Disney has released details about the Marvel-themed rides and attractions that will be coming to their theme parks around the world, with the Hong Kong Disneyland area being expanded, and entirely new lands coming to both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Paris.
Guests in Hong Kong have enjoyed a Marvel-themed attraction already, the Iron Man Experience. In March 2019, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle! will be opening, putting riders on the side of Ant-Man and the Wasp as they take on Arnim Zola and an army of evil Hydra Swarm-bots. At Disney California Adventure, fans have been able to take a ride on Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! for some time now.
That park will be seeing a full Marvel-themed expansion (in the area where A Bug’s Land formerly occupied) in the future, where “guests will encounter the heroes in new and exciting ways, from the mystic arts of Doctor Strange to the gravity-defying feats of Spider-Man. Guests will also experience the latest in Pym Technology with Ant-Man and Wasp and be wowed as Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Captain America and more leap into action on a moment’s notice.” This expansion will also be coming to Disneyland Paris. Fans can currently meet many Marvel heroes in California, such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Thor, Loki, and Captain America.
A Guardians of the Galaxy-themed roller coaster attraction is currently in construction at Epcot in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida; due to the licensing agreement with Universal that existed before Disney purchased Marvel, Disney is not allowed to use any characters at Disney World that are already in use at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park. Both Star-Lord and Doctor Strange have made meet-and-greet appearances at other Florida Disney parks, but it is currently unknown if Disney has any other Marvel plans for their Florida resort beyond the Guardians coaster.
The stories of all of the Marvel lands around the world are connected. As Disney’s blog post describes it, “The Stark Expo in Hong Kong was to be a first step: A world exposition whose theme of ‘A Better Tomorrow Today,’ was meant to inspire and motivate through technological innovation. However, shortly after it opened, the Expo was attacked by the forces of Hydra. When even more powerful forces threatened the entire planet, the Avengers realized that the Earth needs more heroes. So today, to better defend the planet, the Avengers are setting up new Headquarters and technology sharing exchanges around the globe to empower and inspire all potential recruits willing to step up and become heroes. In California and Paris, Tony Stark is retrofitting two of his father’s Stark Industries sites into new hubs for training and innovation. Through partnerships with S.H.I.E.L.D., Pym Technologies, Masters of the Mystic Arts and the new Worldwide Engineering Brigade, The Avengers and their allies will forge new global campuses to champion the next generation of heroes. Who’s ready to answer the call?”
