ILoveRides Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) This weekend marked the opening of the first Marvel attraction for a US Disney Park: "Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout!" at Disney California Adventure, as well as the kickoff of the "Summer of Heroes" with Marvel themed experiences, shows, and merchandise for the whole family. TPR was there for all the festivities with David and Spears! Check out our full report below to see the new Marvel awesomeness that you can experience now at Disney California Adventure! Take a ride on the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout and check out our interviews with the ride's creators in this video: We’re at Disney California Adventure (DCA) for Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! and the Summer of Heroes! But first, lets check in! You’re probably wondering, does the check-in room have an unlimited candy buffet? And I’m here to reassure you that yes, it does. Seriously, an unlimited candy buffet. We could end the day here and it would’ve already been a great day. I love how Disney puts so much detail everywhere. Beautiful flowers were all around the check-in room. And custom Guardians of the Galaxy cookies! But lets get down to business. We headed into DCA where Hollywood Land was scheduled to close at 3:00pm for tonight’s special event! Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! will be the meat and potatoes of this report. But lets have a quick appetizer first! Here’s Avengers Training Initiative, a new show for the Summer of Heroes. In this show young recruits ages 6 to 12 are invited to join Black Widow and Hawkeye as Avengers trainees to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Avengers. There’s some action! Lots of games and interaction for the younger ones. Some neat props. With the help of The Avengers, young ones can save the day! Iron Man even makes a special appearance! Get your cameras ready parents, because there’s a great photo op at the end of the show! It’s meat and potatoes time! Let’s check out the star of The Summer of Heroes: Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! The construction walls are gone and the Collector’s Fortress looks absolutely gorgeous! I’m digging its flashy, in-your-face look. Very cool! Heading inside, there’s a statue of The Collector in the entrance area. The lobby holds all sorts of artifacts collected from around the galaxy. There’s lots to look at. This Cocoon of Unknown Origin could hatch at any time! My favorite artifact is Cosmo the dog! He’s just so cute! His head moves and his tail wags. The video playing in the lobby shows the Guardians of the Galaxy trapped in the Fortress. All the artifacts should do a good job of keeping you busy while waiting in line. There are tons of Marvel items in the collection for fans with a keen eye. This large Tivan logo hangs above the entrance door. Moving on towards the pre-show room. Of course there’s a giant portrait of The Collector as part of the collection. The pre-show room is themed as The Collector’s private office. There are all sorts of collected items all around. There are lots of easter eggs too. There are Guardians of the Galaxy references, Disney references, Tower of Terror references - you name it! I spy the animatronic leg that Rocket said he needed for his plan in the first movie! Quill’s Walkman sits in the office as well. The Collector’s desk. Above the desk is a TV screen. When the show begins, The Collector appears and welcomes you to the collection. However, before you know it, the show is interrupted by Rocket - who no doubt has a plan to break out the Guardians of the Galaxy! But he needs your help! His hands don’t scan, only human hands do. So he needs you to help him get in and get The Guardians out! At which point The Guardians will thank Rocket and praise him for being the genius he is. On his way out of the office Rocket grabs Quill’s Walkman from the bookcase. This is a neat effect! The boiler room is fairly similar in feel to its Tower of Terror days, with the addition of some collected artifacts and theming. I wish the lines were always this short! Some signage on the walls. There are lots of collected pieces sitting around. It was pretty funny to see the Matterhorn yeti sitting in here. More theming. Some theming right before you board the gantry lift. Right outside the gantry lift is this sign advertising the Guardians of the Galaxy display that you’re about to witness. In order to gain access to the gantry lift you need to scan your hands. Once your hands are scanned, the light turns blue and you’re good to go. When the ride begins you can see Rocket’s shadow from on top of the lift. Rocket unplugs the audio of The Collector’s voice... And plugs in Quill’s Walkman to get the party started! One of 6 different song and ride sequences then begin playing, the doors close, and Rocket launches you up to the generator control room. The sudden launch combined with the upbeat music is a really fun start to the ride. Rocket’s plan is to “blast” the generator control room, destroying all the control systems which will open every cage in the collection and free the Guardians. Here’s the blast! Sparks fly, the room goes dark, and away you go! The next time the doors open, you encounter the Guardians. Each of the 6 songs has different movies that play during these sections of the ride. Unlike Tower of Terror, the ride vehicle is constantly moving during the show scenes. It constantly shakes or bobs up and down. The movement goes well with the music and really matches the feel of the ride and the Guardians universe. Smile for your photo! The doors still open up to the outside world, along with some humor from Rocket! One final thank you from The Guardians, and one final drop to the bottom of the tower - then it's finished! It’s a really fun, great ride! We were smiling the entire time and totally enjoyed it! (And I consider myself to be a pretty big Tower of Terror fan who was pretty bummed it was getting replaced - so that’s saying a lot!) Some things are better about Tower of Terror, and some things are better about Guardians, but overall both are amazing rides that do an excellent job of bringing the IP to life. I doubt it’ll be this empty again any time soon! Lets check out the merch! These dancing Groot toys are pretty popular. I loved the Cosmo plush! There’s Mission: Breakout clothing! Lots and lots of Marvel stuff is available. Spears’ favorite item was the Little Golden Book of Marvel tales. Rocket keychains. This Groot can hang on things like your headphones! Super cute! The retro toys are a nice touch! Spears is sad because they turned Groot into a book. Poor Groot! Outside we met legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde. I was almost too nervous to approach him, but he was super nice! We had a great conversation about the ride and he was nice enough to pose for a photo! As the sun started to set the Tivan Collection Gala kicked into gear! It’s party time! There was live music! Spider Man was there! (and as part of the Summer of Heroes, you can meet him too!) These guys were walking around offering test tubes of spinal fluid. Spinal fluid is DELICIOUS! There were lots of photo ops. And food! Mmmmm! Mini chicken pot pies. Mini pizzas! So much yummy stuff! Some foods were even levitating on anti-gravity walls! On no! The Collector caged us and added us to his collection! That’s nothing a drink-in-a-bag can’t fix! They were even giving out free Guardians themed glasses! Question: What’s better than Groot glasses and a drink-in-a-bag? Answer: Groot glasses and THREE drinks-in-bags! How cool are those tables with screens built in? There was even a giant sidewalk display screen that displayed tons of themed animations. It was super neat! The Tivan Gala was great! Time for the Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! grand opening ceremony! The Collector’s assistants welcomed the crowd to the opening ceremony. Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Bob Chapek came on stage to introduce the ride and thank those involved in its creation. He also mentioned that there will be an even bigger superhero presence at DCA in the future - implying the rumors are true that more Marvel rides are on the way for DCA. He then introduced the writer and director of both Guardians films, James Gunn. James talked about how it was his life-long dream to have a ride at a theme park based on movies he helped create. He then introduced some special guests... (report continued below...) Edited May 31, 2017 by ILoveRides Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveRides Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 ... Continued from above: Guardians actors and actresses Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, and Zoe Saldana were welcomed on stage. All of a sudden the lights went dark... A silhouette appeared on stage. The lights revealed the silhouette as Benicio Del Toro, the actor who plays The Collector in the films! Benicio Del Toro announced that he was there to officiate the opening of the Tivan Collection. He announced that the collection was officially open, and the tower lit up with bright lights and special effects! Ooooh, ahhh. Fireworks suddenly burst from the tower! What an impressive sight! And with that, the ride was officially open! The celebrities stayed on stage a few moments for some group photos. We headed over to the tower to check it out at night. It’s so impressive at night! The lighting is beautiful. One more night shot of the tower. Next up was Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off!, a new show that takes place in front of the tower. Audience members are called up to participate in a dance off. Spears got pulled on stage! Check out her moves! Go Spears go! Groot comes out at the end of the show and hangs around to take pictures with guests! He was totally shocked to see us wearing Groot themed glasses. We are Groot! Off to the side of the tower was this interesting quarantined area with lots of concerned people running around and lots of security. Hmmm, I wonder what this could be for? Perhaps a hint of things to come??? There was a smoking Avengers vehicle as well. No one would explain anything. Hmmmmmm! Very interesting! Disney usually gives a gift to those who attend their opening parties. Spears couldn’t wait until she got home to see what it was, so she opened it on the spot! It’s a little mini speaker themed to Quill’s mixtape! On the opposite side it had the ride’s logo. How cool! Spears loved it! Time for some interviews! Spears did her first-ever solo interview. Want to see it? Check out our video at the top of this report! We even got to do a rider-cam video. Check out this insane camera setup they had installed in one of the ride cars! Here’s our photo from the rider-cam ride. I love this photo so much! What an amazing event! Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout is a must-see ride. It’s non-stop fun from beginning to end! We totally recommend getting to DCA to check it out! Thanks to Disney for putting on such a wonderful event and inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
805Andrew Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Nice report! Looks like it was a great event and it's good to have another CA exclusive Disney ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Stratosphere Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 What a fantastic report! I love how Disney goes all out for these types of events! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Wow, what a great Event you guys got to attend! And I wish they had those mini chicken pot pies and pizzas available for sale in the park, regularly. They look perfect for an awesome snack. Do they? Or will they? Just curious. Thanks for all the reporting! You definitely covered everything possible in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveRides Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 And I wish they had those mini chicken pot pies and pizzas available for sale in the park, regularly. They look perfect for an awesome snack. Do they? Or will they? Just curious. To my knowledge, the mini foods were just for the party. When the Food and Wine Festival rolls around they offer small food tastings, but that's only for a limited time. I agree with you that some year-round mini food options might be an interesting idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 ^ And if they sold this stuff in ToonTown in DL, as well as maybe Flo's in DCA, the kids would love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I absolutely hated the look of the tower in the first rendering but now that I see the actual tower, it looks really good. I'm looking forward to trying this version someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
805Andrew Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 I absolutely hated the look of the tower in the first rendering but now that I see the actual tower, it looks really good. I'm looking forward to trying this version someday. Yeah, the tower actually looks a lot better than the renderings made it out to be. I like how it changes to different colors at night. It doesn't fit the Hollywoodland theme at all though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 ^I imagine "Hollywoodland" is going to be "Marvel Land" someday. I like it that each version of ToT is unique--the Guardians of the Galaxy makeover looks like a lot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnkropCro Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 The ride looks very cool, but I'm so amazed by how well made these decorations and costumes are. I wouldn't be opposed to Marvel Land at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmay Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Aesthetically I still think it's a bit of a miss, but ride-wise it looks like a hit. More fun than the previous version at least. And as long as the Florida version gets to keep the Twilight Zone theme I'm good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenban Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 ^I imagine "Hollywoodland" is going to be "Marvel Land" someday. I like it that each version of ToT is unique--the Guardians of the Galaxy makeover looks like a lot of fun. The contract with Universal Orlando prevents the use of the name Marvel. Which is why Disneyland just refers to the Marvel events in generic terms like the "Disneyland Super Heroes Half Marathon". I want to see this in person. The building looks decent although I think I might still prefer the original. I am interested in seeing what other Marvel rides will be built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainUnknown Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 The contract with Universal Orlando prevents the use of the name Marvel. Which is why Disneyland just refers to the Marvel events in generic terms like the "Disneyland Super Heroes Half Marathon." I was under the impression that the contract with Universal/Marvel was limited to the Florida parks. But then again, it's been a while since I've heard it from a reliable source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenban Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 The contract with Universal Orlando prevents the use of the name Marvel. Which is why Disneyland just refers to the Marvel events in generic terms like the "Disneyland Super Heroes Half Marathon." I was under the impression that the contract with Universal/Marvel was limited to the Florida parks. But then again, it's been a while since I've heard it from a reliable source. I have read the contract a few times due to discussions on forums. So I am half way familiar with it. Link to the contract But here is the relevant text. East or West of The Mississippi - permitted uses shall be limited to the use of specific Marvel characters and Marvel may not permit a licensee to use the name “Marvel” as part of the attraction name or marketing. There are other restrictions as well but that is the reason Disneyland cannot use the name Marvel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingwright Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 That was a well made video. Great work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyleds108 Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 The contract with Universal Orlando prevents the use of the name Marvel. Which is why Disneyland just refers to the Marvel events in generic terms like the "Disneyland Super Heroes Half Marathon." I was under the impression that the contract with Universal/Marvel was limited to the Florida parks. But then again, it's been a while since I've heard it from a reliable source. I have read the contract a few times due to discussions on forums. So I am half way familiar with it. Link to the contract But here is the relevant text. East or West of The Mississippi - permitted uses shall be limited to the use of specific Marvel characters and Marvel may not permit a licensee to use the name “Marvel” as part of the attraction name or marketing. There are other restrictions as well but that is the reason Disneyland cannot use the name Marvel. So then have a generically named 'Super Hero BLVD' with Marvel attractions. Seems like an easy work around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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