Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is a Beautiful Addition to EPCOT
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is finally open! Announced in 2019, construction was delayed until 2021 thanks to the pandemic.
This attraction is a beautiful addition to an area of EPCOT hidden by construction walls for far too long. My family really enjoyed our time exploring Journey. Unfortunately, it felt crowded during the soft opening. I hope that we’ll have more peaceful visits once the newness wears off. Yeah, we can hope.
Note: Click or tap any attraction photo for a larger view.
What is Journey of Water?
Explore the wonders of water along a lush trail that’s fun for all ages—based on the Disney animated film Moana.
Official Disney description
Journey of Water is a self-guided trail that explores the global water cycle. Interactive water features immerse guests in that cycle. The different sections are:
- Rain
- Stream
- Wetland
- Spring
- Land
- Lake
- River
- Ocean
- Sky
Where is it?
Journey of Water is in the shadow of Spaceship Earth, very close to the entrance to The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
Will You Get Wet?
You can stay as dry as you like. Each section has areas where you can interact with water. Other than a kids’ splash area, none of them will get you drenched. Additionally, guests can opt for a dry path whenever there is the possibility of getting wet. I imagine most people will opt for the wet paths during Orlando’s brutal summers. In fact, we didn’t see anyone opting for the dry paths in October.
How Do You Get In?
October 19, 2023 edit: It looks like the virtual queue hasn’t been used since opening day. This could change during busier times (Thanksgiving and the holidays), but for now, enjoy being a little more spontaneous at Walt Disney World!
Like all new Disney attractions, you’ll most likely need to sign up for the virtual queue to enjoy Journey of Water. However, unlike TRON and Cosmic Rewind queues, you can only join once you’ve scanned into the park. So don’t worry about setting your alarm for 6:55 AM. We entered EPCOT at 11 AM last week and snagged a return time for early afternoon. There could be times when a virtual queue is not needed for entry, however.
The queue wrapped around the side of the attraction toward Spaceship Earth. It moved steadily, and we were walking the trail within minutes.
Journey of Water is Educational
No, you won’t be required to dive too deeply into water (see what I did there), but you might learn a couple of things as you journey through Journey. At the very least, you’ll be able to teach younger guests about the importance of the water cycle. In addition, informational signs offer advice on how you can make a difference at home.
Honestly, we didn’t see many guests reading the signs. The water features were too enticing. I can imagine walking through at slower times and reading everything. It wouldn’t take very long.
Alright, Let’s Get Into the Attraction
Journey of Water begins with a beautiful mountain adorned with the Heart of Te Fiti. Imagineers did stunning work creating the mist-cloaked monolith. I had a difficult time getting a photo of the mountain without its misty clouds, but I love the effect.
Water features respond to guest interactions quickly and easily. If anyone has tried getting a 50th Anniversary Statue to react to your wildly waving arms holding a MagicBand+, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much more easily the water responds to your movements in Journey. For example, these water “strings” play musical tones as soon as your hand touches them. You’ll notice they light up your fingers with pastel colors, as well.
As you can see, Journey drew decent crowds during the soft opening. I assume those crowds will remain consistent with what you see in these photos, at least for the foreseeable future. I wish I could’ve taken photos of an empty attraction, but that obviously wasn’t in the cards.
Stream allows guests to wave at the water, which will “wave” right back. This area has a beautiful backdrop, Spaceship Earth. I love the juxtaposition of that geodesic sphere with the rocks, moss, and trees that make up Journey.
The hanging pots are more than decoration. They house the sensors that enable you to interact with the water.
Spring ups the interaction considerably. Guests are instructed to hold their hand over the water spring, moving it up and down. The fountain will match the height of their hands. Again, the responsiveness of the water was incredible. No MagicBand+ required.
Land invites guests to walk through mountain caves that house rain curtains. You won’t even feel a drop if you walk slowly. But sprinters will definitely get wet. This was a very popular spot with younger guests who kept running back and forth. I can’t blame them. It was a hot day.
As usual, a dry path is also available.
Te Fiti
Next up is Lake, the masterpiece of the entire attraction.
Ah, Te Fiti. She is stunning. This area doesn’t have any interactivity, but none is needed. I wish there was a park bench in this section. I’d sit here for hours. A PhotoPass photographer is available to snap your photo in front of Te Fiti.
River comes next. The jumping water is a nice touch, but this area doesn’t have the same impact as Lake or the upcoming Ocean.
Ocean is the grand finale to Journey. Jumping water, a splash pad, and the best water interaction of the entire attraction are in this area. If you want to get wet, this is the place for you.
Also, keep an eye out for rock carvings of your favorite Moana characters throughout the attraction. I need to go back when it’s less crowded so I can get more photos. For now, here’s Moana looking fierce.
That Ocean water feature? Yeah, it’s impressive. Gather some friends and feel the power of some serious waves.
Journey of Water finale. My favorite area other than Te Fiti. Video does not have sound. pic.twitter.com/fX1C4rgA3e
— Diservations (@diservations) October 6, 2023
Closing Thoughts
I was mildly surprised when Disney announced Journey of Water was coming to the area formerly known as Future World. But it works. Some think this attraction would be a better fit for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I disagree. Journey might not look like what we’re used to seeing in EPCOT, but the educational entertainment it provides definitely feels like EPCOT. And while its aesthetics match Animal Kingdom’s, it is completely devoid of animals.
I don’t imagine this will be a must-visit attraction for everyone. I’m cool with that. I’ll walk through whenever I tire of the crowds. Just like when I pet goats in Animal Kingdom.
