Disney’s Next Gen Avengers Attraction is Avatar Flight of Passage Plus Tower of Terror

One of the underrated reveals of the 2026 D23 Expo that has the potential to be among the most groundbreaking innovations is the new Avengers tower attraction. Here’s everything we know about this ride, which appears to be Avatar Flight of Passage meets Tower of Terror with a Marvel twist, and promises to transform the Tomorrowland skyline at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Let’s start with the basics. During the Marvel portion of the 2026 D23 Expo Parks Panel, Disney superfan John Stamos took over temporary hosting duties from Neil Patrick Harris to talk with Walt Disney Imagineer Brent Strong and President of Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer of Marvel, Kevin Feige.

They discussed updates on the growing lineup of Avengers-themed experiences across the global Disney Parks. One of the most exciting new details revealed during this was about the next chapter of HKDL’s multi-year expansion focused on the expanded Marvel-themed area.

The expansion at Hong Kong Disneyland will bring together an all-new attraction, entertainment and shopping in one destination that transports guests to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to the Avengers tower, this area will feature a brand-new Quinjet landing platform (below) with opportunities for guests to encounter Marvel Super Heroes throughout the day.

Our assumption is that the Quinjet landing platform offers actual entertainment programming, as opposed to simple smile and wave or selfie greetings. Having the Quinjet just slightly elevated above guest level is a smart move, and should result in this entertainment component actually sticking around at HKDL.

At the heart of the expansion is a new Pavilion at Stark Expo, a striking new landmark that will redefine Tomorrowland’s skyline. The iconic building will be home to the Avengers Research Testing Labs, where Stark Industries and other brilliant minds develop cutting-edge technologies to defend against future threats.

Peter Parker (a.k.a Spider-Man), the newest Stark Industries intern, is among one of them and will also be the host to demonstrate the latest breakthrough. Undoubtedly, the presence of Spider-Man will also attract one of the most formidable villains, who wreaks havoc at the scene. Peter will need all the help he can get to protect his brand-new technology while saving guests caught in the middle of the showdown.

Imagineers touted the inside of the tower, which will use more than 120 vertical feet of storytelling technology. With that, guests will travel across realms like Wakanda, Asgard, and more, caught in the middle of the action alongside Spider-Man and your other favorite Super Heroes.

Construction is well underway on the Avengers Research Testing Labs and once it goes vertical, it will make a statement on the towering skyline of Tomorrowland and beyond in Hong Kong. It doesn’t yet have an opening year, but our assumption is the second half of 2028.

Editorializing for a moment, one thing I do find interesting is that all of the Stark Expo stuff is still being treated as part of Tomorrowland. This expansion plus the existing Iron Man Experience and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle, will total three attractions, which is more than World of Frozen. With these three rides plus character encounters, entertainment and shopping, I’d think Stark Expo could obtain standalone land status. And maybe it still will.

The tower depicted in the concept art looks like the Avengers HQ, and is like a more ‘vertical version’ of the attraction previously announced for this expansion nearly a decade ago (or the one at DCA). The building is labeled “Research Testing Labs.”

This has been rumored to be a Tower of Terror-style drop ride since it was announced two years ago at the D23 Expo, so it’s not surprising to see this concept art showing that it is, in fact, a tower. This concept art featuring a ‘Tower of Terror’ style show building as the Avengers HQ pretty conclusively reveals what this is going to be.

The next piece of concept art is equally interesting. This one showcases Spider-Man joined by Thor, Black Panther, and Dr. Strange, who appears to be opening a portal into Asgard. This reveals what could be the premise of the attraction–Dr. Strange opening portals and guests dropping into new places from the Marvel multiverse. My guess is that Spider-Man slings his webs to “catch” the falling guests.

Amusingly, over the years the Avengers E-Ticket morphed into a Spider-Man attraction, which has now morphed back into an Avengers attraction. It’ll still feature Spider-Man, but the most recent pieces of concept art and announcements all clearly indicate it’s going to have a wider-range of Avengers.

The more recent concept art deviates with what was released back at the 2024 D23 Expo, showing Spider-Man battling Doc Ock. Based on that, I would’ve assumed the ride was a push-pull battle between Spider-Man and his foes. It’ll be interesting to see whether this scene is still in the attraction.

That makes sense to give the attraction wider appeal, even if Spider-Man is clearly the most popular Marvel character. (Or maybe the repositioning is more about marketing, and differentiating this from the Spider-Man expansion at Shanghai Disneyland?)

Stark Expo at HKDL

The upcoming addition will further expand the epicenter of the Marvel Super Heroes at Hong Kong Disneyland, which began almost a decade ago.

The Marvel saga at Hong Kong Disneyland started with Tony Stark choosing Hong Kong as the Asia headquarters of Stark Industries. The park also became the home of the Stark Expo, showcasing the largest and latest high-tech creations of Stark Industries. That included the launch of the Iron Man Experience in 2017 and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle in 2019.

It was slated to include an Avengers E-Ticket by now (old art above), which was to be the Quinjet attraction concept that was also announced for Disney California Adventure. Pre-COVID, that attraction would be cloned and built at both HKDL and DCA to spread development costs. It would have opened by 2023, after World of Frozen in 2020 (which actually is what debuted in 2023).

A lot has changed since, and now the parks will each get unique Marvel attractions. DCA is actually getting two new Marvel rides now, and there’s another Spider-Man roller coaster coming to Shanghai Disneyland. A full decade later, all of these Marvel rides are finally happening in some form or another.

Being a tower-style attraction, the Avengers Research Testing Labs will have a much smaller footprint than the previously-planned Quinjet attraction and should only take up roughly half the expansion pad behind the former Autopia.

Above is the 2016 development map, which shows how much room there is even after this addition. With the success that Hong Kong Disneyland has seen in the last few years, I fully expect something else to be greenlit for this space. I’m somewhat surprised this didn’t happen at D23, although the Hong Kong government’s involvement means they might prefer to make announcements on their terms.

Along with the marquee Parks Panel, there were smaller presentations on the Center Stage of the Imagineering: Horizons booth about Marvel projects and a model of the Avengers Research Testing Labs. Here are photos I took of it.

Avengers Research Testing Labs Model Photos

Avengers Research Testing Labs: NextGen Flight of Passage?

When first seeing concept art and hearing about the Avengers Research Testing Labs attraction, my cursory conclusion was that it was basically Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, but purpose-built and with a decade of technological improvements. Which is to say that it would better than Mission Breakout, much in the same way that Frozen Ever After is better at HKDL than EPCOT, but the same general idea.

In hearing more from Imagineers and poring over the concept art, it sounds like this could be a more ambitious attraction, better described as Tower of Terror meets Avatar Flight of Passage, or ‘Mission Breakout on Screen-centric Steroids.’ For one thing, it won’t simply be individual screens inserted into ‘floors’ of a drop-tower attraction. Imagineers repeatedly used that ‘over 120 vertical feet of storytelling technology’ line to describe the more enveloping screen that would be used in the attraction.

In the Imagineering booth, they touted the innovative and ambitious nature of the attraction and its more engrossing screen. From that and based on what we already know about the incredibly rich and realistic screens that Disney is developing for other attractions, it stands to reason that this could be something more than just dropping up and down in front of a couple screens roughly the size of a ride vehicle. This should also explain why, unlike its counterparts, there’s no exterior opening on the Avengers tower.

There’s the opportunity to make this all-encompassing, and have a ride profile that, while using the drop-tower ride system, also seeks to channel Avatar Flight of Passage. Instead of Doctor Strange opening portals and Spider-Man catching guests as they drop through them, perhaps there’s the sensation of swinging with Spider-Man through the rich worlds of Marvel.

It wouldn’t be the first time Imagineering did this, and would be wholly unsurprising given the popularity of the Pandora headliner. Back when Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure at Tokyo DisneySea opened, we similarly compared it to Avatar Flight of Passage, but using a totally different ride system. (Ironically, the actual ride system for the Peter Pan ride is now being used on Avengers Infinity Defense at DCA.)

With that simulator at Pandora: World of Avatar, you have battle and excitement, but also a majestic and well-paced attraction that takes its time to slow down and chew on the scenery. The thrills are followed by a quiet and introspective moment, and a grand finale that’s stunning and takes your breath away.

I would not expect the drop attraction in Avengers Research Testing Labs to be described as “quiet” or “introspective.” But based on what Imagineers shared about the attraction and their enthusiasm for its envelope-pushing nature, this should channel Avatar Flight of Passage from an immersiveness and suspension of disbelief perspective.

It could also successfully simulate a wider range of motion than what the vertical drops that the attraction actually offers. Again, what comes to mind for me is swinging with Spider-Man, as opposed to the hero simply catching guests in free-fall (although I’m sure there will be some of that, too).

From my perspective, the more Imagineering channels Avatar Flight of Passage, the better. Although that’s a “simple” and straightforward screen-based attraction, that fades away during the experience in a way unlike so many of its counterparts. You are fully immersed in the experience, and fully encompassed by the action over Pandora. You suspend disbelief and forget you’re literally parked in front of a giant screen.

Flight of Passage has a certain je ne sais quoi that provokes an emotional response unlike many other rides, and that’s a direct result of the pacing and way they progresses from thrilling to serene soaring. It’s just such a satisfying experience, and it’s difficult to fully articulate why.

On paper, Avatar Flight of Passage is good, but not the masterpiece it is to so many guests who actually experience it. Just like that ride was dubbed ‘Soarin’ on Steroids’ and takes the ‘flight simulator’ ride concept to the next level, we are cautiously optimistic that Avengers Research Testing Labs can do the same for the drop tower.

Given that this attraction probably has a blockbuster budget (there was/is still a lot of money left over from the 2016 plan), it has the potential to be the #1 or #2 Marvel attraction currently in development, right up there with Avengers Infinity Defense.

While it’s not what I’d personally prefer for an addition to HKDL, there’s the potential for this Marvel attraction to be another ‘magnet’ addition that draws Disney fans to Hong Kong Disneyland from around the globe. As if we needed another reason to visit the most charming, underrated park on the planet!

Why You Should Visit HKDL

Speaking of which, we will never pass up the opportunity to ‘plug’ visiting Hong Kong Disneyland. It’s the least-visited castle park in the world, with one-third the numbers of Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, or Tokyo Disneyland. It has lower attendance than every single Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort park, ahead of only Disney Adventure World. At least, for now.

But not for good reason! For years, Hong Kong Disneyland was a bit of a paradox: home to a couple of the best attractions in the world, but otherwise having a weak ride roster by castle park standards. It was a park we cherished, even if we knew it couldn’t stand among the top tier castle parks. That reputation is outdated and has been for a while.

That has changed. Hong Kong Disneyland is no longer the Casey Junior of Disney theme parks. It’s not the scrappy little park that “thinks it can.” It’s the park that can–and does.

This park is already home to at least 2 world class attractions that are must-sees for Disney fans, both of which rank on Sarah & Tom Bricker’s 15 Favorite Disney Attractions in the World. There’s much more that we love about HKDL–those are just the 2 top-tier attractions that put HKDL on the map as a destination park. It also has the best World of Frozen and much more.

This is precisely why we named Hong Kong Disneyland as our #1 Disney Destination last year. Hong Kong Disneyland still isn’t “done,” and Disney’s charming little park is going to continue blossoming into its own, and receiving significant investments and expansion in 2027 and beyond.

Speaking of which, there’s a massive new theater space debuting at HKDL’s Toy Story Land for an all-new Pixar-themed theatrical spectacular in the first half of 2027. This will invite guests to explore the newly expanded neighborhood, with their favorite friends from Toy Story, including Woody, Jessie, Buzz Lightyear, Rex and more.

This new show available exclusively at HKDL will take Pixar fans and guests of all ages on the ultimate Pixar adventure. “Through beloved Pixar characters, guests will experience an emotional adventure that explores how meaningful friendships are built, nurtured, and celebrated over time.” said Michael Serna, Executive Creative Director, Disney Live Entertainment.

The show will introduce Poppy, an original Pixar character created exclusively for Hong Kong Disneyland. As the lead character, Poppy is an adorable plush toy from Hong Kong who accompanies her owner, Aria, to Andy’s neighborhood. As Poppy settles into her new home, Andy’s toys come together to welcome her and go on an adventure through different beloved Pixar worlds including Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Cars, The Incredibles and Inside Out. This sounds promising, and we welcome another indoor, air-conditioned addition to HKDL!

Suffice to say, we are really excited to return to Hong Kong Disneyland next year…and again in late 2028. It’s the park we are looking forward to visit for personal enjoyment more than any other–at least until TDR can get its act together and resume regular operations. Even though 95% of you will never visit, we’ll continue spreading the gospel of HKDL for the sake of the ~5% who eventually will heed our advice and go.

We absolutely adore this charming castle park, and think it’s the perfect add-on during a trip to Asia, perhaps for the new Disney Adventure cruise ship or visits to other theme parks in the region. One thing to note is that, from a practical planning perspective, we absolutely do not recommend visiting in the summer for the celebration kick-off (see Best & Worst Times to Visit HKDL). Hong Kong Disneyland is a great place that deserves to turn into a destination park for international Disney fans.

For the rest of your planning needs, consult our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. It covers everything you need to know for a visit to HKDL, including reviews, strategy, packing, and more. If you’re visiting the city as well, please consult our Hong Kong City Guide on TravelCaffeine, our non-Disney planning site.

Your Thoughts

Thoughts on the drop attraction in the Avengers Research Testing Labs? Does this sound to you like Tower of Terror meets Flight of Passage? If you’ve been to any of the Disney Parks in Asia, how do you think HKDL stacks up? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of this charming little castle park? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!