After topping the box office charts once again and becoming the highest grossing film of the summer in North America, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ achieved yet another milestone by becoming the first Marvel characters to appear in Walt Disney World. Previously, Hiro Hamada and Baymax from ‘Big Hero 6’ were thought to be the inaugural meet and greet opportunity from the House of Ideas to appear in the beloved east coast theme park, but during the ‘Villains Unleashed’ event over the weekend, that distinction went to Star-Lord and Gamora.
The Disney Parks Blog first revealed the news earlier this month when they shared the news that a mysterious group of villains had stolen Peter Quill’s ‘Awesome Mix Vol. 1,’ the mixtape filled with handpicked retro jams from his mother that plays a big part in James Gunn’s Phase Two film. Naturally, the legendary outlaw wouldn’t stand for such a crime, so he ventured to Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the deadliest woman in the universe, Gamora, to retrieve it from some of the most feared and ferocious beings from your favorite Disney and ‘Star Wars’ films such as Hades, Oogie Boogie, Darth Vader, Maleficent, Captain Barbossa, and Kermit the Frog doppelganger Constantine. But while the Guardians were in town, they stuck around for Awesome Mixtape Dance Party in the Animation Courtyard to mingle with our planet’s inhabitants (though Gamora likely did not dance). To see out the heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe meeting their adoring public, check out this video from Attractions Magazine, followed by a gallery of pictures from Dis411, Flickr, and Instagram:
If you’re wondering how it was possible for these Marvel heroes to appear in one of Disney’s Florida vacation destinations for this Limited Time Magic event despite an agreement with Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, the explanation is simple: That deal only applies to characters who have already appeared in the rival theme park. That’s why Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man are only present in Disneyland for now. Since neither the Guardians of the Galaxy or Big Hero 6 were licensed to Universal, they’re fair game for the Mouse to utilize on both coasts.
Currently, there’s no word on whether the Awesome Mixtape Dance Party will remain a staple of the Disney theme park, but considering how well the movie its based on is doing in theaters, I’d be willing to bet that they’re working on a more permanent home in Orlando and Anaheim for Star-Lord, Gamora, and potentially the other members of the team as well.
What do you think about the face characters for Star-Lord and Gamora? Do you think that we’ll be seeing a stronger presence for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ in Disneyland and Disney World sooner rather than later? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ starring Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper is in theaters now.
