It has already been well known
that Disney has expanded its media portfolio beyond its in-house productions
such as its classic characters and Animated Canon. The two most prominent
additions had been Marvel, which has dazzled superhero fans for a decade with
the MCU movies, and Lucasfilms which ties the “Star Wars” saga to the media
giant’s portfolio. This franchise actually got major love in the form of
expansion areas in Disneyland and Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, called Star
Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But even as the Disneyland version opened last May, Disney
is already accelerating plans to replicate the feat for their Marvel properties
too.
The Los Angeles Times has it that Disneyland Resort has commenced
planning on the next expansion area they will add to the venerable but still
popular theme park complex after the “Star Wars” themed Galaxy’s Edge. This
time, the upcoming area will be added to Disney California Adventure, the park
designed to honor Disneyland’s home state. And the theme of this expansion is
none other than Marvel, one of the major labels of American superhero comics
and media. This will be an area similar to Galaxy’s Edge unlike the one-off
Marvel attractions already in place like with Disneyland Hong Kong.
Disney has secured approval from
the city of Anaheim for several building permits that would allow construction
of the new Marvel land attached to DCA. One of the permits, publicized this
Wednesday, June 19, specifies a sprawling merchandise outlet as part of the
themed area, 2,071 square feet in area. Other facets of the overall project
include a character meet-and-greet area, micro-brewery, and behind-the-scenes
facilities for the benefit of the operating staff, or “cast members.” Earlier
concept art and information shared by Disney would describe the Marvel land as
an “academy” run by the Avengers that will give guests the opportunity to
become new superheroes.
A Bug's Land had no major shops (remember P.T. Flea Market which closed in 2010?), but the Marvel-themed Super Hero campus certainly will. 2,071 square feet of merchandise space for all things Spider-Man, according to this permit. https://t.co/na70784rKJ pic.twitter.com/URMKilOkKE— Matthew Gottula 🏳️🌈 (@DLthings) June 6, 2019
The area of Disney California
Adventure that would become a Marvel Land for Disneyland Resort was originally
home to A Bug’s Land, an attraction area tying into the 1998 Disney-Pixar movie
“A Bug’s Life.” Indeed, the West-Coast Disney theme park complex is lucky in a
way. Due to a Marvel contract with Universal Parks & Resorts, Disney cannot
build Marvel-themed attractions east of the Mississippi, and even then what attractions
they can create cannot specifically carry the Marvel brand as an umbrella name.
No such restriction is known to be in effect at Marvel rides in Disneyland Hong
Kong and Disneyland Paris, and both their attractions are also in line to be
expanded into areas.
New details about the Marvel
expansion land for DCA in Disneyland Resort is expected to be shared by the
company on the annual “D23” celebratory convention, scheduled for August 23-25
at the Anaheim Convention Center.
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