I recently had the opportunity to attend a preview Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana as part of this year’s Destination D23 event which took place from September 8-10 at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort.
This attraction takes guests through the cycle of water with the help of Moana and her friends. It is easy to navigate as it follows a path: rain, stream, wetland, spring, and ocean.
Going into this attraction, I wasn’t too sure what to expect since there aren’t any similar attractions at Epcot or any of the other Walt Disney World theme parks. However, I was blown away in the best way by what I saw and felt.
Immersion
As one makes their way through the attraction, there are many installations for guests to interact with. They have the opportunity to listen to various nature sounds while flowing their fingers through various water streams. They can create a large wave of water by coming together and raising their arms. However, my favorite was the waterfall which one could walk through without getting wet.
Moana’s Friends
The amount of detail in this attraction is powerful. I had to revisit some parts multiple times just to feel like I completely experienced it all (and I probably still didn’t catch everything).
Don’t forget to look all around and down on the ground when making your way through. You may see some footprints leading you to Moana’s friend Hei-Hei or Maui by way of a fish hook engraved into a rock.
Keeping Dry
Although guests do have the potential to get wet if they would like, the attraction offers a dry path. Although I didn’t stay on the dry path, I remained dry (minus the water on my hands which I intentionally placed into some parts of the exhibit).
Topiary of Te Fiti
Although this entire attraction is stunning, the topiary of Te Fiti towards the end of the trail is truly awe-inspiring and a great location to take a photo.
Nighttime Glow
I recommend experiencing this attraction at sunset if you’re able to. There are various lights that glow in and around the various water areas making it even more beautiful and picturesque.
Overall Thoughts
This attraction keeps the values of Epcot at the forefront with its emphasis on learning in an immersive (and beautiful) way. It’s unlike any other experience at Epcot and is one that guests of all ages can enjoy. And, you can rest assured you’ll likely learn a thing or two about water conservation.
Be sure to check out our video above for a full walkthrough of this new attraction at EPCOT that officially opens on October 16, 2023!
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Jenna Clark is a freelance writer specializing in theme parks, travel, and commerce. In addition to ThrillGeek, she writes for Insider, Mashable, and The Knot amongst several other publications. You can usually find her at a theme park or on an airplane when not writing. You can follow her on Instagram @jennaelizclark and Twitter @jennaelizclark