Credit: MarvelA new land based on Black Panther and Wakanda could be coming to Disney Parks soon.
Yesterday, we reported that Disney plans to invest a staggering $60 billion into its parks across the board, which led to plenty of praise and a drop in the company’s overall stock value. Despite negative and positive feelings on both sides of the announcements, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced that many updates would be coming.
Disney has always been on top of its game when incorporating existing rides and updating older ones with new IPs. Take Splash Mountain, for instance. Though the ride has been a staple for the parks since 1989, the company has decided to overhaul the ride by incorporating the newest Disney Princess: Tiana. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has taken over, which allows fans to take in The Princess and the Frog (2009).
The parks have also incorporated some of the most popular IPs, such as Avengers Campus and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The more popular the property is for Disney, the more fans ask to see some sort of representation at the theme parks, which typically happens.
With D’Amaro announcing this massive $60 billion investment, we imagine all Disney Parks will receive many new and exciting updates. One such plan is set to target one of the most beloved Marvel properties: Black Panther.
Josh D’Amaro Announces ‘Black Panther’ Land Hopes for Disney Parks
During the big announcement of the massive investment that Disney plans for the next ten years, D’Amaro also revealed during the earnings call that he intends to target Black Panther and Wakanda as one of the lands that could be coming to Disney Parks. According to D’Amaro:
“Imagine bringing Wakanda to life. In terms of bringing the latest Disney-Marvel-Pixar intellectual property to the parks, we haven’t come close to scratching the surface. And we have learned that incorporating Disney I.P. increases the return on investment significantly.”
As stated, Disney has successfully brought their hugely popular properties into the theme parks. Take Star Wars, for instance. Galaxy’s Edge has been a triumph and a long time coming. Though Disney purchased Lucasfilm and Star Wars in 2012, fans had been asking for years to see some sort of addition to the parks apart from Star Tours.
Star Tours debuted at the parks in 1987, and nothing has been added since its inclusion. Star Tours may have been updated in 2011, but fans had been begging for an entire land dedicated to the franchise for decades. Galaxy’s Edge finally filled that dream and has been one of the most popular areas since it debuted in 2019.
What makes this land so beloved, apart from the fantastic rides, is the immersive nature of the land. First Order Stormtroopers follow and question people, Cast Members flee from capture as hidden rebels, and Kylo Ren may find you as well.
Imagine how amazing it would be to traverse Wakanda with the Wakandan people engaging in all activities. We would love to see the Okoye Face Character engaging in a chant with her fellow Dora Milaje soldiers. There are also vibranium deposits to think about and how fans might be able to see glimmering purple everywhere in the land.
Disney Parks incorporating a dedication to the late Chadwick Boseman would also be one of the most incredible things to visit. We imagine he would have a statue in the center of the proposed Black Panther land, which would be a perfect chance to take a photo for guests. This is just our theory. If it is used, give us a call, D’Amaro. We have plenty more ideas.
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This park expansion could mean many things, but we hope that D’Amaro’s dream of allowing park guests to traverse Wakanda can happen. This would arguably be the best land that Disney adds in terms of Marvel representation. This is nothing against Avengers Campus, but a land dedicated to Wakanda would be extraordinary.
What do you think about Disney Parks adding a Black Panther Wakanda land? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!