Experience the New Avengers Campus at Disneyland: A Real-Life Superhero Adventure

You can now be an Avenger, too.

In 2019, Disney announced its plans to open the Avengers Campus at Disneyland within a year. However, as the saying goes, plans can change. Though the global pandemic delayed the launch of this exciting new area, the Imagineers, culinary experts, and Disney producers remained undeterred in their mission to bring the magic of the movies to life.

Walking into the Avengers Campus inside Disney California Adventure Park evokes a wave of familiar Disney emotion, especially considering that COVID-19 prevented numerous visitors, including this reporter, from experiencing the Happiest Place on Earth for more than a year. The area feels fresh, vibrant, and reminiscent of an old friend all at once.

“At Walt Disney Imagineering, our goal is to always deliver on adventure, immerse guests in a story, and deeply engage their imaginations. One of the wonderful opportunities with Avengers Campus was collaborating with our studio partners from the very outset,” shared Scot Drake, head of portfolio creative at Walt Disney Imagineering. “It has been a truly dynamic collaboration. We’ve taken the famous Nick Fury line, ‘You’re a part of a bigger universe. You just didn’t know it yet’ into every attraction, heroic encounter, and experience in the land. This will make every guest feel like they are part of something even bigger as they find the [superhero] within themselves at Avengers Campus.”

Meet Your Superheroes

At Avengers Campus, families can meet all their favorite superheroes, including Doctor Strange, Thor, Black Panther, Captain America, Iron Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, featured in the ride Mission: BREAKOUT. Moreover, guests can join Spider-Man on a mission with the new ride WEB Slingers.

Upon entering the ride, guests encounter Peter Parker inside his lab as he explains his multiplying spider bots. Naturally, chaos ensues – as is often the case with Parker – and the bots begin to take over. Guests then don their 3-D glasses and board the ride to assist in taking down the mutant spiders alongside Spider-Man.

The ride is as interactive as it gets. Guests participate in an arcade-style game by flinging their own webs to take down as many spiders as possible using augmented reality technology. Initially, the gameplay requires some acclimatization, but once mastered, you’ll find yourself enthusiastically waving your arms to unleash your personalized webs against the adversaries, feeling a satisfying arm workout by the end.

“WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure merges physical sets, practical effects, and virtual extensions to bring this thrilling adventure to life,” noted Brent Strong, executive creative director of Walt Disney Imagineering. “This attraction utilizes advanced technology to enable our guests to sling webs like never before. It employs brand-new gesture recognition software tailored specifically for this experience, merging it with both physical and digital sets. However, all that technology seamlessly merges into the experience, allowing you to truly feel like a [superhero].”

Beyond the ride itself, guests have the thrilling opportunity to watch Spider-Man perform gravity-defying stunts above Avengers Campus, featuring both a real performer and a highly impressive animatronic that soars 65 feet in the air from one rooftop to another. After showcasing his stunts, Spider-Man descends to greet the new Avenger “recruits.”

Performances like this contribute to making Avengers Campus feel complete, offering a space that transcends mere rides. In addition to Spider-Man, guests can catch Doctor Strange as he traverses an interdimensional portal to captivate and engage visitors with stunning illusions. Furthermore, as Disney notes, “He may even bring other heroes with him as he opens portals from time to time.”

Guests will also have the exciting chance to engage with the Warriors of Wakanda and participate in a training session led by the Dora Milaje. During this training, attendees will not only learn a few combat moves but will also gain insights into the “wisdom from Wakanda.”

“Avengers Campus will be a destination where fans and guests can truly immerse themselves in the universe they adore and stand side by side with some of their favorite heroes. The optimism embodied in Avengers Campus reflects the diversity, strength, and teamwork that these extraordinary characters exemplify, uniting people worldwide under one guiding principle: We are stronger together,” stated Dave Bushore, vice president of franchise creative and marketing for Marvel Studios. “Now, fans of these films and comics have the opportunity to visit a place they’ve always dreamed of—which is incredibly empowering. You don’t merely have to pretend anymore. You actually get to be.”

Beyond the attractions, delicious Avengers-themed foods, and captivating performances, the new area fosters something even more significant: a generous serving of Disney joy that fans have yearned for over the past year. This land celebrates science, optimism, and a shared sense of community, which is essential now more than ever. Disney is presently welcoming California residents and is scheduled to accept out-of-state visitors on June 15, allowing Avenger enthusiasts from across the globe to experience the hero within themselves, too.