Avenger Campus is really amazing!

[GatorChris]

Did DLR for 5 days last week. And while Halloween really "aint our jam", one thing we really loved was the new Avenger Campus. Before I dive into the cool stuff, I was one of those people against this. I remember back when DCA first opened and the only good thing about the whole park was Bugs Land. It was the only IP recognized in the entire park. So I always felt an attachment to it. And while I'll forever miss Heimlich belching his way through food with my kids, this new area is nothing short of amazing.

First, it totally makes sense that Tower of Terror became Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes, I miss the Twilight Zone theme. But the Guardians theming and random ride/song sequence is sooooo much fun! We got to do Monster's After Dark...which we all thought was kinda lame. I guess if you go to DCA all the time, having something different is cool. But we much prefer the regular random fun rides vs the slasher-metal Halloween version. Still, walking around the corner and that being attached to Avenger Campus totally makes sense. It gives the park a very tween/teen/adult section to enjoy

There are characters everywhere! They often walk back and forth on the main building, and will even come down to take pics and interact with people.



If you can find time to catch the Dr Stange show, Mysteries of the Mystic Arts, it's really cool. The "magic" is very convincing, the show is very Avengers, and the drop-ins by other Avengers is always fun. Do NOT miss this show if you're a big Avengers fan. (Forgot to edit these on my phone before I posted them)




At the end of our second night, we ran into Loki who was taking pictures. We happened to be the last people in line and so we got some extra time with him, which was amazing. My daughter, who thinks he's the best, loved every moment. We asked him what his favorite food was. "I like peeled grapes. Not because I love to taste them, but knowing that someone had to peel them for me." HA! About 45 minutes later, Loki was on the building waving to the people. He noticed us and asked, "When am I invited over for grapes!" It was really cool. That was one of those moments that makes the entire trip worth it. Especially when he said, "I am burdened with glorious purpose." That's when my hands went up in victory!


Do what you can to ride on WebSlingers. It's a fun ride. Kinda like Midway Mania, expect the ride senses your movements. No need to touch anything. Just sling webs like a real Spiderman! And if you have a daughter, she'll love seeing Tom Holland make an appearance.


The other things we got to check out was the Spiderman stunt show. The seating area isn't very good, but the show is pretty cool to watch.

The Wakanda Warrior show was also cool, especially for kids who want to interact and do a bunch of battle moves.

Finally, Pym's Test Kitchen is excellent. The enormous pretzel was enough for two of my kids to eat for a dinner meal. I had the panini which was good. And my son said the PB3 sandwich was his favorite meal of the trip. Seating is very limited unless you go over to where the Frozen Live show waiting area is. They have a few tables over there, but it's a bit of a walk.

Overall, this is a HUGE hit for Disney and DCA. It was so good, I almost flipped my last day's reservation from DL to DCA. I never would've thought I'd do less time in Disneyland proper. But Avenger Campus is just that good.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Did DLR for 5 days last week. And while Halloween really "aint our jam", one thing we really loved was the new Avenger Campus. Before I dive into the cool stuff, I was one of those people against this. I remember back when DCA first opened and the only good thing about the whole park was Bugs Land. It was the only IP recognized in the entire park. So I always felt an attachment to it. And while I'll forever miss Heimlich belching his way through food with my kids, this new area is nothing short of amazing.

First, it totally makes sense that Tower of Terror became Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes, I miss the Twilight Zone theme. But the Guardians theming and random ride/song sequence is sooooo much fun! We got to do Monster's After Dark...which we all thought was kinda lame. I guess if you go to DCA all the time, having something different is cool. But we much prefer the regular random fun rides vs the slasher-metal Halloween version. Still, walking around the corner and that being attached to Avenger Campus totally makes sense. It gives the park a very tween/teen/adult section to enjoy

There are characters everywhere! They often walk back and forth on the main building, and will even come down to take pics and interact with people.
View attachment 614214
View attachment 614219

If you can find time to catch the Dr Stange show, Mysteries of the Mystic Arts, it's really cool. The "magic" is very convincing, the show is very Avengers, and the drop-ins by other Avengers is always fun. Do NOT miss this show if you're a big Avengers fan. (Forgot to edit these on my phone before I posted them)
View attachment 614224

View attachment 614225

At the end of our second night, we ran into Loki who was taking pictures. We happened to be the last people in line and so we got some extra time with him, which was amazing. My daughter, who thinks he's the best, loved every moment. We asked him what his favorite food was. "I like peeled grapes. Not because I love to taste them, but knowing that someone had to peel them for me." HA! About 45 minutes later, Loki was on the building waving to the people. He noticed us and asked, "When am I invited over for grapes!" It was really cool. That was one of those moments that makes the entire trip worth it. Especially when he said, "I am burdened with glorious purpose." That's when my hands went up in victory!
View attachment 614227

Do what you can to ride on WebSlingers. It's a fun ride. Kinda like Midway Mania, expect the ride senses your movements. No need to touch anything. Just sling webs like a real Spiderman! And if you have a daughter, she'll love seeing Tom Holland make an appearance.
View attachment 614229

The other things we got to check out was the Spiderman stunt show. The seating area isn't very good, but the show is pretty cool to watch.

The Wakanda Warrior show was also cool, especially for kids who want to interact and do a bunch of battle moves.

Finally, Pym's Test Kitchen is excellent. The enormous pretzel was enough for two of my kids to eat for a dinner meal. I had the panini which was good. And my son said the PB3 sandwich was his favorite meal of the trip. Seating is very limited unless you go over to where the Frozen Live show waiting area is. They have a few tables over there, but it's a bit of a walk.

Overall, this is a HUGE hit for Disney and DCA. It was so good, I almost flipped my last day's reservation from DL to DCA. I never would've thought I'd do less time in Disneyland proper. But Avenger Campus is just that good.

This is an excellent review! My family mostly wanted to rush through this, so I didn't get the full experience, but did get to see the Avengers Assemble show and ride web slingers. Both were very good experiences. Glad you all had a good time!

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

Great review! My family loved Bugs Land and was sad it was closed last trip, but they are all growing up now and excited to checkout Avengers Campus. Plus GotG is already one DDs favorite rides. Pretty sure we will spend some quality time there in June.

 

[Whistlebee]

So glad you guys liked it!

 

[gelatoni fan]

I'm not a fan of Disney constantly trying to shove Marvel down our throats but Bug's Land wasn't really where it needed to be either. The Chew Chew Train and Flik's Flyers were good but the spinning attraction and bumper cars loaded way too slowly. Web Slingers is a great modern attraction with good re-rideability so overall an improvement in the rides department.

For some reason Dr Strange has a tendency to randomly get cancelled for half the day which is rather frustrating. I think that it and Spiderman are decent mini-shows. I find the Wakanda show cringey and Avengers Assemble a bit difficult to watch due to the angle and tendency of there to be glare from the sun at certain times of the day.

More characters is always better than fewer but I felt like they already had enough space for Marvel characters in Hollywood Land so the additional space for characters wasn't necessary. The main Marvel shop is over there right now anyway.

I think Pym's is good but I'd rather get Earl of Sandwich if I wasn't crunched for time in DCA. I agree that the sandwiches at Pym's are pretty good but I do not recommend the multi-sized macaroni with Impossible balls. Not really a fan of the Schwarma cart unfortunately.

As for old stuff, I have a different opinion about Guardians. While the ride is more modern than Tower of Terror, I think that it feels very much like theming forced onto a ride that it doesn't completely fit. However, I felt like the Halloween version fit a lot better even though it doesn't have the variation. Without the Halloween version, I would much rather have the old Tower of Terror back. I like that the Rocket animatronic breaks down semi-frequently so that we can get some variation in the pre-show. I still haven't done Rise of the Resistance with a broken Kylo Ren or Space Mountain with the lights on. The Guardians dance show is OK although I'd at least want to see Groot in there even if Drax, Rocket and Mantis aren't there.

Overall, I think Web Slingers and Pym's are a good use of the space compared to Bugs Land, I'm a bit neutral on Guardians and I appreciate them at least trying to do something show-wise. But the shows do feel more like feeble attempts to have something rather than polished mini-shows that I would recommend to everyone. Based on show quality, I'd much rather recommend the Coco show than any of the Avengers Campus shows. Other times of the year, Jammin Chefs, Newsies, Mulan's Processional, etc are all more of the quality I think they should be shooting for.

 

[ktlm]

So jealous you saw Loki! We were there for 5 days and looked for him every day and only saw a fleeting glimpse of him on his way backstage once. My DD is a huge Loki fan in general, but there is a certain Loki variant that I don't know if he is still around, but he is very special. We visited him about every day of our trip in summer 2018 - there may have been one day there was a different variant. A year later in summer 2019, we returned and Loki spotted DD and immediately remembered her by name. He called out her name from afar before we got to him. I was shocked. We visited him every day that trip too except for the day there was a variant. She would have been happy to see any variant--- but if that variant is still around she would have been absolutely thrilled. He made our trip TWICE!

Avenger's Campus is amazing! DD made an observation though--- AC is amazing because of the all characters and mini-shows-- if Disney were to cut back on those, it would be underwhelming. The people are what make that land spectacular-- not the setting at the ground level.

 

[Dug720]

I'm not a fan of Disney constantly trying to shove Marvel down our throats

This is how I feel about Star Wars.

I cannot wait for Guardians and the rest of Avengers Campus!!!!

 

[Pluto468]

Thanks for the great review! We've been really curious about what Avengers campus is like. My son & I love the Avengers, and Loki is a special favorite. So cool you were able to meet him!

We were disappointed when they changed Tower of Terror, good to know that it's still a grea ride after the change.

 

[ClaudiaKincaid]

Did you notice the Miles Morales mural near WebSlingers?

 

[GatorChris]

Great review! My family loved Bugs Land and was sad it was closed last trip, but they are all growing up now and excited to checkout Avengers Campus. Plus GotG is already one DDs favorite rides. Pretty sure we will spend some quality time there in June.

That's how we were. We were upset when we heard Bugs were going away. But my youngest is 10 now, so Avenger Campus is much better to my kids than Bug's Land. I hate to say it this way, but it almost gives it a more Universal Orlando feel. Better for teens/tweens.

Based on show quality, I'd much rather recommend the Coco show than any of the Avengers Campus shows. Other times of the year, Jammin Chefs, Newsies, Mulan's Processional, etc are all more of the quality I think they should be shooting for.

You'd go with Coco over Dr Stange? I'm wondering if we saw the same shows. It took half the show for Miguel to come out. The rest was an overly happy guide talking us through the story. The excellent mariachi music, which I only enjoy when it's live and close, was the only redeeming part of the Coco show for me. On the other hand, the audience was very into the show for Dr Strange. It was a power packed 10 minutes. I will agree with you on the cringe moments in the Wakanda live show. It was good, but there were moments I cringed.

Avenger's Campus is amazing! DD made an observation though--- AC is amazing because of the all characters and mini-shows-- if Disney were to cut back on those, it would be underwhelming. The people are what make that land spectacular-- not the setting at the ground level.

Definitely agree with this. If there aren't characters constantly popping out, it's a Six Flags area. BUT....they did and it wasn't. They really did make the area alive. People screaming at them on the second level. And them pointing back and interacting in fun ways. So fun!

Thanks for the great review! We've been really curious about what Avengers campus is like. My son & I love the Avengers, and Loki is a special favorite. So cool you were able to meet him!

We were disappointed when they changed Tower of Terror, good to know that it's still a grea ride after the change.

I'm with you on all of this. We went to Orlando last year and did DHS just to do Tower of Terror again. Strangely, I found myself missing the fun of the GotG ride of DCA. If you're an Avengers fan, you'll love everything about this place. And I'd say they'll probably expand very soon.

 

[brenda1966]

I appreciate this review as I was very sad when they demolished Bug's Land. While the rides were not up to Disney standard, the theming in the area was so charming. I will miss it immensely.

I've only seen a few Marvel films (Guardians, Iron Man). Which ones are must sees in order to be up to speed before a visit to Disneyland?

 

[gelatoni fan]

You'd go with Coco over Dr Stange? I'm wondering if we saw the same shows. It took half the show for Miguel to come out. The rest was an overly happy guide talking us through the story. The excellent mariachi music, which I only enjoy when it's live and close, was the only redeeming part of the Coco show for me. On the other hand, the audience was very into the show for Dr Strange. It was a power packed 10 minutes. I will agree with you on the cringe moments in the Wakanda live show. It was good, but there were moments I cringed.

Most people I know who visit DCA but aren't massive fans of Marvel are a bit disappointed by the Dr Strange show. A common thing mentioned is that they were hoping for more impressive special effects and felt underwhelmed. Coco is easy to follow for everyone but Dr Strange assumes you've watched the movie and some movies with Thor in it. I've also found that the dialogue in Dr Strange can feel awkward depending on the CM and audience reaction can sometimes mess things up. Then, there's also the issue of Dr Strange getting cancelled a lot and some shows getting quite packed so if you aren't lining up, you may not have a good view of the magic tricks. I think the Dr Strange show is a good idea but there's lots of places where I see room for improvement.

Of course, if you're a huge fan of Marvel and/or get a great audience, Dr Strange is a good fun show. But I think Coco has broader appeal and is more consistent.

I've only seen a few Marvel films (Guardians, Iron Man). Which ones are must sees in order to be up to speed before a visit to Disneyland?

If you only have one day in DCA and don't visit often, I'd say just watch Ant-Man to eat at Pyms and skip the shows. Otherwise, the following would by my recommendations:

To appreciate the food and design of Pym's: Ant-Man and possibly Ant-Man and the Wasp
To understand the Dr Strange show: Dr. Strange
To understand the Wakanda show: Black Panther
To understand Avengers Assemble: maybe watch Black Widow but the show is still understandable if you didn't

Spiderman and Captain America movies may also help understand shows and Web Slingers although I think most people have enough basic knowledge of Spiderman for these movies to be skippable. Thor would probably be next once you've seen those. If you like to know what the photo spots and decorations reference: Wandavision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Captain Marvel. Shang-Chi appears sometimes but doesn't really do anything so you probably don't need to watch this movie unless you've exhausted the rest of this list.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Glad you enjoyed Avenger's Campus. I really enjoy it, too.

At the end of our second night, we ran into Loki who was taking pictures. We happened to be the last people in line and so we got some extra time with him, which was amazing. My daughter, who thinks he's the best, loved every moment. We asked him what his favorite food was. "I like peeled grapes. Not because I love to taste them, but knowing that someone had to peel them for me." HA! About 45 minutes later, Loki was on the building waving to the people. He noticed us and asked, "When am I invited over for grapes!" It was really cool. That was one of those moments that makes the entire trip worth it. Especially when he said, "I am burdened with glorious purpose." That's when my hands went up in victory!

This was fun to read. What a fun experience!

 

[Ladyslug]

Avenger's Campus is amazing! DD made an observation though--- AC is amazing because of the all characters and mini-shows-- if Disney were to cut back on those, it would be underwhelming. The people are what make that land spectacular-- not the setting at the ground level.

Agreed -- but they do currently have a lot of that, which makes it kind of exciting. During the time of having one drink from Pym's Tasting Lab (we were at the stand-up tables across the walkway from the bar itself, near the Avengers Headquarters building) we got to see so many characters: Captain America, Black Widow, Shang-Chi, Loki, Thor, the Dora Milaje (walking back after their show), Star-Lord, and Gamora. I think the only thing we didn't end up seeing while we were there (basically only spent one day in DCA) was the Dr. Strange show, but even just walking through in the middle of the day, it feels like there's a lot going on in Avenger's Campus.

 

[GatorChris]

I appreciate this review as I was very sad when they demolished Bug's Land. While the rides were not up to Disney standard, the theming in the area was so charming. I will miss it immensely.

I've only seen a few Marvel films (Guardians, Iron Man). Which ones are must sees in order to be up to speed before a visit to Disneyland?

Oh, man! All of them! HAHA! Honestly, to really get Avenger Campus, the more you watch, the better. But especially Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity Wars, and Avengers Endgame. But really, to "get" all the films, you'll need to take your time and watch them one by one on Disney+. You wont' be disappointed. Except with maybe Iron Man 2.

 

[GBRforWDW]

Oh, man! All of them! HAHA! Honestly, to really get Avenger Campus, the more you watch, the better. But especially Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity Wars, and Avengers Endgame. But really, to "get" all the films, you'll need to take your time and watch them one by one on Disney+. You wont' be disappointed. Except with maybe Iron Man 2.

Yes! I found the Avengers chronological order on Disney+ earlier this summer and just watched all in a row over several weeks before our trip. A lot of it makes more sense with the chronology

 

[ktlm]

I've only seen a few Marvel films (Guardians, Iron Man). Which ones are must sees in order to be up to speed before a visit to Disneyland?

Adding to the above- when we were there week before last- Ant Man and Wasp were out a lot--- they were on top of the building and they came down for pictures. So, Ant-Man--- and then its sequel Ant Man and the Wasp would help you understand them and Pyms. I think Ant Man might be enough and you could spend your time on Marvel movies that are better than Ant Man and the Wasp though. Its not bad-- but there are definitely ones that are better.

We really enjoyed the Dr. Strange show--- I heard it is more impressive at night if you get a chance because of the lighting, but we saw it during the day--- Dr. Strange obviously would be the movie to watch to understand the character and the show. I can definitely see how people that had not seen the movie wouldn't get it.

Assuming you don't have time to watch everything-- I would say at least watch "The Avengers"-- that will give you an overview of a good deal of the characters--- Black Widow, Loki, Thor, Ironman, Captain America etc.

Black Panther--- that will give you an understanding of the Dora Milaje and their awesomeness to appreciate their show, and we saw Black Panther on the building and down for pictures too.

If you are pressed for time and can't watch everything, I would say watch in this order:

The Avengers
Ant-Man
Dr. Strange
Blank Panther

Once you have hit those, if you want to know more about Wasp since she is out all the time, then Ant Man and the Wasp (again, if you aren't watching them all, I think you definitely could watch better movies-- but she is out a lot at AC).

The land is very Spider Man focused-- so Spiderman Homecoming would be good, but also if you have a basic concept of Spiderman you will be good there. Not necessary to watch the movie, although we all love it at our house.

If you have caught up with the 4 movies listed above for the basics and you like the movies and have more time, I would go back and hit the original Captain America and Thor. and then some of the other Avengers movies. You can find lots of lists online of the movies in chronological order that you can go by if you want a Marvel Marathon!

 

[Gypsybear]

This is the area I'm most excited to visit. We've been working on tee shirts and masks for the trip, and we've made quite a few for this area. Since there isn't an AC at WDW, we're excited to finally be able to visit this one. The reviews seem to be a bit mixed, so we're keeping our expectations low.

We did shirts/masks for: Dr. Strange, Avengers, Capt. America, and we even made some for Eternals, since the movie releases while we're in Cali.

Of course we also did shirts/masks for GE.

Thanks for the reviews!!