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Avengers Campus - Reactions / Reviews
- Thread starter BrianLo
- Start date
SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
I visited a Bug’s Land. I made sure to spend as little time as possible in it.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Cool. I actually find your opinion to be valid.
WDWJoeG
Well-Known Member
Bug's Land had such great charm, whimsy, and special Disney touches (the tissue box bathroom, the popsicle stick benches, bugs' butts for light fixtures) - they just really cheaped out on the rides and did it too quickly in a panic to address the "kids" issue.
If all of the rides, especially Heimlich, were Fantasyland quality it would have been a huge success.
Theme, concept, and space making was an A, rides C-.
For me, Avengers themeing, convoluted concept, and space making is a C if I'm being generous and Spiderman is a sad D.
I just don't "feel" anything when I go into Avengers besides cold concrete and "lost opportunity".
YMMV
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SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
These are the same "Disney touches" in Toy Story Land that get absolutely flamed for being cheap, unimaginative, and dull
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
It was a more whimsical and nicer themed walkway from the main artery to TOT. Had more trees. Felt more Disney. ITTBAB was solid. I’ll take ITTBAB 2x a year over Spider-Man 2x a year.
Avengers Campus is a concrete wasteland for character meet and greets and Instagram food
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
In my humble opinion Avengers Campus replacing Bugs Land is a far bigger negative than the infamous Pixar Pier. One was an overall lateral move with a bad concept where some things were actually improved. The other was an absolute downgrade in terms of atmosphere and cohesion with the park and surrounding areas. As a fan of themed entertainment and Disney parks it’s a huge downgrade. For executives I’m sure it’s a huge success that the same parcel of land is making one million times more revenue selling $20 drinks, $80 toys and tons of Instagram food. Operationally of course it is a success as well as its pulling more people out of other areas and into the part of the park.
Avengers Campus really killed two lands. Bugs Land obviously but let’s not forget my beloved TOT. It wiped out Hollywoodlands anchor and most likely any chance of that land sticking around and improving in the future. All for what? A less fun TSMM and meet and greets.
If the Avengers ride happens and is mind blowing then perhaps it will change my perception of the land slightly but it’ll never make me want to spend any time in that ugly shade-less place. It’ll just make the trade-off worth it.
In short it’s a loss for imagination, art, place making and themed entertainment. Its a win for corporate synergy. Just another example of the parks as a story telling medium taking a backseat to the movies.
Avengers Campus really killed two lands. Bugs Land obviously but let’s not forget my beloved TOT. It wiped out Hollywoodlands anchor and most likely any chance of that land sticking around and improving in the future. All for what? A less fun TSMM and meet and greets.
If the Avengers ride happens and is mind blowing then perhaps it will change my perception of the land slightly but it’ll never make me want to spend any time in that ugly shade-less place. It’ll just make the trade-off worth it.
In short it’s a loss for imagination, art, place making and themed entertainment. Its a win for corporate synergy. Just another example of the parks as a story telling medium taking a backseat to the movies.
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Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
One thing AC obviously excels at is popularity. That’s mostly due to the Marvel brand, and, as @mickEblu pointed out, instagrammable-worthy opportunities. What’s insanely annoying is the fact that Disney sat on the Marvel IP for so many years, made many successful and visually appealing movies, but yet still somehow managed to come up with a less than inspiring design for their Marvel-themed land. Seriously, what is this?
Seriously? All those examples of nice environments from the movies that could have been used as inspiration, but instead we get something that literally looks like a community college campus. It doesn’t look too far off from the CC I attended.
There’s no reason why Disney couldn’t have built a city-esque environment. The space was there. When they first announced that they would be building a Marvel land, I immediately imagined something like New York Street at Universal’s backlot, and I wrongfully assumed that it would look similar. That was my own fault for assuming.
Something like the photo above would have been both thematically better and more impressive. Speaking of not using the IP to the best of its ability, the fact that they took Spider-Man and made a shooter ride is beyond disappointing. Nothing else needs to be said there. Then to force ToT, one of very few well-done Hollywoodland attractions, into a Guardians attraction is probably the worst offense. As @mickEblu pointed out, any possibility of Hollywoodland being improved upon with a proper 1930s aesthetic and theme is likely gone.
A bug’s land may not have been popular, but it excelled in theming. It did a much better job of conveying the environment and world that guests were supposed to be placed in than AC. The details were spot on and it had some of that Disneyland charm. The rides were decent, but given that they were inspired by A Bug’s Life, it’s fair to say that my expectations weren’t high (completely unlike AC, where my expectations were quite high due to the Marvel brand, making the final product feel even worse for me). The only thing a bug’s land was missing was some sort of food/snack eatery. There was a lot of potential there with the insect theme, but it no longer matters.
Seriously? All those examples of nice environments from the movies that could have been used as inspiration, but instead we get something that literally looks like a community college campus. It doesn’t look too far off from the CC I attended.
There’s no reason why Disney couldn’t have built a city-esque environment. The space was there. When they first announced that they would be building a Marvel land, I immediately imagined something like New York Street at Universal’s backlot, and I wrongfully assumed that it would look similar. That was my own fault for assuming.
Something like the photo above would have been both thematically better and more impressive. Speaking of not using the IP to the best of its ability, the fact that they took Spider-Man and made a shooter ride is beyond disappointing. Nothing else needs to be said there. Then to force ToT, one of very few well-done Hollywoodland attractions, into a Guardians attraction is probably the worst offense. As @mickEblu pointed out, any possibility of Hollywoodland being improved upon with a proper 1930s aesthetic and theme is likely gone.
A bug’s land may not have been popular, but it excelled in theming. It did a much better job of conveying the environment and world that guests were supposed to be placed in than AC. The details were spot on and it had some of that Disneyland charm. The rides were decent, but given that they were inspired by A Bug’s Life, it’s fair to say that my expectations weren’t high (completely unlike AC, where my expectations were quite high due to the Marvel brand, making the final product feel even worse for me). The only thing a bug’s land was missing was some sort of food/snack eatery. There was a lot of potential there with the insect theme, but it no longer matters.
WDWJoeG
Well-Known Member
I'm all for corporate synergy when done well, but how do you build something about the one of the most exciting and dynamic brands and characters in the world that is SO boring, bland, and soulless? I can't imagine how it could have been worse if they tried.
Aren't these Imagineers just humiliated and embarrassed when they walk through the Harry Potter lands?
Heck, I like Super Hero Island at IOA better than this! At least that is fun, has kinetic energy from the rides, AND has still one of the best attractions ever made.
And the fact of all characters, Disney decides to make their OWN Spider-Man ride knowing it would be compared to IOA's and THAT is what they come up with.
It is to weep how far they have fallen.
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SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
I would also prefer AC had it been themed to the streets of New York, but alas, that's not what we got.
But I'd argue that the streets of New York, while more impressive and my preference, is less inherently Marvel. You're complaining that an original Marvel design looks too much like a generic community college, so you've suggested that they build a New York environment that would suffer from the same issue just to a greater extent.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
It wouldn’t though, because many Marvel stories take place in environments that look like that. It’s not generic if it’s on point with the environment. Disney could have created their own neighborhood with plenty of details.
The CC concept is both random and generic. And ugly.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
Meanwhile, back in the part of the thread for those of us who actually like the place... 
Campus was JUMPING yesterday! It was so much fun having multiple characters roaming from one end of Campus to the other and into all the nooks and crannies from the far end of Mission: BREAKOUT to the Sanctum and down to WEB SLINGERS, the characters wandered everywhere talking to guests, taking pics with them and signing autographs.
I took a ton of videos if anyone wants to see what it's like there now...
www.youtube.com/mousertainment
As noted, at different times, Ant-Man and Wasp were walking around with their miniature Bug's Land - I saw Wasp with it. The various characters would run into each other or after each other or being sneaky avoiding each other. It was a sheer delight catching them interacting right in front of you, but made fast-walking to keep up with someone you wanted to grab a pic with the order of the day. I definitely got plenty of steps in!
It all just made the Campus feel even more alive than when the characters were just patrolling from the rooftops - which was already cool.
Campus was JUMPING yesterday! It was so much fun having multiple characters roaming from one end of Campus to the other and into all the nooks and crannies from the far end of Mission: BREAKOUT to the Sanctum and down to WEB SLINGERS, the characters wandered everywhere talking to guests, taking pics with them and signing autographs.
I took a ton of videos if anyone wants to see what it's like there now...
www.youtube.com/mousertainment
As noted, at different times, Ant-Man and Wasp were walking around with their miniature Bug's Land - I saw Wasp with it. The various characters would run into each other or after each other or being sneaky avoiding each other. It was a sheer delight catching them interacting right in front of you, but made fast-walking to keep up with someone you wanted to grab a pic with the order of the day. I definitely got plenty of steps in!
It all just made the Campus feel even more alive than when the characters were just patrolling from the rooftops - which was already cool.
Centauri Space Station
Well-Known Member
I visited Bugs land, it was fun and whimsical. I prefer that than the land with a glorified TSMM clone, an ugly TOT overlay and some meet and greets
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
The problem is that Marvel takes place in our world for the most part. Its NYC, Los Angeles, etc. So having a Marvel Land is weird because its not like the location has a character like Gotham City. If they wanted to integrate Marvel, they should have created individual attractions in lands where they fit rather than trying to make some fictional Superhero Business Park. We could have had a Guardians Replacement of Star Tours with Rocket and Groot piloting. A 1940's Captain America/Peggy Carter E-ticket in Hollywoodland. There's a reason Universal Florida has a Mummy ride rather than a Mummy Land; there's not a ton of variety to explore. Marvel is the same way. Give us a meta madcap space adventure and a classic heroic dark ride with some thrilling effects and we're good. Other than the once rumored Spiderman swinging coaster, there isn't too much more to play with.
Disney has also moved from creating intricate lived in lands with plenty to discover to wide walkways of sprawling theme park theming. AC doesn't feel like a real place, it feels like Six Flags with a budget.
Disney has also moved from creating intricate lived in lands with plenty to discover to wide walkways of sprawling theme park theming. AC doesn't feel like a real place, it feels like Six Flags with a budget.
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waltography
Well-Known Member
Yes! And crowd flow into the land is still a mess whenever it happens.
socalifornian
Well-Known Member
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truecoat
Well-Known Member
My kids were too old to enjoy Bugs Land but I always enjoyed being in it just for the sheer volume of oversized props. Whether it was the giant umbrella, the pencils, bendy straws, or popsicle sticks, on every visit I found something new.
I liked the props, greenery, and that I could get soaked on hot days without having to go on a ride.