All About Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
Written by Sue Mickelson (Also header photos are by Sue)
Facts at a glance:
| Park: Epcot. Location: World Discovery, behind Spaceship Earth and across from The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Height Requirement: No. Lightning Lane Multi Pass: No. Lightning Lane Single Pass: No. |
| Quick Notes: A self-guided walking tour through lush gardens with interactive water features. It is open from park opening to park closing and is beautifully lit after dark. Some areas may be closed during inclement weather. |
Disney Warnings: This is a walkthrough attraction, suitable for all guests. Disney does not list any warnings for this attraction. There are ‘Interactive Water Feature’ signs at the entrance and near particularly wet areas that include the following information:
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| Our Additional Cautions & Information: Sail shaped awnings are scattered throughout the area to provide shade, but it is an outdoor garden and fountain area with multiple unshaded areas. There is easy access to shade, but guests who need to totally avoid sun may prefer to experience the attraction during evening hours. The majority of the interactive elements involve only splashes or getting hands wet. There is a splash pad play area; guests playing in that area may get totally soaked. There is also an interactive waterfall which will stop if guests walk slowly through or put their hand out in front of them. Guests walking through quickly or standing in the waterfall will get wet. There are well-marked ‘Dry Paths’ for guests who choose to not interact with the water or who prefer not to get wet. |
| Length: Guests experience the attraction at their own pace and can spend as much or as little time as desired. |
| Special Needs & other info: Wheelchair & ECV accessible attraction. Signs advise guests using wheelchairs or ECVs to stay on the dry paths. Service Animals are permitted with caution; they must remain on the dry path. Audio Description is available. No handheld captioning; there is no narration in the attraction to caption. Children under 12 years must be supervised by an adult. There are wooden benches and seating ledges built into landscaping. Two single stall accessible restrooms with pull down baby changing tables located down a marked path near the middle of the attraction. Additional restrooms are available near the Coral Reef restaurant. There’s a drinking fountain with water bottle refill station inside the attraction. |
Overview of Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana in Disney World’s Epcot
Disney calls this a self-guided exploration trail where guests can play with water as it travels from the sky to the oceans and back again. The attraction is what Disney calls ‘Edutainment’ – educating guests at the same time as they are being entertained.
During the attraction, guests get the chance to interact and play with water in multiple ways. Some of the play opportunities are individual, and some require multiple guests to interact with the feature at the same time.
The Journey of Water starts with an area called Rain, then continues on through Stream, Wetland, Spring, Land, Lake, River, and Ocean before ending up at Sky to start over as Rain. Signs along the walkway give details about the journey of water and how it affects the environment in that area. The signs also include some conservation hints. Water features in each area reference the cycle of water in that area.
It is helpful to have viewed the Moana movie, but not necessary. The attraction environment is themed to the movie and includes multiple character references hidden in the landscaping.
Hint: See if you can find carvings of Baby Moana, Wayfinder Moana, HeiHei, Pua, Grandma Tala, Kakamora, Maui tattoo with his hook, Boat, Moana’s Boat, Baby & Adult Sea Turtles, Maui’s hook, Te Fiti carving, Heart of Te Fiti, Tamatoa, Moana’s seashell, Fish, Starfish and a few hidden Mickeys.
There is also a large depiction of Te Fiti, a major character in the movie. Water is an important character in the movie, interacting playfully with Moana and other characters.
Virtual Queue for Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana:
This attraction used a Virtual Queue during previews and in the first few days after opening in October 2023. Disney’s information for the attraction says Virtual Queue may be used during periods of high demand. IF Virtual Queue is in effect, guests who are present in EPCOT may join the queue throughout the day starting at 9 AM, using the My Disney Experience app. Guests can only join the Virtual Queue once per day. The Standby Queue will not be available when the Virtual Queue is in use.
So the Virtual Queue may or may not be in use on your visit. During the original opening, the attraction started as a Standby Queue, and when the crowds got heavy and the line got really long, it converted to a Virtual Queue. On a recent trip, the Virtual Queue was not in use. We were able to experience the attraction multiple times with no wait.
Queue and queue experience:
There is a meet and greet location for the Moana character to the left of the Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana attraction. When Moana is meeting, her line may look like there is a long wait for the attraction, but the attraction itself may have a short or no wait at the time. The entrance area is shaded with overhead sail awnings.
Queue Accessibility, Wheelchairs and ECVs for Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
The path is wheelchair and ECV accessible. It is wide enough in most areas for multiple guests using mobility devices and ambulatory guests at the same time. Mostly level without any hills. The pavement is themed with some texture, but not heavily textured. Guests using wheelchairs and ECVs are directed to stay on the dry paths, which are well-marked.
Additional details about Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
This is a walkthrough attraction with no preshow or ride. The landscaping does a good job of hiding areas outside the attraction. The only outside things visible are the Spaceship Earth sphere and the monorail track in specific areas where the landscaping is not high enough to hide them. Because of this, the attraction can provide a nice escape from the busyness of the park.
Lighting for Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
The attraction is well lit starting at twilight. Some areas are fairly brightly lit with soft yellow lighting. Others are more dimly lit with blue, red or yellow-orange lights either on the path or directed to highlight features. None of the attraction lights move, but guests may see moving lights from Spaceship Earth at times.
Music and Sounds in the Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana Area
Sounds include background music from the Moana movie, water sounds, nature sounds, crowd sounds. Kids in the splash area can get loud at times. Music and sounds from the World Showcase fireworks show and Spaceship Earth may be apparent at some times on parts of the path.
Take a look at a walk through of Epcot’s Journey of Water:
Here’s a recording of the relaxing sound of Journey of Water
This was recorded in the attraction after hours with evening lighting. It’s a nice overview of the music and sounds, and it’s a really nice way to relax and chill out!
Check out more rides and attractions in Epcot:
SEE RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN THE OTHER PARKS:
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