ORLANDO, Fla. — Epcot’s newest ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, rockets riders through space on a Guardians-led mission to save the galaxy.

​The coaster officially opens to the public on May 27, but Spectrum News was given a chance to experience the attraction early.

The adventure begins at the Wonders of Xandar Pavilion, the new “other world” pavilion at Epcot. The backstory is that the people of Xandar have chosen the park as the place to showcase their culture, history and technology.

Visitors first enter the Galaxarium, which looks very much like a planetarium with planets, stars and other space visuals showcased overhead.

From there, visitors will venture into the Xandar Gallery where various objects are on display, including clothing, a model of a starship as well as a model of a Xandarian city.

There’s also a part of the gallery that has segments from the fictional “Good Morning Xandar,” where the Guardians are interviewed about their adventures.

Part of the Xandarian’s exhibit involves a demonstration of their “cosmic generator,” which creates jump points and allows people to travel through time and space very quickly. This part of the pre-show, located in the “Phase Chamber,” features a number of special effects and a “wow” moment.

Of course, the demonstration doesn’t go quite as planned, when the villain of the story, a Celestial by the name of Eson, shows up to use the cosmic generator for his own sinister purpose. That causes the Guardians of Galaxy to arrive to take riders on a galactic mission to stop him.

Visitors will board ride vehicles called Starjumper shuttles for their action-packed journey through space.

The trip is punctuated by an “Awesome Mix,” a soundtrack comprised of six songs from the 70s and 80s. The list includes songs such as “Conga” by Gloria Estefan, “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, and “I Ran” by A Flock of Seagulls. A different song will play on each ride, giving riders a different experience.

But one of the coaster’s most unique features is probably its innovative ride system, referred to by Disney as an “omnicoaster.” It’s an advancement of the company’s omnimover system that has been used on attractions such as Haunted Mansion.

For Cosmic Rewind, the tech means the ride vehicle have been programmed to rotate riders toward the action along the track.

“We really wanted to make sure our guests are focused on the action, so that programmability allowed us to make sure as you’re rotating, you’re really focused where the action is happening,” said Ashley Levine, the attraction’s projects control estimator. “We did make updates to ensure we maximized your involvement in the story.”

This helps with the storytelling aspect of the attraction. Remember, you’re learning about the Xandarian people when something goes awry and the Guardians seek your help on a time-sensitive mission.

Fair warning for those prone to motion sickness: After riding Cosmic Rewind, you might feel a bit wobbly.

To heighten the thrills and the storytelling, the coaster also has a mix of practical sets and effects, as well as projection mapping technology.

“Disney is known for having actual, practical illusions and sets,” said Bette Lombardi, projects coordinator. “So to be able to marry-in the media projection along with very real elements, it makes it more real. It makes it feel like you’re really there.”

Cosmic Rewind marks a number of firsts for Disney. It’s the first coaster at Epcot. It’s also the first Disney coaster to feature a reverse launch. Not a first, but certainly worth noting: It’s one of the longest indoor coasters in the world.

Those who are fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy films will recognize some familiar faces. Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot are featured. Glenn Close reprises her role as Nova Prime Irani Rael. And a new face to the Guardians world is Terry Crews, who takes on the role of Centurion Tal Marik.

Cosmic Rewind is located the area that previously held the Universe of Energy. (Remember Ellen’s Universe of Energy?) And although the new attraction is tied to Epcot’s future, visitors may notice references to the park’s past.

“This was clearly a different attraction before we made it into the Wonders of Xandar Pavilion,” Lombardi said. “So we do little nods and Easter eggs and some jokes and punch lines here and there that will definitely reference back to older attractions, but also to other new material and content that also ties into this new Guardians of the Galaxy story.”

Some of those references are made during Star-Lord’s interview on “Good Morning Xandar.” He visited Epcot as a child, you see, so during the segment he mentions energy and dinosaurs.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind arrives amid Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration and Epcot’s massive, multi-year transformation.

Other new additions at Epcot include a re-imagined entrance, new lights on Spaceship Earth, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at the France pavilion, the Space 220 restaurant and the “Harmonious” nighttime spectacular. Up next in Epcot's transformation is Journey of Water, a walkothrough attraction inspired by the Disney animated film, "Moana."