You'll Be SURPRISED by the CROWDS at the Moana Attraction in EPCOT

In a surprising turn of events — Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is open in EPCOT!

Journey of Water

This new attraction is part of EPCOT’s Transformation, and it’s a walkthrough, interactive experience detailing the water cycle in the world of Moana. We’ve seen Cast Member previews happen, followed by Annual Passholder and DVC previews, and now it’s open to the public as part of a soft open. We’ll tell you one thing — the people are excited to see this attraction!

Journey of Water was using a Virtual Queue system for guests to experience the attraction when we stopped by on October 6th — there was NO standby queue. Disney has shared that a virtual queue will be used based on demand and that a standby line will be used on days when demand is lower. We joined the queue and our estimated wait was 40 minutes. At 9:57 AM, we were called back.

©Disney

When we got to EPCOT, we noticed that crowds around the park seemed busy — but not unlike other popular days we’ve seen like Saturdays on festival days.

Morning Crowds

We headed over to get in line once our group was called back to find that it was busy but seemed extremely well controlled. Just take a look for yourself.

The Journey of Water – Inspired by Moana soft opening is a GO today! pic.twitter.com/IQkmD1bytW

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 6, 2023

When we finally got to the attraction, we noticed that there was a good amount of people inside, but it was manageable. Guests do seem to be lining up for photos at popular spots like at the entrance so crowds tend to gather there.

Inside the Attraction

However, it does seem like the crowds do move along. There is still plenty of room to walk and enjoy the features of the attraction.

Plenty of Room

There are definitely some sections more crowded than others. You can see the crowds here around the large Te Fiti section, but in other areas, it’s not quite as bottlenecked.

Here’s a look inside the new Moana attraction today as it’s soft opened to guests in EPCOT! pic.twitter.com/JEcTZhLY5t

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) October 6, 2023

Overall, we spent about 30 minutes in the attraction, but that could fluctuate depending on how interested your group is in the experience. We do recommend taking plenty of time to really take in the design around you though — we think it’s incredible!