Disney wants more Marvel theme park rides

By Sam Barsanti | May 28, 2017 | 6:59pm

Aux Features Film

Disney’s new Marvel-themed attraction, Guardians Of The Galaxy—Mission: Breakout!, finally opened at the California Adventure park this weekend, with The Hollywood Reporter saying that some fans had to wait in line for as long as seven hours just to experience what is essentially a glorified new coat of paint on the old Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror ride. Of course, it also has a brand new narrative component, with Rocket Raccoon leading guests through the fortress of Benicio Del Toro’s Collector from the first Guardians movie in an attempt to rescue the other Guardians from a trap while listening to classic rock songs and enjoying various Marvel easter eggs, so maybe the riders willing to wait all day just to spend a few minutes flying through space actually just wanted to avoid spoilers.

Whatever the reason, the ride is clearly a hit, and Walt Disney Parks And Resorts chairman Bob Chapek is now teasing that a lot more Marvel-themed rides are headed to California Adventure. This comes from Variety, which quotes Chapek as saying that the opening of Mission Breakout! is “just the beginning of what will become a bigger superhero presence” at the park. Chapek also notes that anything they do that’s related to Marvel will be “within the personality of Marvel,” so they supposedly won’t just cram Iron Man or the Hulk into scenarios that don’t necessarily make sense—even though an Avengers-themed It’s A Small World would be a lot of fun, especially if they get the real actors to sing the song.