Now that we are a couple of week’s removed from the closure of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in Disney California Adventure, more details about the attraction taking over the space are starting to emerge. While we already knew the basic “save the Guardians from capture” pitch, that plot has been filling out little by little. This past week, Imagineer Joe Rohde along with Marvel’s Joe Quesada were on hand at the construction zone to show select media outlets what they were working on and what we can all expect when it opens. So here’s what we know about Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!:
So Random
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Mission: BREAKOUT! is that it will take a page from Florida’s Tower of Terror as well as Star Tours: The Adventures Continue in that the ride will offer many different experiences. Not only will the randomized drop sequences that Walt Disney World guests have enjoyed for years be a feature on this new attraction but several other elements will vary with each ride. These variables includes music (songs from the film’s “Awesome Mixes” and beyond), effects, and perhaps whether the doors at the top of the shaft open, giving you a look out into the park. As Rohde told IGN, Sometimes the doors might open. Sometimes the doors might not open because something else will happen. Many things will happen on this ride… It’s a very dynamic ride.”
Easter Eggs Everywhere
As any Tower fan will tell you, the lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel was lousy with references to episodes of the classic show The Twilight Zone. Similarly, the Guardian ride promises to incorporate plenty of props and allusions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the growing list of Marvel television shows, and of course the company’s massive canon of comics. “What’s wonderful about the collection is you have so many recognizable items there from movies, from TV shows, new things there that might be deriving from stories later to come. But even in a deeper dive you might see things there that only appear in comics. If you’re a Marvel die-hard, you’ll recognize it. If you’re not, it’s a cool artifact. It’s a wonderful melding of all our universes to create this new world and this new collection,” Quesada said. Apparently they also plan on changing items in queue every so often, ensuring that there will always be something cool to spot.
A Change in Tone
Given the unique tone of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, it should be no surprise that the new attraction will also include a bit of that familiar humor. Rohde explained to the Orange County Register that, “Guardians is this irreverent, high-energy brand – it’s funny, it’s fast, it comes at you sideways, the characters are super unusual.” For this reason, Rohde says that Mission: BREAKOUT! will bear little resemblance to Tower despite using the same mechanics, adding, “The ride system is capable of being more dynamic, more movement, more disruption, so the challenge is to capture the essence of the story and the [Guardians of the Galaxy] world.”
Caught Red Handed… and Footed
One of the small details we learned is that, as the story goes, Rocket Racoon managed to spill a bucket of paint while making his escape. Thus, riders will apparently follow in his literal tracks and footsteps in order to free the other Guardians. This plot element is actually included on the construction wall sign that was recently erected outside of the attraction:
Not a Perfect Plan
Many may be wondering what this escape plot has to do with plummeting elevators. Well, as it turns out, part of Rocket’s plan is to shut down the generator. Unfortunately, according to Nerdist, this not only causes the elevator to malfunction but also lets all of the creatures out of their cages. Clearly this will bring an exciting and adventurous angle to the ride and it’s easy to imagine all the fun Disney can have with this in terms of creating multiple experiences in one attraction.
The Tivan Group
Lastly, one of the things we knew since the entire Guardians ride was just a seemingly crazy rumor was that the story would involve Taneleer Tivan — better known as the Collector. This fact was then confirmed in the video released that featured Joe Rohde teasing the ride (see below). Now we also know that the Cast Members working the attraction will be Tivan Group employees. Additionally, some reports suggest that they are actually in on the plan to free to the Guardians, implying that Taneleer isn’t a very great boss. Rohde also shared a tidbit about the CM costumes, saying, “The costumes are derived from the general world of Guardians, and are not something you would have seen in the movie. They are some of the most elaborate costumes we have ever done.”
As you probably know, Guardian of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! will be the first full-blown Marvel attraction stateside and only the second in the world, following the recent opening of the Iron Man Experience in Hong Kong. So when will this attraction open? That’s one thing we don’t know beyond Disney’s typically vague “Summer 2017” window.
Whether this new info will help ease the wounds of fans sad to see the Tower of Terror go remains to be seen, but even those upset about the change have to admit it does sound like a lot of fun. We’ll just to need to standby and see.