Tonight at D23 Expo, Josh D’Amaro shared the news of two new attractions coming to DCA’s Avengers Campus. That includes the previously announced E-ticket ride and a brand new attraction. In this post, we’ll share the details as well as our commentary and reaction. Let’s get to the news!
Ready, recruits? The size of Avengers Campus at Disneyland will double with not one but two brand new attractions to suit up and fight alongside some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Construction on this expansion will begin next year.
Get ready for a multi-world adventure experience with Avengers Infinity Defense. Technology that allows the Avengers to jump between worlds has gone missing, and King Thanos is using it to wreak havoc everywhere. Recruits will travel to iconic locations like Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City alongside the likes of big, and small, heroes. You also just might find yourself face-to-face with King Thanos, too.
If you’re up for another mission, Tony Stark has one for you. And you know Tony, he always wants to try something new and exciting, and it’s going to make you feel like a Super Hero yourself. With the just announced Stark Flight Lab, you’re going to sit in two-person pods and deploy to a test station. Then a robot arm grabs your pod and starts whirling you around in a simulated flight.
And, a familiar face will join you at the Stark Flight Lab — Mr. Stark himself. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark for the attraction.
Update from SXSW
Robert Downey Jr. joined Imagineers on stage to give an update on the Stark Flight Lab attraction. In Stark Flight Lab, guests will sit in “gyro-kinetic pods” and roll along a track before stopping in front of a giant robot arm. This robot arm will hoist you into the air where you’ll make several high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and some other Avengers.
“Transferring from a track to a robot arm and then back again – nothing like this has ever been done before in a theme park, and we’re so excited about it,” Bruce explained. “Usually, we hide all the tech behind the scenes so you can focus on the story. Here, the tech IS the story, so we’re putting it front and center.”
One piece of tech that has become important to Tony Stark’s lore is his beloved little robotic friend, DUM-E. When Downey first visited Imagineering, he commented how much the robot arm for Stark Flight Lab looked like DUM-E, and that quickly worked its way into the attraction.
Using dancers and motion capture, the team made a “virtual mirror” to incorporate some of these movements into early ride mockups. The Imagineers want to make sure the robots in Stark Flight Lab feel as lifelike as possible, just like DUM-E.
And this is only just the beginning of what guests will soon see in Avengers Campus. “Even after we finish with the Flight Lab, I want to stay with you all for the long haul,” Downey told Feige and Vaughn amid screams from the crowd, “This isn’t a one-time deal. You need more me.”
Commentary
I will likely never be Avengers Campus biggest fan but adding two attractions is a surefire way to make it more interesting! Starting with Avengers Infinity Defense, this E-ticket ride has been teased since before Thanos snapped his fingers. There’s been several iterations at this point but it seems like Imagineering has finally settled on a concept and are now running with it.
The ride system and vehicle look very similar to the recently opened Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure in Tokyo DisneySea. That’s a great ride system if done right! Guests hop from scene to scene in a flying vehicle, interacting with screens and physical props. If you haven’t been on Never Land Adventure, think of a mix between WEB Slingers and Soarin’. It’s fun! As long as enough attention is paid to the transitions and details, I think this attraction will blow people away.
As for Stark Flight Lab, I’m not sure what to expect. This has a distinct Innoventions feel to it when it comes to the description and concept art. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad a 4th ride is coming to the land! California Adventure needs more rides that are worth doing. We will have to wait and see if this is one of them. I think the concept is pretty fun, having sort of an Epcot education wrapped in superheroes idea. But it could have a frustrating capacity and a truncated space to work.
Speaking of space, we know that Infinity Defense will go by the Quinjet. Stark Flight Lab is more up in the air. For a long time, Pandora has been rumored for the empty Stage 17 soundstage in DCA. That still makes some sense but when I saw the concept art here, I thought of that spot immediately. Honestly, it would fit better there than Pandora. There’s not a very long bridge to gap if between that space and the rest of Avengers Campus.
I should be clear that I’m just hypothesizing here. If you throw enough watermelons off a rooftop eventually one will hit the target, right? That space would lead to a quick addition, at least in terms of new theme park attractions. I think we’re still multiple years away from Infinity Defense though. Either way, it’s good news that Avengers Campus is getting more. Hopefully this will lead the land to having a better identity than it currently does!
Are you excited for these new Marvel attractions? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!
Categories: News, Rumors and Commentary
While that robotic arm ride looks fun, it also looks like it’ll make guests very nauseous and dizzy! Still, I’m glad DCA is getting more stuff. That park needs more love and better theming.