that many of us (myself included) adore so much. Long before the inception of Disneyland in Anaheim, Walt Disney always prided himself on constantly making his creations better, tweaking little things here and there until those changes added up to something substantial. It’s for that reason that the style and the medium of his early animations went through so many changes as newer and newer technology was being developed. It’s also for that reason why so much changed in the first decade of Disneyland’s life.

I also want to share my thoughts on how Journey of Water is a wonderful way to take care of your mental (and as a result, your physical) health. As a practicing physical therapist, I’ve come to learn how seemingly unrelated factors (such as stress, relationships, sleep, diet, work, and living environment) all affect your physical health. Because of this, it’s my goal to share the many ways you can take care of your mental health (as it relates to Disney, of course).

If you like what you read, go ahead and like my post and share it with your friends. If you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas you would like me to blog about in the future, feel free to leave a comment down below!

Ready? Here we go!

The Crux of EPCOT Center

Upon entering the park, many guests walk past the dedication plaque upon which is inscribed:

To all who come to this Place of Joy, Hope, and Friendship

Welcome

Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney’s creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.

May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.

E. Cardon Walker

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Walt Disney Productions

October 24, 1982

“Entertain, inform and inspire… instill a new sense of belief and pride…” While the EPCOT Center of 1982 took a much different direction than what Walt originally planned, its core values were still very much inspired by Walt: educational entertainment (dubbed edutainment) through technological progress.

The focus on edutainment was so pointed that there was no Disney IP featured in the park – not even Mickey Mouse.As technologies changed and ideas shifted, our beloved characters started showing up and (to many guests’ demise) attractions were drastically updated or closed. The last decade arguably saw Disney taking steps away from its original founding pillars of edutainment.

A Return of Edutainment… Could it be?

Unlike Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which seems to poke fun at EPCOT’s history of edutainment, Journey of Water takes a step back toward what EPCOT was founded on. Guests get to walk through an environment that engages and educates us about the water cycle and how it sustains our world, specifically by showing, telling, and most of all, interacting. The beautiful rock work, cool misty air, and lush colors draw us in. The characters and music of the beloved Moana franchise keeps us engaged. Each section allows us to interact with and learn from the water. And finally, the signage at each section educates us, adding a layer of depth for guests who want to learn more. Edutainment in a nutshell!

It’s worth noting that this is not a Moana attraction that teaches you about the cycle of water. This is an educational walk-through attraction that incorporates the most relevant aspects of Moana – and does so in a tasteful, natural way. As Zach Ridley said in an interview with Gizmodo.com, the signs “guide guests through the cycle of water in fun and engaging ways to tell our story of the vital link we share with water across our planet, and inspire the important role we all share in preserving this life-giving and life-sustaining precious resource.” 

Entertain? Check. Inform? Check. Inspire? Check.

A Safe Place to Land

As my wife and I wandered through the attraction, we marveled at the detail of the rockwork, were drawn in by the use of color, and were in awe of each interactive section. Paying attention to each aspect of Journey of Water allowed us to peel back the different layers that individually, are great on their own, but when put together, make an even better attraction. It’s this aspect of Walt Disney Imagineering that inspires me to put this level of effort into my own work. Think of it like a mental reset, where I get to readjust my life perspective for the better.

Instill a sense of belief and pride? Check.

In the “Disney bubble,” where so many guests come to escape their worries, I also find that Journey of Water is an escape from the escape. Walt Disney World can be a bubble of stress from the planning, parking, long lines and big crowds, heat, and upset children. Journey of Water offers a secluded safe space to clear your mind and stay only in the present.

However, I’m just one person. Because of the attraction’s layers, it’s accessible to all guests: the kids are drawn in by familiar characters and as a corollary, parents and grandparents are drawn in by the stress-relief of letting their children wander in a small area. The detail draws in guests that appreciate Disney’s attention-to-detail, the interactivity draws in guests of all ages, the educational signs draw in those who want to learn more – there’s so much this attraction offers to provide mental relief for all ages.

On the flip side, because of its layers, some will see Journey of Water as a splash pad, others as a pleasant walk-through to cool down, some as a learning experience, some as a homage to Moana, and others as a mix of all of these things. 

And that’s okay. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was WDI’s intent. In the end, EPCOT Center’s core values are still intact despite its more recent changes. It still entertains, informs, inspires, and instills belief and pride in our ability to offer hope. 

It’s worth noting that Journey of Water inspired by Moana is not a detailed learning experience on the level of EPCOT’s previous pavilions like the Living Seas and Universe of Energy. It is a successful combination of interactivity, entertainment, and a smidgen of education that will resonate with guests of all ages. And while Journey of Water is a great nod to the park’s legacy of edutainment through innovation, it is also a glimpse of what is to come.

Thank you so much for reading! If you like what you read, go ahead and like my post and share it with your friends. If you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas you would like me to blog about in the future, feel free to leave a comment down below!