Is WDI Developing Attractions Inspired by Marvel Super-Heroes ?

The next D23 Magazine Summer issue will be released soon and some of the articles should be really interesting. In one of them called "What a MARVELous world!" Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, is interviewed and "has big hopes for Marvel now that they're part of the Walt Disney family, including having Marvel's stable of iconic characters become fixtures at Disney theme parks around the world".

The guys at IGN had an exclusive advance look at the interview Feige did for the upcoming D23 issue in which Feige says: "It's the biggest dream of all. We get to tap into this spectacular team that is better than anyone else on the planet at bringing fantasy to life, not only on the big screen but in the real world," said Feige.



Feige continued: "The notion of walking into a theme park and going into Asgard or the X-Mansion—Disney does this better than anyone. That is why I've gone to Disney parks multiple times every year for my whole life. It's that next step in fully immersive storytelling, whether it's a dark ride, a stunt show, or a thrill ride. The options are endless when it comes to how Imagineers can turn our characters, our adventures, and our films into amazing experiences."



Now, that's not all. In the same "What a MARVELous World!" article we learn too that Stan Lee also talks about "his excitement to be working with WDI Imagineers: "It's great for Marvel to have access to Disney's brains, because they're pretty smart, and it's great for Disney to have all these characters, with their built-in audience. It's one of the wisest things that either company could have done"...The article's glimpse into future plans for this historic team-up shows why Disney, Marvel and fans alike are looking forward to super hero-sized results."

We knew it had to happen, that some day WDI attractions themed on the Marvel Super-Heroes universe will appear in a Disney theme park. And, after all, when we see what Universal did at Islands of Adventure with the Spiderman ride there is no doubt that WDI could create great rides inspired by Marvel super-heroes.

The only question is not really "when?" these attractions will come as it will probably take some years before we see the first "Marvel" attraction in a Disney park - but more "where?", where these Marvel rides will be installed. Laughing Place is asking "Is Marvel Heading to Disneyland?". Let's hope not as the only place in Disneyland for a Marvel ride would be Tomorowland and i would prefer Tony Baxter's Wall-E attraction project inside the former Carousel of Progress building than an Iron Man ride. California Adventure would be a better choice but where at DCA? They probably would have to create a new "Marvel" mini land...

Or may be these WDI Marvel rides concepts - if WDI Imagineers are really working on that - will be developed for DLP third gate? Remember that DLP CEO Philippe Gas said some months ago in a Telegraph article that "DLP's third park could be a Marvel super-heroes theme park". In this case, considering that DLP third gate won't open before 2020 i'm afraid we will have to wait quite a while to ride these upcoming-or-not WDI Marvel attractions.

May be we will learn more in the next D23 summer issue, available on May 3!

Pictures: copyright Disney-Marvel

Will Shanghaî Disneyland be the first Disney theme park to have WDI Marvel super-heroes attractions ?

According to the always good Screamscape web site their sources told them that "Disney has asked the Imagineers to start studying up the huge collection of Marvel Comics characters and stories" and "that the first Disney park that could get new Marvel based attractions will likely be the new Shanghai park."

Although it's still a rumor, it's an interesting news and here is why it could eventually really happen at Shanghaî Disneyland before any other Disney theme park.

I'm not aware of the contracts signed between Marvel and Universal before the Disney deal with Marvel, but i won't be surprised that an "exclusivity clause" was asked by Universal to Marvel. At least for each country where the attractions are already built, i.e America and Japan where Universal Studios have theme parks, and the Spiderman ride in two of them.

Now, although Universal do have a theme park project near Beijing - which awaits China officials approval just like Disney for Shanghaî Disneyland - they still don't have a park in China. And, bad news for Universal, Disney now owns the Marvel rights, which basically means that Disney is doing what he wants as long as they're not stuck with previous contract clauses signed before they own the rights.

So which Disney theme park could be better than Shanghaî Disneyland to introduce the first WDI Marvel super-heroes attractions? But there may be also another reason: from what i've been told Imagineers intend to pay tribute to Chinese mythologies in Shanghaî Disneyland. Which is a pretty good idea as chinese are generally not aware of European mythologies - that's one of the reason you don't find any Snow White, Pinnochio or even Peter Pan dark rides at Hong Kong Disneyland. Chinese know more Pixar characters as these are coming from recent animated films but for the old Disney classics it's another problem...



On this angle, Marvel super-heroes mythologies thanks to recent movies - and one dollar pirate Dvds that anyone can find in most Chinese cities! - are probably well known by young chinese generations - and we can count on Disney to have check this with a marketing research!

So, for all these reasons, and although the Screamscape news must still be consider as a rumor, i would bet on it - not only for the fun but also because, as i often say, there is always a logic behind corporate decisions and in this case we can catch a glimpse of the logic who could decide WDI Imagineers to create Marvel super-heroes attractions for the awaited Shanghaî Disneyland.


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Pictures: copyright Marvel