Disney announced today (via this post on the Disney Parks Blog) that a land inspired by Marvel Entertainment is coming to California Adventure.  To make way for this land, A Bug’s Land will be closing later this summer.  While this isn’t unexpected news, this is the first confirmation that A Bug’s Land is closing to make way for a superhero land.

Marvel Land (although it won’t actually be called that) is expected to house two new attractions among other entertainment options.  I expect one attraction to be themed to Spiderman and a similar style to the Tron bike coaster at Shanghai and on the way to Disney World.  While this is merely a guess, many rumors point to it being the case.  I expect another attraction and probably a show at some point to join the land.  I think this superhero area will probably open in phases, starting in the summer of 2020.  Future additions will join Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT!  That’s about it as far as the news and conjecture goes.  Keep reading for my commentary.

As far as the addition of a Marvel Land goes, I’m pretty excited.  I think the land will feature fun attractions and the land itself should be pretty easy to make work thematically.  The land will not fit the park’s California theme all that well but that hasn’t been a point of emphasis for years.  That doesn’t mean it’s excusable but me complaining about it becomes pretty redundant.  Between Pixar Pier, Cars Land, and now a Superhero Land, California Adventure starts to feel less California and more like a park full of acquisitions Disney made.  That’s not great but the lands themselves should work, at least to a degree.

I also wonder what the land will look like.  Disney, and other parks, have been very specific in their themed lands of late.  While the attractions will be specific to an IP here, the actual lands look will be up to Imagineers.  I have a hard time believing it will be as breathtaking as Pandora or Cars Land but I’m interested to see where they go with it.

As for what Marvel will be replacing, I’ve been clamoring for A Bug’s Land to be replaced for years.  I’m not in the least bit sad that this area is leaving California Adventure and this was an obvious choice.  There is a bit of a hole left in California Adventure’s roster as there aren’t as many rides for younger kids now that this area is leaving.  With the renovations over the last decade, the park has set itself up to be in a better position than it was for the younger visitors.  Hopefully one of the new attractions in Marvel Land will have no height limit or, at least, one that’s fairly short.

The juxtaposition of eliminating A Bug’s Land while adding Toy Story Lands across the globe is funny to me.  A Bug’s Land was created to give kids something to do, as is Toy Story Land.  Even their themes contain being shrunk and seeing the world from a smaller viewpoint.  I do think Toy Story Land will be slightly more interesting than A Bug’s Land, especially in Disney World.  But both lands are created to do the same thing and one is deemed not good enough for a park while the other is getting added to a different park.  Unfortunately, I don’t think Disney sees the irony.  They are doing some things on the cheap while others are sparing no expense.  I understand that not every area can be a big budget project but I would like to see Disney invest heavily in an area and attractions that are accessible to every age.  The castle parks do a good job of this but it seems to be an afterthought in the other U.S. parks.

All in all, I’m excited for the upcoming Marvel Land and I think the removal of A Bug’s Land makes California Adventure stronger as a whole.  There are areas to nitpick about the project but I think this will produce some classic attractions.  I’m also happy to see Disney not resting once Galaxy’s Edge (Star Wars Land) opens.  They need to keep adding to DCA so that attendance isn’t even more heavily skewed towards Disneyland.  Along with that, I’m glad that Disney continues to invest in the parks.  The future is becoming more and more exciting for the Disney Parks.

Via the Disney Parks Blog

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Marvel Land and removal of A Bug’s Land?  Let us know in the comments.  Thank you for reading Wandering in Disney.  If you enjoy our content please subscribe to the blog (via WordPress or email) and like our social media pages.  You can find all of those things on the right side of this page.  Have a great day!

– Andrew