Since Disney acquired Marvel, there have been talks of when and how superheroes like Thor and Captain America would begin to inhabit the company’s trademark theme parks around the world considering that their main competitor, Universal Studios, already has a Marvel-themed land in their Islands of Adventure park in Florida. Last month, we learned that costumed characters would be appearing in Hong Kong Disneyland very soon, but there was no timetable available at the time of the announcement. Well, now it appears that the first signs of Marvel popping up in a Disney park have arrived a lot sooner than expected and it won’t be all the way in Hong Kong.
According to the Disney Parks blog, Tony Stark and ‘Iron Man 3’ will be making their presence known at the original Disneyland park in Anaheim, CA. Starting in April, the Tomorrowland attraction Innoventions, which contains a number of near-futuristic technologies on display, will feature the new exhibit called ‘Iron Man Tech Presented By Stark Industries’. As a part of this presentation coming to Disney’s flagship location, Stark’s Hall of Armors from the movie will be on display, but that’s not all. There will be some awesome interactive elements to the exhibit as well. Here’s the description that can be found over at the blog:
‘Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries’ will give Disneyland park guests the chance to see Tony Stark’s Hall of Armor, featuring Iron Man suits Mark I-VII – the same suits featured in “Iron Man 3.” And you will even be able to virtually “suit up,” yourself! Through simulation technology, guests will be able to see what it’s like to operate the latest pieces of the Mark 42 Iron Man armor, even getting the chance to test out its infamous repulsor blasts.
At one point, there was talk of turning Innoventions into the Stark Expo from ‘Iron Man 2’, but those plans were quietly put on hold a while back. Maybe this exhibit is the company’s way of testing the waters before they fully integrate the House of Ideas in the House of Mouse theme parks. There’s really no doubt in my mind that this will be a popular attraction while it’s up and running, so maybe that will motivate Disney and Marvel to get the characters in their American parks before ‘The Avengers 2’ hits theaters.
Regardless of what happens in the future as a result of this, ‘Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries’ opens in Disneyland on April 13th and ‘Iron Man 3’ starring Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, and Guy Pearce opens on May 3, 2013.
