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Fans are upset with Disney after the theme park decided to shift focus on a gift shop over a new attraction.
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There’s no denying that the Disney Parks and Resorts contain some of the most cherished and beloved theme park attractions of all time. From Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean to Space Mountain and “it’s a small world,” Disney is home to some truly incredible rides and experiences.
However, Disney also likes to keep things fresh, giving Guests something new to look forward to with each visit.
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One of the newer experiences at the Disneyland Resort is Avengers Campus. In this Marvel-themed land, Guests can meet their favorite superheroes like Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, Loki, and Black Widow, just to name a few.
This land features three attractions, those being Guardians of the Galaxy: – Mission: BREAKOUT! and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure.
A third ride for the land was announced last year, one that would feature one of Marvel’s ultimate bad guys: Thanos. However, this announcement came and went, and with just a few images of concept art, it seems like Disney forgot about this attraction altogether.
Combine this radio silence with the fact that Disney just announced a new Marvel gift shop was coming to the same rebuilding this new ride was planned for, and, well, it’s not hard to see that Disney is prioritizing profits over new and innovative attractions, for now.
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New Gift Shop
Earlier this week, Disneyland revealed that Avengers Vault, a new Marvel-themed shop, would be opening this September, allowing Guests to purchase various Infinity Saga relics and goodies such as Infinity Gauntlets, Tesseracts, and Eyes of Agamotto. Merchandise and Disney go hand in hand, and when combined with the power of the Marvel brand, there are millions of dollars to be made.
While exciting, it’s pretty disappointing for Disney to focus so much on building a gift shop to accompany a ride that may or may not even see the light of day. Nearly every Disney ride and attraction feature an exit gift shop, allowing Guests to purchase trinkets and souvenirs based on or themed to whatever ride they just experienced at the Disney Park.
Avengers Campus is not just limited to the Disneyland Resort in California, with another version constructed at the Disneyland Paris Resort in Chessy, France. The two lands are practically identical, with the European version featuring an Iron Man ride repurposed from the Park’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster attraction, which was an exact copy of the one found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
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Fan Reactions
As compiled by the Orange County Register, fan reactions to this upcoming gift shop were mixed, to say the least. Many called out Disney for seemingly dropping the new attraction in favor of making a quick buck. “Hate to be that guy, but where’s the second ride we were promised?” Michael Baldwin wrote on Instagram.
“Wake me up when we get some concrete news on that Avengers E-ticket ride,” Matt Murdoch wrote. While the ride has not been officially canceled, it’s seemingly been shelved for the foreseeable future.
In the meantime, Guests can get their fix of Marvel at Disney California Adventure Park, where they’ll soon find this new Marvel gift shop at Avengers Campus. Fans of Marvel can also get their Marvel fix on Disney+, where dozens of movies and television shows are streaming, such as Moon Knight, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Marvel’s latest Secret Invasion.
New Additions
Disney has no doubt added some great attractions to its theme parks in recent years, with a noticeable shift toward more immersive experiences dating all the way back to 2017 when Pandora – The World of Avatar first opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Here, Guests will find two stunning attractions, Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage, both of which transport Guests into the world of the Na’vi. Soon, the Disneyland Resort will also have its own attraction based on Avatar, as revealed last year by Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger.
Since then, Disney has added an entire lands dedicated to Star Wars, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Over in Anaheim, Guests can now ride Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railway, a fantastic dark ride that we first saw at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
What’s your favorite “new” ride at the Disney Parks? Have you been to Avengers Campus yet?