Credit: Hong Kong DisneylandDisney has gone big on Marvel on its theme parks in recent years, but it seems they’re not quite done yet.
While an increasing amount of character IP has crept into Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond, it seems like Marvel is the franchise being pushed the most at Disney’s theme parks right now. Recent additions include three entire Marvel lands (Avengers Campus at both Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park, and Stark Expo at Hong Kong Disneyland), each complete with its own array of Marvel attractions.
Related: Disney Park Sparks Fury After Deciding to Make “it’s a small world” a Marvel Ride
Beyond its Marvel-themed lands, Disney has also added a Marvel attraction to Walt Disney World Resort in the form of EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and, as was confirmed in March, an upcoming overlay to “it’s a small world” at Tokyo Disneyland which will see the classic ride temporarily renamed “it’s a small world with Groot.”
The latter proved particularly divisive among Disney fans, many of whom have accused Disney of disrespecting its own history in order to squeeze more contemporary IP into its theme parks (for the record, we think the overlay is adorable). This seems to be a non-issue to Disney, however, as it’s just announced yet another Marvel overlay – and this one’s considerably bigger.
From April 26 to June 10, Hong Kong Disneyland will play host to Marvel: Season of Super Heroes. The limited-time event is set to turn every park guest into a superhero, with the addition of a new daytime show in Stark Expo – Find Your Super Power: Battle for Stark Expo – which will see Marvel superheroes such as Iron Man, Thor, and Ant-Man call upon parkgoers to help them defeat Arnim Zola and Hydra.
Related: Universal Begins Large-Scale Refurbishment of Marvel Land in Florida
Come nighttime, the park will also welcome a new nighttime show, Find Your Super Power: Battle for Stark Expo. This will light up the sky above Hong Kong Disneyland with drones. The resort’s hotels – Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Disney Explorer Lodge, and Disney Hollywood Hotel – are getting a superpowered boost, too, and will temporarily offer accommodations inspired by the Marvel universe.
This isn’t the first time Hong Kong Disneyland has celebrated Marvel: Season of Super Heroes. Last year saw a similar rendition of the event. Disneyland Paris and California Adventure have also hosted similar celebrations in the past. The celebration steps in to replace the park’s ongoing Duffy & Friends Play Days celebration, which has seen chaotic queues form for limited edition experiences (something this writer experienced firsthand when they stumbled into a crowd waiting to take a picture with a bush shaped like Duffy).
新ドローンショー「Find Your Super Power: Battle in the sky!」、
イベント期間中に上演！#HKDL_info#HKDL https://t.co/XjGNx2YCCx— Emporium HKDL情報🏰✨ (@hk_emporium) April 18, 2024
While it’s only a temporary event at the park, Marvel: Season of Super Heroes makes it pretty clear that Disney isn’t done expanding its Marvel theme park universe just yet. Disneyland Resort already has one confirmed Marvel addition on the way – the as-yet-unnamed Avengers Multiverse attraction teased at Destination D23 in September – with Hong Kong Disneyland also thought to receive another Marvel E-ticket in the near future.
With Universal Studios Japan losing its Marvel theme park rights in January, there is also the chance that Tokyo Disney Resort will receive even more Marvel beyond its upcoming Groot overlay and brief appearances for Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and other superheroes in Tokyo Disneyland’s upcoming new nighttime spectacular.
Love it or hate it, one thing’s for sure: the Disney parks are officially in their Marvel era.
Would you like to see more Marvel in the Disney parks in the future? Let us know in the comments!