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to the hyper-realism of the interactive ride. All the adrenaline of a roller coaster from the safety of your seat.
Galaxy’s Edge isn’t the only new space at the Disney parks in Anaheim, Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland Paris.
Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure – the park opposite – blew me away at first sight as a (thankfully automated) Spider-Man shot webs from his hands and leapt across buildings. Kids believed the robot was a real superhero… and so did I for a while.
A series of new rides took me on the journey of a lifetime in this themed area. Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure is an updated ride similar to Toy Story Mania. Except you don’t need a gun in this version as the hi-tech engineering makes your hands shoot webs as you try to help the superhero destroy the mechanical spiders taking over the Campus.
Your arms will hurt like you’ve been to the gym, but it’s worth it as you feel like a part of the superhero team. And Avengers geeks will obsess over all the hidden details as you queue (hint: look for the names on the lockers).
Meanwhile, the Tower of Terror has been transformed into an all new quest – with Rocket the irritable raccoon – as Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! I definitely clung to the man sitting next to me a few too many times as we were dropped from the top of the tower (I may have also popped his eardrums as I shrieked). The new version of the ride has plenty to entertain you as you wait.
Instructions from
Rocket accompany the Avengers’ archive of weapons and artefacts collected on their travels around the universe. There’s even a tiny hidden Mickey on a shelf in the loading room.
Compared to the original ride there are a greater number of stomach-churning drops, making it seem far longer and scarier. And, on a very clear day, you can even spot the Hollywood sign from the 183ft-high opening at the top of the ride. Until you plunge to the floor, that is…
But, rides aren’t the only thing to make you feel transported into another realm. I loved indulging at Pym Kitchen where food isn’t quite what it seems on the menu. You can tuck into massive meatballs, tiny
Walt would be proud, and in awe, of what his Imagineers have created
pasta, pretzels as big as your torso and a chicken burger like no other.
Proton Punch – a tart, fruity, bubbly concoction with popping boba balls
– is a bizarre but worthwhile treat.
Not everything at the parks needs to be new to make you feel as giddy as a child. Disneyland’s Big
Thunder Mountain is just as zippy and exhilarating as when I first rode it as a kid. A Disney guide’s tip to watch the goat statue as I rode it had my stomach doing flips and my head spinning as though it was a whole new ride.
Pirates of the Caribbean flooded me with nostalgic joy, while Splash Mountain soaked me to the skin – a good thing in the California heat.
The classic Incredicoaster blasted my fears away as it hurtled at 55mph through the park. The drops, humps and loops on this coaster were perfect for keeping me awake ahead of the Halloweenthemed
nighttime show at Disneyland’s castle. Be warned, little ones may be terrified by the appearance of bad guys and villains charging across the skies. Even Oogie Boogie showed his face…
California may be a longer flight time than Paris or Orlando, but Walt’s first ever park, opened in 1955, sums up what Disney is all about. The founder once said: “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” And, I think he’d be proud, and in awe, of what his Imagineers have created recently.
And, that brings me to the other
side of Disney I saw on my trip. The D23 Expo featured Imagineers, guests, superfans dressed as favourite characters, and park chairman Josh D’Amaro who explained everything that would be coming to Disney in the next few years.
Fans will be able to ride a roller-coaster bike as TRON: Lightcycle/Run comes to Disneyland next spring. Splash Mountain will reopen as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2024 and three new Frozen lands will open at Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
Head Imagineers even hinted at an Encanto and Coco-themed village in California and maybe, just maybe, a land entirely filled with Disney villains – though these have yet to be confirmed.
Frankly, my trip to California imbued me with all the dizzying, wide-eyed fun of Disney once again and I can’t wait to see what’s next.