That was the traveling Marvel-themed attraction announced in August, which promoters said would feature exhibits, meet-and-greets, and a 3D motion-simulator ride starring Marvel superheroes.
Makes last night's news from Hong Kong Disneyland seem a bit like déjà vu, doesn't it? Yesterday, Disney Parks chairman Tom Staggs announced that Disney would build "The Iron Man Experience" at the park, with Stark Expo exhibits including the Hall of Armor, an Iron Man meet-and-greet, and what sure sounds like a 3D motion-simulator ride.
No inside information here about a formal design or development connection between the projects, but they sure sound similar, don't they?
Is there any chance Disney and Marvel fans might see a "[Insert Marvel character here] Experience" at another Disney theme park? Staggs announced that the Hong Kong Iron Man ride will take place in that city, which initially might suggest that the ride will be a one-off for that park only. But Disney brought Soarin' Over California to Florida's Epcot, so a Hong Kong setting shouldn't by itself rule out a deployment to another park. So, which one? Look first to Paris' underdeveloped Walt Disney Studios, though by 2016 Shanghai Disneyland should be open, and no one would be surprised to see a Marvel attraction there, perhaps as a way to boost attendance a couple years after the Grand Opening, when attention begins to fade. Remember, Marvel's barred from Walt Disney World and the Tokyo Disney Resort, so the only other option at the moment is California's Disneyland.
Would Disney bring Marvel to Disneyland? Legally, there's nothing stopping it. But space constraints might. For now, the industry buzz has Disney focusing on Star Wars as the next big project in Anaheim, not Marvel.
MiceAge posted a report today detailing leaks from a Disneyland management meeting that previewed plans for a Star Wars overlay in the park's Tomorrowland. [Scroll down past the DAS stuff.] The plans are said to include moving the Astro Orbiter from the hub to the upper plaza in front of Space Mountain. The Millennium Falcon would be parked on the Astro Orbiter's old home atop the former PeopleMover loading station. Tomorrowland Terrace would become the Mos Eisley cantina. And the Innoventions building would become the loading station for a speeder bike ride that would consume the current Autopia track.
Will it happen? Until blueprints are distributed and contractors hired, all theme park plans are blue sky and subject to change. And Imagineers have been known to float ideas into the online fan community to gauge reaction. In addition to ride development, these plans would require rebuilding the current Captain EO theater building to support the Astro Orbiter ride above, gutting and rebuilding Innoventions, and creating a show building around Tomorrowland Terrace, in addition to possibly rerouting the monorail track. That's a lot of coin, even for Disney.
And here's another thought worth considering: Star Wars and Marvel each take Tomorrowland another step away from its original, idealistic vision of a community in the future, replacing it with yet another conflict-driven narrative. At their hearts, both Star Wars and Marvel are dystopian, portraying worlds in which "ordinary" people have no hope, save for the efforts of superheroes (or super-human Jedi) who might come to their rescue. Perhaps there's a dissertation in there, for a student of Disney and popular culture. In the 1950s, Disney's Tomorrowland reflected a society that felt empowered and hopeful about its ability to shape a better future. In the 2010s, the plans for Tomorrowland seem instead to suggest we're living in a time when we're not thinking optimistically about our future as much as we're simply hoping that someone will ride down from space or the sky to save us.
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Have you ever written an article with the specifics of the legal agreements with Marvel as it applies to what Disney can and can't do? So many people get this info wrong and don't really know what is up.
It would be a huge public service if you ran a really detailed analysis of the Marvel deal with Disney and what all the implications are for every Disney park. Like, maybe you could break it down for each park and say what the deal allows for that park and what is prohibited specifically.
"Incredibles" in the old Food Pavilion in Epcot. Reuse the the Body Wars ride vehicles for an incredible new ride attraction based on the "Incredibles" characters!!!!
The Iron Man poster art reminds me of how easily they can use the red costumes from the Incredibles uniform and the spider robot from the movie. Which leads to the question, where's the Incredibles sequel?
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>>"ordinary" people have no hope<<
I beg to differ in the sense that Star Wars Episode 4 is "A New Hope".
Whether or not it is about saving mankind with a superhero, Tomorrowland is about technology saving mankind from druggery. What's the difference? Iron Man uses technology to save society. Star Wars uses midi-chlorians.
* taking a cruise to another planet...since we will not be able to do this in our lifetimes.
* time travel...have a ride where you jump back to several different time periods in the distant past and see the life forms there (could be a neat way to repurpose the current Nemo ride, and have prehistoric fish in there)...because time travel will not exist in our lifetimes
* shrinking...have a ride where you are shrunk and injected into a body, like the "Innerspace" movie....because shrinking will not happen in our lifetimes
* Have all of Tomorrowland be a big space port where ships are arriving and departing to different galactic destinations...and then theme all of the other rides to be like excursions/things to do while you are waiting for your flight to other planets. All the rides could have their facades themed like they are in the concourse of the space port, and that they are like the shops in our airports with interesting things to do, eat, or places to shop while you are waiting for your next space cruise
I personally don't like Buzz LightYear but even he would fit in this "space port" theme if his ride is presented as a toy for children in the future and this is a diversion based on that.
I really hope it was someone throwing MiceChat a red herring so they could get together around the water cooler and laugh at anyone who took it seriously.
If Disney goes through with it, they had better not call it "Tomorrowland" anymore, because it will have nothing to do with any of the hope for the future which the land was intended to convey.
Really? Don't you think you're reaching?
No one seems to have a problem with the Star Tours ride.
By necessity, the vision for Tomorrowland has had to change. There is nothing wrong with combining science fantasy and science fact.
As long as the good guys always win (that is optimist) what is the problem?
Hopefully the Speeder Bikes don't become the next Rocket Rods, Indiana Jones, or Expedition Everest where the track is engineered wrong like RR or constant break-downs occur like Indy, or maintenance is near impossible like in EE.
Exciting news, and I hope they become real!
The bigger hurdle to overcome is Tomorrowland at WDW. That one has been taken over by Pixar in three spots and has no connection between the attractions. Disneyland's TL is a few changes away from being amazing again.
If anything, boost DCA attendance and lose some of the more generic bits there for retheming. Classic Disneyland will always have a devoted following. Don't reskin Tomorrowland.
Then again, I'm still trying to figure out why I board a hang glider from an airport terminal to go Soarin' over present-day California in Future World in EPCOT...
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Universal has set a new standard of what a motion simulator ride should be like (Transformers/Spider Man).
I except more of Disney and their Iron Man announcement was disappointing.