It’s finally time for Captain America — and Avengers fans — to say, Avengers, assemble! After a delay of almost one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure Park has now opened.
“Avengers Campus is a place where fans and guests can finally step into the universe they love, and stand alongside some of their favorite heroes,” Dave Bushore, vice president of Franchise Creative & Marketing for Marvel Studios, said in a statement. “The optimism inherent in Avengers Campus captures the diversity, power, and teamwork these extraordinary characters possess, and now they come together to unite people from all over the world under one guiding principle: We are stronger together.”
A Unique Setting
“We’re excited to finally open up the gates and let everybody in,” Scot Drake, a portfolio creative executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, said earlier this week, an Associated Press story reports. “We had 70-plus years of stories and amazing characters to pull from, 23 epic films, and for us, it was, ‘What is the best way to get our guests right in the middle of those stories, right in the middle of the action?’”
An Orange County Register article explains that “The land’s backstory puts visitors in an old Stark Motors warehouse district repurposed into a high-tech superhero training campus.” It goes on to further explain, “Aging brick buildings covered in graffiti and blast-proof doors leading to the former Strategic Scientific Reserve are juxtaposed next to the shimmering stainless steel future-leaning architecture of Avengers Headquarters and Pym Tasting Lab.”
Things To Know
There’s a lot to see and do at Avengers Campus. Here’s a quick look at what visitors can expect, as well as some tips to get the most out of a visit.
Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure
Tom Holland reprises his role as Peter Parker in Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. But there’s one problem: Peter Parker accidentally turned on the self-replicating mode of a spider-bot.
“Embark on an action-packed adventure alongside the amazing Spider-Man! When Peter Parker’s helpful but otherwise buggy Spider-Bots get stuck in replication mode and escape from a WEB Workshop, Spider-Man must stop the rampaging robots before they wreak total techno-havoc across Avengers Campus,” Disney Parks explains. “Problem is, they’re rapidly leveling up and becoming tough to beat!”
Here’s how visitors will help Spider-Man: First, they’ll board a “WEB Slinger vehicle.” Then, during the ride, they’ll sling virtual webs from their wrists — using motion-sensor technology.
Pro Tip: There is no standby line for this attraction. Instead, there will be “virtual queue enrollment times” twice each day. The first is at 7 a.m. — you can enroll from your hotel room for this one. The second enrollment time is at 12 p.m. — subject to availability. Check here to learn how the virtual queue works.
Spider-Man Stuntronic Show
Fans of Spider-Man are in luck. Everyone’s favorite web slinger also shows up in the air, on rooftops, and finally at ground level during special shows held throughout the day.
First, a robotic Spider-Man launches from one tower to another — flying 65 feet in the air. Then, a stuntman Spider-Man does backflips on a rooftop. Finally, Spider-Man crawls down the wall to talk to fans and pose for photos.
Pro Tip: Pay attention and be ready — the performance only lasts about 60 seconds.
Ancient Sanctum
When visitors enter the Ancient Sanctum, they will — of course — meet Doctor Strange, “Master of the Mystic Arts,” and learn about the amazing Orb of Cagliostro.
“You and your fellow recruits have been invited to visit the Avengers Campus, meet Doctor Strange, and open your eyes to the mysteries of the multiverse,” Disney Parks explains. “Don’t miss this once-in-infinite-lifetimes chance to learn the secrets of the mystic arts as Doctor Strange demonstrates his mystical abilities.”
Pro Tip: The Orb is known to be especially active at night. Visit the attraction after dark to see the Ancient Sanctum “flow with magical energy!”
Avengers Headquarters
An Avengers Campus wouldn’t be complete without the Avengers Headquarters. The Headquarters doesn’t disappoint. While here, you can even see the gleaming Quinjet, which has landed on the building’s roof.
Pro Tip: As the Avengers keep an eye out for threats, you just may see Black Panther, Captain Marvel, or Captain America standing guard.
Meet And Greet Appearances
You may see Captain America or Captain Marvel standing guard on the Avengers Headquarters’ balcony, but keep an eye out for other superheroes walking around. Iron Man can be seen walking around and chatting with visitors, and Thor makes appearances and asks visitors to lift Mjolnir, his hammer.
What’s more, Dora Milaje — the royal guard that protects T’Challa in Black Panther — makes appearances. Their leader, Okoye, explains their principles to visitors in the audience — and even offers a martial arts lesson.
Guardians Of The Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT
While on Avengers Campus, visitors will also have the chance to help Rocket break his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy out of the Collector’s Fortress on what has become the fan-favorite indoor-drop tower ride Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT.
Pym Test Kitchen
When you get hungry, you can visit the Pym Test Kitchen and sample its giant, $100 sandwich.
Wait. Why is it giant? In case you aren’t familiar with Marvel characters, in the Ant-Man movies, Pym Particles are used in experiments by scientist Hank Pym to make objects — and Ant-Man — shrink, resize, and even grow to enormous sizes.
Here’s why the sandwich is $100 — well, actually, $99.99. The “Family-sized Pym-ini” sandwich, sized for six to eight people, features salami, rosemary ham, provolone, and sun-dried tomatoes on toasted focaccia. An individual-sized sandwich is available for $14.50, and in keeping with the theme, there’s even a “shrunken, child-size” option called the “Teeny Pym-ini” for $10.
Know Before You Go
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure park have begun a phased reopening. Until June 15, 2021, only California residents may visit the Disneyland Resort theme parks in groups of no larger than three households. However, beginning June 15, 2021, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure park will also be open to visitors from outside of California.
Please note that the State of California strongly recommends that everyone attending theme parks be fully vaccinated or obtain a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the theme parks. Up-to-date information about visiting Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure park may be found here.
