The Summer of Heroes is now underway at Disney California Adventure, and that means new experiences and entertainment with Marvel fans in mind. Let's take another look at everything that's part of this celebration and we'll let you know the best ways you can take part in all of them and not waste a lot of time. Not too interested in Marvel? The Summer of Heroes will still impact Disneyland Park, too, and it will be mostly to your advantage! |
Character Experiences
- SUPERHERO MEET-AND-GREETS - Guests have been able to meet Captain America and Spider-Man for the past year or so, but now you can also meet Star Lord, Gamora, and Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. Make sure you ask the Character Attendants so you know when and how long each character will be out so you don't wait ages in the hot sun only to have them leave for a while. CMs will be happy to let you know what their schedules are.
- HEROIC ENCOUNTER: BLACK WIDOW - Multiple times each day, Black Widow will barrel down Hollywood Boulevard in an armoured Avengers vehicle and afterward meet with excited fans for photos. Check your entertainment schedule so you know the next time she's scheduled to appear.
Entertainment
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- AVENGERS TRAINING INITIATIVE - Kids age 6-12 are invited to learn from the experts what it takes to be an Avenger and prove to Black Widow and Hawkeye that they have what it takes to join the team. This show is very similar to the Jedi Training Academy in Tomorrowland and, like that show, participants are required to sign up ahead of time and space is limited for each show. To sign your child up, visit the kiosk between Stage 17 and the Sunset Showcase Theatre. Registration begins as soon as the park opens, including Extra Magic Hours, so head there as soon as you arrive in the park. If spaces are filled, stand-by lines are available in the event that registered guests to not show, but I would recommend against it. Stand-by lines are incredibly long and the odds are against you that it will actually pay off.
Attractions
- HERO ACTION CENTER - Have you ever visited the Sorcerer's Workshop to discover what Disney character you are most like? Well, now you can visit the Hero Action Center in the Hollywood Backlot to find out what superhero you're most like, pick up a collectible comic and take some heroic photos.
- GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - MISSION: BREAKOUT! - The centrepiece of the Summer of Heroes is the brand new Mission: BREAKOUT! attraction where guests get to help Rocket break his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy out of the Collector's Fortress. Wait times will be highly elevated during the summer, partially due to the celebration, so I would highly recommend avoiding those stand-by lines and rely on FastPasses, which are available now. They go quickly, so make this your first FastPass of the day and you can get your next no later than 2 hours later.
Disneyland Park
If you're not a Marvel fan and are not planning on spending much time with these special experiences and activities, you can still take advantage of them in Disneyland Park. The Summer of Heroes will draw more guests than normal to Disney California Adventure which will mean lower attraction wait times than usual across the way. Be sure to use this advantage, particularly in the morning when everyone else is still stuck in a long stand-by line at Mission: BREAKOUT!
Note: I say "lower than usual", but that doesn't mean "short" necessarily. For example, normally Indiana Jones Adventure will see 95-110 minute wait times during the summer with FastPasses gone by 1p or so. During the Summer of Heroes you can expect 65-80 minute waits with FastPasses lingering until 3 or 4p. It may not sound like much, but it can make a huge difference in how your day pans out.
Note: I say "lower than usual", but that doesn't mean "short" necessarily. For example, normally Indiana Jones Adventure will see 95-110 minute wait times during the summer with FastPasses gone by 1p or so. During the Summer of Heroes you can expect 65-80 minute waits with FastPasses lingering until 3 or 4p. It may not sound like much, but it can make a huge difference in how your day pans out.