Avengers Training Initiative: an initial review

[Mousequake]

Surprised there hasn't been a thread about this one yet; I guess it's getting overshadowed by the GotG opening.

My daughter did this one twice over the weekend. While I was worried it'd be super difficult to get into, it was a relative breeze. We showed up around 3:30 and signed up for an alternate at the 4:30 show, and she got in with every other alternate signed up. They were walking around Hollywood Land looking for more kids to sign up. Sunday, we showed up about 10:00 and we had our pick of all except the very first show.

So as to the show itself-- it very much feels like a higher-up in park management said "hey, Jedi Training is super popular. We need that over at DCA." It feels very half-baked. Some SHIELD agents come out to introduce Black Widow and Hawkeye, the 'recruits' (the kids) come in and learn a short sequence of six fight moves. Puzzlingly, they only use two of those fight moves later in the show, so the last four are pointless.

There are two main things kids do: match some kind of 'color crystals' to an onscreen prompt to restore power to some indeterminate battery thing, and fling Captain America shields at a bomb-like device that looks for all the world like a Dalek in disguise. And here lies the main problem with the show: kids throwing shields made out of some flimsy material, that don't go where the kids throw them. It's extremely difficult for kids to hit the intended target. What it's not extremely difficult for them to do, though, is hit other kids in the group across the stage in the face with the shields. This happened at least once at each show.

I think another problem with the show is that Black Widow and Hawkeye are so recognizable-- in Jedi Training, the characters aren't supposed to be any Star Wars characters that we know. But the whole time during Avengers Training, I'm sitting there thinking, "wow, they really don't look or act anything like Scarlett Johansen or Jeremy Renner."

This show has potential, but it needs a lot of work to bring it up to Jedi Training standards. That being said, my 9YO daughter absolutely loved it, and I guess that's what it's all about.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yikes.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks for the review. Our son will want to try this. Good to hear that you could sign up in the afternoon and get s spot. I thought it would be like jedi Training where you need to go right from rope drop. Maybe it's not as know?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

You might want to send your review to Guest Services. It's good for them to get feedback from someone who actually went to the show, especially the part about the shields hitting other kids. Suggest where improvements can be made. It can't hurt!

 

[alvernon90]

my 9YO daughter absolutely loved it

I'm pretty sure this is the only part of your review that the Disney folks care about, except maybe...

What it's not extremely difficult for them to do, though, is hit other kids in the group across the stage in the face with the shields. This happened at least once at each show.

I would guess the Disney lawyers care quite a bit about this part.

 

[Malcon10t]

I'm pretty sure this is the only part of your review that the Disney folks care about,

Actually, while they will like that the child enjoyed, it is the parents that spend the money and they know that. So the "This show has potential, but it needs a lot of work to bring it up to Jedi Training standards." will also be important to them, because they know if it isn't up to the parents expectations, parents know how to skip areas with kids.

 

[PurpleKomodo]

I am a little bummed that this show is 6 and up, while Jedi Training starts at 4. My almost 5 year old will be disappointed. I wonder why the difference?

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Thanks for the review. My son desperately wants to do the Jedi training when we go next week. This will be a nice fall back if he doesn't get a spot.