Avengers Assemble!…at Disneyland?
This post covers a couple of things: new Avengers food at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port in Disneyland, and whether a Marvel attraction is replacing Innoventions next door. Let’s start with the more intriguing subject. That’s right, the food.
I’ll admit that I was pretty hyped when I read an article on the Disney Parks Blog about the Iron Man waffle (yes, you read that correctly–it’s a waffle shaped like Iron Man) on Friday afternoon. I mean, it’s a waffle, shaped like a super hero. That’s something truly special, and I felt the need to consume it ASAP. In actuality, my excitement probably wasn’t so much about the waffle itself as the fact that I now had a pretext to head to Disneyland after finishing work.
I met up with Hawkeye4Life Fan Club Founder Guy Selga, and we each purchased all of the Avengers items at Pizza Port (besides the pricey Iron Man novelty cup). There was much excitement in the air, as the potential of a delicious waffle shaped like a super hero could instantly catapult Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port from being one of the worst restaurants at Disneyland to one of the best restaurants…in the world. I mean, c’mon, it’s a waffle shaped like Iron Man? That’s serious business.
Let’s take a look at whether the waffle and other Avengers foods we assembled lived up to the hype. Oh, and also the minor question of if and when a Marvel attraction is coming to Tomorrowland…
I’m sure you’re all sitting on pins and needles, so I’ll start with the waffle. Calling this a waffle might be a bit of a stretch. It actually has more in common with a warm red velvet cupcake with cream cheese filling than it does a waffle. No matter, it’s wonderful. It’s also $6.99, which is a bit of a steep price for what ultimately is a dessert, but it’s quite large and filling. This is something to split, and the size plus taste plus novelty factor makes it worth the $6.99 investment.
By contrast, nothing else we purchased was remotely worthwhile. The Black Widow Parfait was a rich, odd mix of flavors that was simply overwhelming. The Disney Parks Blog lists this parfait as consisting of “layers of chocolate syrup, chocolate cake, white and dark chocolate mousse, strawberry filling, and topped with dark chocolate crunchy candies and Black Widow’s emblem.”
That sounds like a lot of stuff going on, but the actual list of ingredients in the parfait is about as long as a Russian novel, and this label-list covers about half the parfait container. I would have been able to tolerate all these artificial flavors, chemicals, and what-have-you had the parfait been delicious, but it was not. Definitely not something that I recommend.
Then, there’s the Captain America Shortbread Cookie. This wasn’t listed in the Parks Blog article, and probably for good reason. It was one of the blandest cookies I’ve ever tasted, being comparable in flavor to cardboard with a hint of shortbread flavor.
I’m pretty sure the Captain America shield on this cookie was made of paper. Literally, paper. It tore oddly as it was bitten into, and I tried a piece of it on its own, and it was akin to restroom paper towel. At least the cookie wasn’t hard, I guess?
My overall conclusion in terms of these Avengers foods: leave the other stuff, take the Iron Man Mark V Dessert Waffle.
Now for the future of Marvel in Disneyland. I want to start with the caveat that this is total speculation, and everything I’m presenting here is simply my speculation based on past rumors, current construction, and what seems most reasonable to me. I know nothing about what the real plans are for the future of Marvel in Disneyland, if such plans even exist.
There have been so many rumors about what form this would take over the last few years. Speculation has ranged from an Iron Man roller-coaster and mini-land in Disney California Adventure to a fully fledged third gate devoted entirely to Marvel. These ideas are plausible, but they are definitely long-term plans, especially in the case of a third gate, which is probably at least a decade away (if not simply wishful thinking by Disneyland fans).
Marvel already has an established presence in terms of meet & greets and displays in the Innoventions building, and the quickest option for a fully-fledged attraction is probably Marvel taking over that building and replacing Innoventions with a Stark Expo or S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Rumors have swirled about these possibilities, as well, but haven’t ever really gone anywhere.
However, Innoventions closed on March 31, 2015 for a refurbishment with no end date set. Any time anything happens with Innoventions, Disneyland fans have speculated as to what the future might hold. Everything from Star Wars to a nostalgic return of the Carousel of Progress has been presented by fans as possibilities. For a while, the most reasonable idea seemed to be an exhibit for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary showcasing the history of the park. It seemed like a quick project that could be completed in a couple of months for the kickoff of the 60th.
As time goes on, it appears pretty clear that this is not going to be a Disneyland 60th Anniversary exhibit. Even before Innoventions fully closed to the public, it appeared displays were being removed in wholesale, suggesting a complete change in the attraction, not a temporary repurposing of space. More recently–and more telling–exterior walls have been removed from the building, offering glimpses inside that appear as if the building has been gutted. Quite simply, if a 60th Anniversary exhibit were opening in a few weeks, the building would not look like this now.
Of the possibilities that remain, Star Wars and Marvel seem like the most reasonable options (sorry, Carousel of Progress). In my view, Star Wars seems destined for bigger and better things via full scale environments a la Cars Land, whereas a Marvel attraction could repurpose the existing building there and not seem unambitious.
With no announcements and little information leaking out as to what the new attraction could potentially entail (and I write new attraction because, regardless of what it is, I think it’s only a matter of time before that “Innoventions” marquee is removed), it’s hard to say what form it will take. Perhaps it will be an indoor coaster. Perhaps it will be the ‘tech expo’ that Innoventions never was, showcasing the best emerging technologies that WDI has designed and putting them at the center of an attraction with a Marvel wrapper. Perhaps it will be something totally different that as of yet has not been discussed. Heck, perhaps, it will simply be Innoventions with new walls!
As Avengers: Age of Ultron races to a $200 million opening weekend and Star Wars Episode VII being forecast to earn $2 billion+ at the box office, neither ‘cinematic universe’ going anywhere anytime soon. Given this, one thing is for sure, and it’s that Disney will want to find a way to leverage these colossal properties in its parks, sooner rather than later. It’s actually quite shocking that Disney has yet to make any concrete announcements about Marvel or Star Wars in the parks by now…it’s not as if the popularity of these films is some sudden surprise. It just makes sense for Marvel to make a permanent home in Innoventions as the quickest way to make that a reality.
What the future holds for Marvel at Disneyland is still anyone’s guess. It appears a foregone conclusion that the future does hold something, it’s just a question now of what, where, and when? Personally, my money is on something in the Innoventions building, and that “something” not simply being simple exhibits. While I’m not overly enthused about the prospect of a Marvel land (or a Star Wars one, for that matter) in Walt Disney’s original magic kingdom, I think a single attraction or two would be a good, workable fit. Hopefully we will find out for sure what’s coming at this year’s D23 Expo!
Oh, and one final thing: Marvel is not coming to Walt Disney World. No amount of wishful thinking and concocted rumors is going to change the contractual language between Marvel and Universal. It simply is not happening (save for perhaps some characters outside the scope of that agreement–but the main, Avengers characters are encompassed by that contract). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as there are plenty of great, non-Marvel concepts for Walt Disney World.
As for figuring out the rest of your Disneyland trip, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, whether you should stay off-site or on-site in a Disney hotel, where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland trip planning guide!
Your Thoughts…
What do you think about Marvel having a larger presence in Disneyland? Do you think it’s acceptable in Walt Disney’s original magic kingdom, or should it be across the Esplanade in Disney California Adventure? Any particular type of attraction you’d like to see? What about the Iron Man Waffle? Are you super hype for it? Share whatever you’re thinking in the comments!
I just returned from a trip to DL and the only Avengers themed food item left at Pizza Port was the Iron Man waffle-cake and I was a little disappointed. Mine seemed overly sweet and the red velvet flavor was lacking. They do still have the Iron Man cups (which I purchased to go on my desk at school to hold hall passes), as well as an exclusive print.
As to the use of the Innoventions building, it was confirmed to my friend and I by a cast member that it will be meant to feel like Stark Expo, contain a few bits of Marvel, and hopefully turn out to function like the old World’s Fair. I didn’t see it mentioned in your post, but they have strategically placed a meet-&-greet for Thor and Cap (that can be easily moved if necessary but is permanent for now) across from the building along with a small Marvel shop tucked in beside them.
So Tom, did you see any new developments on Innoventioms when you were there for 24 hr day this past weekend?
And are the Iron Man waffles still around/will they be around for the rest of summer?
🙂
Thanks!
When we were there we had an Ariel cookie that looked awfully familiar to the Captain America cookie. Awful being the key word there. Even my daughter couldn’t stand the cookie.
Tom, I enjoyed the commentary/speculation piece here and a bit of the “news” of something that’s in the park for a short time. Granted, this entire site is opinion, but I enjoyed reading a current event or speculation about what’s to come.
Do you live in Southern California now? For some reason I thought you were in Indiana? You mentioned heading to DL after work.
so I have been trying to guess what they are doing in Innoventions for a while now. Shortly before it closed the lower level had been closed and getting altered while the upper level as still open to go meet Thor and Cap and pretend you are Iron Man, those were arguably the coolest things that have been in the building ever since Innoventions first opened. I think if it was going to be something for the 60th it would have been announced by now because the big event starts in 3 weeks. I find the fact that the posters advertising the Avengers’ presence inside are still hanging highly suspect because I would think if they were planning on a Stark Expo or SHIELD facility (maybe an Avengers Academy?) that they would have wanted it ready to open last Friday along side Age of Ultron, however I think if the Avengers weren’t going to call that building home anymore they should have taken the posters down right away to not confuse the Marvel fans right now. So I can’t figure out what they are doing, they also made no theme park announcements about star Wars at celebration which was right across the street from Paradise Pier so I’m not sure if they are aiming for Marvel or Star Wars. BUT, I do think that since they have Star Tours AND the Jedi Training Academy they are at least somewhat covering the bases with Star Wars. As of right now there are NO Marvel attractions (rides, shows, or meet and greets) in any of the parks and considering that Avengers just got released and it seems to make more sense to open an attraction in conjunction with that then with Ant-Man… Now here is an idea, what if they made a section of it house a preview for the upcoming Marvel movie (and when a long gap is ahead show a One-Shot, then you could have a few interactive areas with how to become Avengers, and (most importantly) multiple Avengers available for meet and greets, and after seeing Age of Ultron, I REALLY want Vision to be present in the building, and I want Black Widow and/or Scarlet Witch (you have to have at least one of the female characters in there)
That cookie looks… so disappointing. I adore the Avengers and was really excited to try all these foods. If I’m feeling in a money tossing mood I might try the parfait anyway but other than that I guess I’ll just try to Iron Man “pancake”. Thanks for the review!
They should have more stuff based on the other characters (food or otherwise)… like Ultron or Vision (my favorite ♥). But I get to eat Iron Man’s face so I’m not complaining *shrugs*
I still can’t believe that Disney hasn’t announced anything for Star Wars or Marvel. I feel like even if the plans were thin, it would raise anticipation and make Disney fans happy. With King Kong in Orlando and Fast and the Furious in Hollywood, Universal looks like they’re doing so much more than Disney. Even just from a PR perspective, it seems smart for Disney. I feel like info is on the way soon, but I’ve felt that way for a long time.
Any word on how long those Iron Man “waffles” are hanging around?
Marvel characters in Disneyland… what´s next? Priests holding Mass in a Darth Vader costume? Oh how I miss the days when Roy clashed with Andy Mooney over a few T-Shirts…
Well there is a Grotesque shaped as Darth Vader’s head at the National Cathedral in DC, so…
Jesus H. Christ, you are right! Seems no matter how ludicrous an idea is, the reality is always one step ahead…
Current contractual agreements certainly prevent Disney from using Marvel properties in theme parks east of the Mississippi river. I think the rumors I’ve seen is that Disney is speaking with Universal on amending those contractual agreements. While a year ago I would have dismissed those rumors out of hand, the fact that they came to an agreement with Sony over regaining control over Spider-Man (even if the movies will still be distributed by Sony) leads me to at least believe such rumors are *possible.* Furthermore, despite some people’s objections, Star Wars and Marvel have natural thematic homes at Hollywood Studios. The Star Wars franchise revolutionized Hollywood back in the late 70’s. Marvel today is dominating the box office. They just fit.
On the other hand, Disneyparks are very busy right now in Florida. All four parks have significant construction (Epcot’s Norway Pavillion – Frozen attraction being the smallest of them.) What strikes me as odd about these rumors is the *timing.* Even with the rights-mess ironed out, Disney couldn’t make significant Marvel updates right now – there’s too many other updates in progress. I don’t see it happening soon, if it ever does.
The difference between films and theme parks is that in parks, it would entail tearing down *popular* attractions that exist in the Universal parks. There’s also the difference in that Marvel couldn’t use Spider-Man in its core business, namely the Avengers series. Being able to use Spider-Man in its films alone presents a huge advantage for Disney.
At the end of the day, so long as Universal is leveraging the properties to the extent Disney would, Disney comes out roughly the same whether Universal is using the Marvel properties or Disney is using the Marvel properties. Perhaps better, because it means another park is promoting its stable of IP without Disney having to do any work.
If this were an animated film or part of Disney’s core business under the “Disney” banner, it would be a totally different story due to brand confusion. However, I’m guessing a HUGE portion of the population has no clue Disney owns Marvel. Disney has done a good job of keeping the brands separate, with Marvel still being “Marvel,” rather than being Disney. This may seem surprising to those who follow Disney/Marvel closely, but the general public is typically clueless when it comes to these things.
I may be the only one on the planet, but I DO NOT want Marvel invading Disney. It’s bad enough that Star Wars has. Why can’t Disney just go big with their animated movies? Get some clues from some of the things the Tokyo parks are doing. Im afraid if Disney doesn’t leave Marvel to Universal, it will become Universal.
While I wouldn’t want to see a dedicated Marvel (or Star Wars) land in Disneyland, I’m absolutely fine with individual attractions. Star Tours is an excellent attraction, as is Indiana Jones Adventure (another non-animated movie-based attraction), and I think there’s great potential for a Marvel attraction. Disney has a long history of using IP outside of its animated film stable, and I see no issue with that, so long as it’s done in moderation.
I agree, individual rides are fine but I don’t want a Marvel or Star Wars Land…
But expanding Tomorrowland to include them might not be bad especially if it takes the crowd away from Star Tours and Astro Blasters!!
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OK, I’m totally not a comic book/super hero fan. I’m a girl. With a sister only. And I know some girls are into super heroes, but I’m not. Except He-Man, but that’s a product of my age and upbringing rather than any actual taste.
I HATE the idea that my Disneyland fanaticism is going to leave me to choice but to expose my fairly sheltered 6 year old to the media hype around Marvel Comics. The Disney animated movie branding is already compromising my values…but I make allowances as needed. If it were up to me, I’d take all of the branding except the fab 5 out of the parks entirely. No Jack Sparrow, I just like pirates. No Finding Nemo, I just like going underwater…
Curmudgeonly, I s’pose, but that’s my opinion. I’d rather keep Innoventions as a place to cool off, get warm, get dry, than have another mega-attraction in there. Whatever it is, I kinda hope it remains a black hole with little draw.
What? It sounds like you don’t even like Disney at all! It’s all about EVERYTHING you just said you wish it didn’t have! I don’t get it. SO you just want generic rides? I have 2 girls, fairly sheltered also, but I don’t understand the whole no branding thing. Our whole world is branded with companies. Trying to shelter them from that isn’t really a realistic option, especially if you’re taking them to DIsneyland, I mean DISNEYLAND!!!! The whole park is just one enormous brand!
And I’m a girl, with only sisters, 2 daughters and a girl dog, and I love super heros! I love the excitement, I love the adventure, I love that good always comes out on top! However, if you’re just not a super hero person, I get that. 🙂
That’s a very thin fondant on the Captain America cookie. I agree that it is a weird paper-like texture.
But the big question is this: For all the great and various desserts Disney parks can make, why can’t they put together a decent cookie recipe? They can even make a chocolate chip cookie regrettable — something I didn’t even know was possible.
The generic cookies at most restaurants are about as bad as this, but if you go to Pooh Corner in Critter Country, you can get some really amazing cookies (for about the same price as this awful one!).
Quiet, the cookies at Pooh’s Corner are a secret…
The first rule of Pooh’s corner is you don’t talk about Pooh’s corner. Pretty sure we’ve covered this.
I’ve been thinking for a long time they should pull the Finding Nemo ride out of the water and make it a track ride like the one at WDW but ultimately I don’t think it belongs in Tomorrowland, Toon Town would fit it better.
This would free up a lot of space and they could use the space for either Marvel or Star Wars expansions.
Or how about killing off the current Autotopia and making it a Star Wars Pod Racers ride instead?
I think the Autopia/speedway attractions are probably on the chopping block everywhere, although I think Disneyland would have a difficult time repurposing this land without first shortening the monorail track, since it twists through Autopia. That alone would probably be a year-plus project BEFORE any construction could even begin.
I see it happening eventually, but I’m betting that Star Wars and Marvel plans utilize other ground.
If you look at the map where the monorail goes along Harbor Blvd you can see where they could do a simple jump and by-pass all of the autotopia track. The station and matterhorn sections would remain because they are on the outer loop of the area.
So getting rid of Nemo and Autotopia would free up a huge expansion space.