This summer’s debut of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure brought the new WEB SLINGERS attraction to the Disneyland Resort, but it also brought with it a range of new superhero-inspired shows and interactive encounters. Today, we’re bringing you our Unofficial Guide to Avengers Campus entertainment to help you decide which experiences are Marvel-ous and which ones you can miss.
In 2021, Disney welcomed Marvel Cinematic Universe fans inside a new land that serves as the West Coast headquarters of Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, and their fellow Super Heroes. Avengers Campus, which was built around the existing Guardians of the Galaxy attraction, encompasses the area previously occupied by the kid-centric A Bug’s Land.
The main gateway into the land lies just past Carthay Circle and is marked by a massive glowing Iron Man-esque Arc Reactor; secondary entrances are found near Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: Breakout! (which seceded from Hollywood Land) and behind Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in Cars Land.
Avengers Campus exists in a unique offshoot of the Marvel multiverse wherein Thanos’ snap never occurred, so visitors can see Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers team up—despite the fact that she’s dead and he’s 120 in the current cinematic continuity—while listening to the 8-bar Avengers theme on an incessant loop.
As a result, a veritable who’s-who of Marvel super heroes hang out around Avengers Campus, ranging from old-guard icons like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America to second-generation favorites such as Captain Marvel.
You never know which heroes or villains from across the Marvel multiverse might pop up, or where. Keep your eyes open for Black Panther and Sam “Captain America” Wilson atop the Quinjet landing platform, or a Loki variant on the run from the Time Variance Authority.
The Amazing Spider-Man!
A half dozen times each day, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will be spotted scrambling along the rooftop above his signature attraction, engaging in some unimpressive tumbling stunts while miming cringe-worthy dialogue.
Sit tight because the amazing part comes at the end of this 4-minute event, when a next-generation animatronic stunt-Spidey is catapulted skyward, sailing gracefully towards a backstage landing zone while striking a classic comic book pose. The cutting-edge robot, which was designed in part by the late Grant Imahara of Mythbusters, reliably brings pedestrian traffic to a halt with every flight.
After this jaw-dropping moment, the web-head reappears in human form to take photos with his fans.
Be aware that if you stand near the WEB SLINGERS ride entrance to see the first portion of this show, you’ll miss the big finale, which is best viewed near the land’s main entrance.
Unofficial Guide Rating: 3 stars
Watch the complete Amazing Spider-Man show here:
Avengers Assemble
Black Widow and Captain America team up to battle Taskmasker’s minions in this missable 6-minute stunt show staged atop the Quinjet landing platform overlooking Avengers Campus.
The fight choreography doesn’t pack much of a punch, and the ending is confusingly anticlimactic. It doesn’t help that tall balcony rails block the performers bodies unless you stand too far back to see their facial expressions. Pause and watch if it happens while you’re passing by, but don’t go out of your way to see it.
Unofficial Guide Rating: 2.5 stars
Watch the complete Avengers Assemble show here:
Warriors of Wakanda: The Disciplines of the Dora Milaje
By far the best live show at Avengers Campus, this 10-minute interactive encounter with Wakanda’s shorn-skulled women warriors combines a kinetic audience-participation movement class with a surprisingly moving tribute to fallen heroes. The presentation begins with a martial procession to the semicircular benches outside Dr. Strange’s sanctuary, which serve as the training session’s stage.
If you’re eager to pledge your allegiance to T’Challa, stand along the blue line to the right of the large “A” logo for a front-row view .
Unofficial Guide Rating: 3.5 stars
Watch the Warriors of Wakanda shown here:
Dr. Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts
Within a gorgeously decrepit courtyard representing the Sorcerer Supreme’s never-before-seen Californian Sanctum Santorum, a Benedict Cumberbatch look-alike performs simple but effective birthday party magic tricks, dressed up with video effects and alliterative time-traveling mumbo-jumbo.
More amusing than astounding, try to see this slight 11-minute show after sunset, when the finale lighting effect is able to make an impact.
Each show holds fewer than 200 people, and most must sit on the stone floor (which becomes scorching in the sun) while a few may stand in the back; line up at least 15 minutes prior to showtime for your pick of viewing spots.
Unofficial Guide Rating: 3 stars
Watch the complete Mysteries of the Mystic Arts show here:
Have you experienced the new Avengers Campus entertainment? Let us know which show is your favorite in the comments!
For all there is to see and do at Disneyland, check out The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland by Seth Kubersky with Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa, and Guy Selga Jr. All Disneyland fans should also check out The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream by Sam Gennawey. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our newsletter here. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
