Credit: Inside the MagicUniversal Orlando Resort has clapped back at rumors of the theme park shutting down one of its lands.
Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is an action-packed section of the park dedicated to bringing Marvel’s most iconic characters to life. It offers an immersive experience with larger-than-life attractions, themed dining, and plenty of opportunities to interact with your favorite superheroes and villains.
The centerpiece of Marvel Super Hero Island is its thrilling rides, each designed to put you right in the middle of a superhero adventure. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is a fan favorite, sending guests on a high-speed journey with incredible twists, turns, and launches, all while being “Hulk-ified.”
For fans of Spider-Man, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is a must-see, blending 3D technology with practical effects for an unforgettable ride that simulates swinging through New York City while battling Spidey’s nemeses.
There’s also Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, where Doctor Doom uses you as part of his nefarious plan, shooting you sky-high before a thrilling drop back to earth. Finally, fans of the X-Men can experience the high-speed Storm Force Accelatron, a spinning ride inspired by Storm’s weather-controlling powers.
When hunger strikes, Marvel Super Hero Island has several themed dining options. Captain America Diner is a popular choice, serving classic American fare like burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries, all in a setting themed after the patriotic Avenger himself. Cafe 4 offers Italian-inspired meals, including pizza, pasta, and salads, in a setting themed around the Fantastic Four. Both spots give fans a chance to refuel while surrounded by comic-book-inspired decor.
How Universal Obtained Marvel Rights
Universal’s ability to use Marvel in their theme parks dates back to a 1994 licensing agreement between Marvel Entertainment and Universal Studios.
At the time, Marvel was still an independent company and not part of the Disney empire. The deal allowed Universal exclusive rights to use Marvel characters in the eastern United States for theme park attractions. As a result, Universal’s Islands of Adventure was able to build and maintain Marvel Super Hero Island, which opened in 1999, long before Disney acquired Marvel in 2009.
The contract between Marvel and Universal is specific to certain characters and regions, which is why Universal’s Islands of Adventure continues to feature Marvel superheroes in Orlando, even though Disney now owns Marvel. The key stipulation is that Universal holds the exclusive rights to use specific characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, in theme parks east of the Mississippi River.
This has a major impact on Walt Disney World in Orlando, as Disney cannot feature those same characters in its parks, which is why you won’t find a full-blown Avengers Campus at Walt Disney World like you can at Disneyland in California.
As a result, Disney has focused on other Marvel characters that aren’t included in Universal’s contract, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy, which led to the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT.
The Effect on Disney World
Disney World faces a unique challenge because they cannot create a full Marvel-themed land similar to what’s found at Universal or Disneyland due to the constraints of the licensing agreement.
This restriction prevents Disney from fully utilizing the Marvel brand in its Orlando parks. While Avengers Campus is a star land at Disney California Adventure, Disney World has to be more strategic in how it integrates Marvel characters and stories.
For now, the Guardians of the Galaxy are Disney’s primary Marvel presence in Orlando, leaving Spider-Man and other heroes firmly in Universal’s grasp.
This dynamic creates a fascinating situation for theme park fans, where Universal holds on to a piece of the Marvel universe in Florida, while Disney continues to build its own Marvel experiences on the West Coast.
Recently, theme park fan blogs of Universal Orlando Resort shared rumors that this was the plan for Universal, according to insider knowledge from Universal Creative.
Inside the Magic reported on the rumors, and at the time of our reporting, we also acknowledged that recent refurbishments to attractions in the land would make it very unlikely for a tear-down to occur, as it wouldn’t make much sense for Universal to put money into maintaining attractions only to plan to tear them down.
For example, when Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World Resort was nearing its end to be redone into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, many of the animatronics were not working and in rough shape, but it would have made no sense for Disney to refurbish a ride they were removing.
Now, Universal Orlando Resort has updated its refurbishment calendar, almost as a reply to these untrue rumors.
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man will now be closing from October 21 to November 6, 2024 for a short refurbishment. It is likely this is just a routine maintenance refurbishment, as the allotted time would not be long enough for major cosmetic changes.
As we have been arguing, it would be foolish for Universal to put money into a ride that they planned to demolish, so it looks like Marvel Super Hero Island will be sticking around long term.
If the refurbishment was not enough proof, with Epic Universe opening summer 2025 and already having gone over budget, adding more money to remove an entire land, and rebuild a new one for no reason would likely not be financially possible, especially with The Lost Continent having both an abandoned theater and ride at Islands of Adventure.
As for other resort ride refurbishments, Dudley Do-Right’s Rip Saw Falls will close from November 7 to December 19, the Hogwarts Express will close from November 4-7, Me-Ship, The Olive will close from October 21 to December 4, and Jurassic Park River Adventure from January 6 to 23, 2025.
Would you like to see Marvel Super hero Island demolished?