Hi Laurence,
Thank you for visiting planDisney with your question.
EPCOT is one of my favorite theme parks at Walt Disney World! I very much enjoy a ride on
Soarin' Around the World, followed by a walk around World Showcase to see all the country pavilions! I am happy to help you think about planning your visit there.
There are a few ways that you can ensure a time window for experiencing certain attractions, Laurence. One thing for you to know up front is that all of these will happen the day of your visit, so there is no need to do anything ahead of time other than to familiarize yourself with these systems. You can use all of these systems, none of them, or mix and match a combination of these options!
In order to do any of these, Laurence, do be sure that you have
valid theme park admission as well as a
theme park reservation all set up in your
My Disney Experience account. Then you are ready to do any of the following!
The first option is to purchase
Disney Genie+ Service. You can purchase Disney Genie+ Service on the day of your visit. Once you have purchased Disney Genie+ Service, beginning at 7:00 a.m. you can make your first Lightning Lane selection. A Lightening Lane selection will give you a time to head to the attraction, and will allow you to experience that attraction with a shorter wait time. You will be able to make more Lightning Lane selections as the day progresses after you have used your current selection, or two hours after you made the last selection beginning at park open time. The link I provided earlier in this paragraph includes a link to discover which attractions at EPCOT offer Lightning Lanes.
The next couple of options are ways to experience
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This thrilling reverse-launch coaster sends you on a cosmic journey with the Guardians of the Galaxy! One way to experience this attraction is to request to join the
virtual queue. At certain times of day, listed on the website I just linked, you can request to join the virtual queue. If it is available, you will be given a boarding group number. Then, if and when your boarding group is called, you will be able to go and experience this attraction. Another possibility for this attraction is to purchase an
Individual Lightning Lane. This purchase would be for this attraction only, and you would have a time to head to the attraction. You can make this purchase at 7:00 a.m. on the day of your visit if you are staying at a Disney Resort Hotel or other select hotels. Other guests can make this purchase at park opening time.
I know that this is a lot of information, Laurence! The links I provided above have very good, detailed information about the Disney Genie+ Service, as well as about Lightning Lanes, Individual Lightning Lanes, and virtual queues. I suggest that you take a look at them to learn more about these options before you arrive.
I would love to help you plan more Laurence; however, I am limited in the space that I have to answer. Please feel free to write back with any further questions!
~ Mona Leigh