Imagineering has revealed a first look at the progress to expand Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, which is doubling in size with the addition of two new rides, Stark Flight Lab and Avengers Infinity Defense. Construction is now vertical on these attractions being built backstage!
Ground was broken on this expansion towards the beginning of this year, and we’ve been closely watching the project’s construction progress over the last few months from the former Fun Wheel. Now, a major milestone has been reached as the first steel beam has been lifted into place.
Construction has kicked into higher gear in the last few months, with construction walls encompassing more of the area in Avengers Campus and between the Marvel area and Cars Land as more land has been cleared. Most notably, a tall crane has appeared on site and is visible from around Disney California Adventure, Disneyland Esplanade, and even Harbor Boulevard.
Which brings us to the big news: Walt Disney Imagineering posted photos on Instagram of the project team standing in the future home of the new attractions, backstage on the cleared construction site between Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT and Cars Land, as the aforementioned crane lowers the first steel column into place.
Here’s the caption: “Equipping more guests to become Super Heroes requires equipment! The expansion of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park went vertical this morning with the first steel column lifted into place. New, thrilling attractions will join the campus, doubling its size in the future.”
The big question is when these two new attractions will open. Of the two attractions, Avengers Infinity Defense is the much more complex and meaty attraction. It’s an unequivocal E-Ticket, whereas Stark Flight Lab is clearly a secondary and more basic attraction. It’s filler to round out the ride roster, and we don’t mean that in a disparaging way.
Stark Flight Lab could, in theory, open as soon as 2026 if Disneyland so desires. That is, assuming it can be built and open in a such a way that is conducive to construction continuing on Avengers Infinity Defense. There’s also the question of whether Disney actually wants to open the two attractions separately.
We doubt they do. Disney has likely learned the hard way that bifurcated land openings pack less of a punch, as evidenced by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, so we suspect the doubling of Avengers Campus will open all at once in late 2027 or 2028. (On the other hand, the staggered approach might still be beneficial at local-centric Disneyland Resort; perhaps the issue with SWGE that they’ll learn from is more about managing expectations.)
Given the relative complexity of Avengers Infinity Defense, our best guess is that construction on that will take much longer.
Right now, the pace of the project is about on par with Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, which Disney has already given a 2027 timeline. Avengers Campus appears to be slightly ahead, as Tropical Americas has yet to go vertical, but a crane is now on site there, so that’s likely to happen any day now.
Of course, this doesn’t account for differences between the two projects in scope, scale, or construction challenges (swamps vs. urban California). Setting aside all of that, which is admittedly a ton to set aside, it’s still our belief that Avengers Campus Phase 2 and Tropical Americas are fairly comparable.
Our best guess is that Avengers Infinity Defense opens between Christmas 2027 and Summer 2028. Here’s hoping that’s wrong, and Disney finds a way to condense its construction timeline. In all likelihood, these are the next new attractions to opening as part of Disneyland’s upcoming development cycle, so perhaps they’ll prioritize the project in an attempt to get it done ASAP.
Even so, it’s going to be a challenge to debut the new area by late 2027 given the current pace of work. Usually projects start moving faster once things go vertical, so perhaps the next several months will be reassuring and we’ll start to see the show buildings rising over the walls. Either way, late 2027 to mid-2028 is probably the most realistic window for Avengers Campus Phase 2 (and Tropical Americas, for that matter).
If you’re unfamiliar with Stark Flight Lab or Avengers Infinity Defense, here’s more info…
In Stark Flight Lab, guests will sit in “gyro-kinetic pods” and roll along a track before stopping in front of a giant robot arm. This robot arm will hoist you into the air where you’ll make several high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and some other Avengers.
A familiar face will join you at the Stark Flight Lab — Mr. Stark himself. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark for the attractions in the land. Stark Flight Lab seems sweet and simple, hence our belief that it could open by 2026 if Disney has the appetite.
It reminds me a lot of Sum of All Thrills at EPCOT, but as an open air attraction. That extinct attractions in the former Innoventions (along with the anglerfish in the Seas with Nemo & Friends) used KUKA Arm technology. Sum of All Thrills was pretty cool–and clearly ahead of its time. Sum of All Thrills was also woefully inefficient, with atrocious hourly throughput. Turning this into an actual ‘ride’ with a track and multiple robotic arm stations should address that issue.
You can read more about this attraction in our Stark Flight Lab: Everything We Know So Far post.
Avengers Infinity Defense will occur in a version of the Multiverse where Thanos won. When joining battle with the Avengers, you never know what foes you’ll face from anywhere and everywhen. Avengers Infinity Defense will feature a brand new story. This family-friendly attraction will give guests the opportunity to team up with more of the Avengers and their allies from across the Multiverse to battle against enemies, led by King Thanos.
Technology that allows the Avengers to jump between worlds has gone missing, and King Thanos is using it to wreak havoc everywhere. Recruits will travel to iconic locations like Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City alongside the likes of big, and small, heroes. You also just might find yourself face-to-face with King Thanos, too.
Based on what Imagineering has shown so far of Avengers Infinity Defense, it’ll be a screen-centric attraction that also moves through physical sets with show scenes and built environments. When it comes to domestic attractions, the best comparisons are probably Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, or the Spider-Man and Harry Potter attractions at Universal.
Marvel super heroes have created a new vehicle capable of jumping between worlds and even realities – on planet Earth and beyond. The design combines elements of Tony Stark’s time-suits with Xandarian jump points and Wakandan technology to create a vehicle that combines portal technology and flight capabilities to maneuver through the skies, transporting heroes to remote worlds in a matter of moments.
Speaking of which, the ride vehicle was on display in the Imagineering booth at the 2024 D23 Expo, and it’s the same as the one utilized by Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure in Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea. You can read our review, which describes that as Avatar Flight of Passage meets Universal’s Spider-Man, for somewhat of a “sneak peek” at what to expect from this Marvel E-Ticket. This is the best comparison of all, as it’s our strong suspicion that Avengers Infinity Defense will be a lot like that, except in the Marvel Multiverse instead of Never Land.
I love Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure; it makes Sarah nauseated. I would expect the ride profiles to be fairly similar, with Avengers Infinity Defense being a bit more intense while still fitting the family-friendly label. (I don’t know how you do a completely family-friendly Marvel ride with a battle against King Thanos, but the Peter Pan ride does the same with Captain Hook–so who knows.)
The bottom line is that Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is excellent–a long and meaty E-Ticket that leaves guests (well, except those who get sick on it) feeling satisfied. I will be really happy if Avengers Infinity Defense is a clone of that ride system, profile, and track layout, and just swaps out Peter Pan and pals for Marvel.
Read more in Avengers Infinity Defense: Everything We Know So Far.
Ultimately, we’re looking forward to Stark Flight Lab and Avengers Infinity Defense. I’m very bullish on that E-Ticket. I’ve seen a lot of disappointment from Disneyland diehards about what Avengers Infinity Defense isn’t, but I’m telling you, it being the equivalent of Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure is a great thing. And as sick as I am of no-stakes multiverse nonsense in the Marvel films, I think that idea actually lends itself to a theme park attraction.
It’s an excellent way of playing the ‘greatest hits’ of the voluminous Marvel Cinematic Universe, and offering a little something to everyone since it’s not possible to do rides for every single super hero or villain. I’m not the biggest MCU fan anymore, but I’m really looking forward to Avengers Infinity Defense. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating it–like so many of us did with Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!
Obviously, Avengers Infinity Defense is the more exciting addition, but Stark Flight Lab is like icing on the cake since it was not previously part of the plans. I’ll certainly take another attraction in Avengers Campus, even if it is a fairly basic. Filler isn’t bad–DCA needs more filler (as does pretty much every park that isn’t Disneyland). This reminds us of the secondary attractions in Cars Land, which are pretty much perfect from a ‘payoff’ perspective and really round out the land. Avengers Campus will never be as good as Cars Land, but this should go a long way in improving it!
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What is your reaction to Stark Flight Lab and Avengers Infinity Defense construction going vertical at Disney California Adventure? Hopeful that Avengers Campus Phase 2 debuts in 2027? Which of the two new Marvel rides are you more excited to experience? Wish Imagineering were using different ride systems for the new Avengers Campus attractions? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? 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!
