Disney to revamp Tower of Terror

One of the most popular attractions at Disney California Adventure Park is about to undergo a major makeover to incorporate Disney’s stockpile of superhero characters.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, an elevator-drop ride based on the old “Twilight Zone” television show, will close for good in January to be remade as an attraction based on Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” superheroes.

Walt Disney Co. bought Marvel Entertainment Inc. in 2009 for $4 billion but had yet to inject many of the Marvel characters into the Anaheim theme parks. The ride will reopen next summer.

The move to re-create the Tower of Terror into a “Guardians of the Galaxy” attraction has been rumored on Disney fan blog sites for months but the Burbank-based entertainment giant has refused to comment on the speculation.

Some Disney devotees took to social media over the weekend to express their displeasure with the planned Tower of Terror overhaul, which was announced late Saturday. Multiple “Save the Tower of Terror” petitions on change.org had garnered more than 20,000 signatures by late Monday morning.

The announcement was made by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the annual celebration of comics and pop culture.

“We are eager to present the attraction to the millions who visit Disney California Adventure and place them in the center of the action as they join in a mission alongside our audacious Guardians of the Galaxy team,” he said in a statement.