Disney reveals Avengers Campus opening on June 4
The Avengers Campus will open to the public at Disney California Adventure theme park on June 4, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, announced during a “virtual event” Thursday afternoon.
The land, announced in 2017, will include a ridethrough attraction called Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure (featuring actor Tom Holland), Pym Test Kitchen, Schwarma Palace and interactions with Marvel characters, such as Thor, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Black Widow, Ant-Man and the Wasp. The existing Guardians of the Galaxy: Breakout ride also is part of the campus.
California Adventure and sister park Disneyland are scheduled to reopen April 30. They have been closed since mid-March of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
D’Amaro’s Thursday presentation included an interview with Kevin Feige — producer of big-screen Marvel movies as well as the “WandaVision” series, which was made for the Disney+ streaming service. They talked about the importance of fans and cast members, diversity, the disruption of the pandemic, the role of technology, the adjustments made and, in vaguer terms, the changes coming to the way things are done inside theme parks.
“We’re not just focused on how technology can create more immersive stories and bring our characters to life,” D’Amaro said. “We’re also pushing the boundaries when it comes to how we leverage technology to enhance the guest experience, assisting with planning your trip, navigating our theme parks and engaging our guests more deeply in storytelling.”
Early in the event, he said the shutdown gave Disney the opportunity to accelerate planned improvements for the parks.
“These enhancements will help us forge a new path that provides more flexibility and puts the consumer in charge of their experience,” he said. “Ultimately, I know we’re making the right decisions to prepare for a future that will allow guests to have a more enjoyable, a more personalized and unforgettable Disney experience.”
There was a little discussion of upcoming Walt Disney World projects, and it centered on Epcot, where Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure has been slated to open on Oct. 1. D’Amaro briefly mentioned Epcot’s planned “Harmonious” nighttime spectacular and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, but they were listed as “coming soon.”
Later, there was an explanation of Disney Genie, a service that helps visitors plan their theme-park experiences, which was announced for Disney World in 2019. D’Amaro showed off some of its features that will “optimize” a park outing.
“Disney Genie can also send you real-time tips and updates, including recommendations for experiencing the things that you’ll love, helping you navigate to theme parks with added convenience and comfort,” D’Amaro said. It, too, was referred to as arriving “soon.”