Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! Reviews, Photos, Info

[Kram Sacul]

This looks like it will be like TSMM - Fun and connects with guests... but weak on the core themes that make an attraction timeless or consumable by all.. Basically, 'a cheap sugar high'. So it will be loved by the masses... decried by the traditionalists. Certainly a move towards 'just make it fun, and ignore the bigger theme park'

Pretty well said. I haven't viewed any of the videos of the actual ride but from what I'm hearing the ride is basically non-stop action, music and irreverent wackiness. Fun but I expect more from a Disney attraction. You'll also probably need an Advil afterwards.

By upping the intensity of the pacing and sensory load it will increase the appeal to the younger audiences. The theme of course is hot now. It will be interesting to see how the concept ages.

Most likely as well as all the other hip, edgy and irreverent things Disney has made over the years.

 

[spacemt354]

But the doors are for service elevators and you're clearly in a service area with the crates and whatnot. And the guest elevators wouldn't generally unload around the corner from the shaft. The ending has always been a bit muddy.

I think your confusion stems from a lack of understanding or appreciation of what The Twilight Zone is. It's a surrealist show, (again not campy.) It's taking the normal and making it abnormal. As the authentic Rod Sterling narration explains at the end of the attraction, "Make sure you know just what type of vacancy you're filling, or you may find yourself a permanent resident of the Twilight Zone." Maybe you are still in the Twilight Zone? Perhaps the elevator is returning from the Twilight Zone and moving back to reality. In addition, the unload to the attraction is filled with easter eggs and memorabilia from the show, to reinforce that sense of surrealness and that 'what is going on now' feeling.

While in a perfect world, it could have simply moved to an unload area without having to rotate into place, but that's such a ridiculous nitpick in my view. That's really stretching to find a flaw in it...almost as if your intention is to find flaws.

 

[Professortango1]

I think your confusion stems from a lack of understanding or appreciation of what The Twilight Zone is. It's a surrealist show, (again not campy.) It's taking the normal and making it abnormal. As the authentic Rod Sterling narration explains at the end of the attraction, "Make sure you know just what type of vacancy you're filling, or you may find yourself a permanent resident of the Twilight Zone." Maybe you are still in the Twilight Zone? Perhaps the elevator is returning from the Twilight Zone and moving back to reality. In addition, the unload to the attraction is filled with easter eggs and memorabilia from the show, to reinforce that sense of surrealness and that 'what is going on now' feeling.

While in a perfect world, it could have simply moved to an unload area without having to rotate into place, but that's such a ridiculous nitpick in my view. That's really stretching to find a flaw in it...almost as if your intention is to find flaws.

I'm a fan of the show, so there's no disconnect there.

 

[spacemt354]

I'm a fan of the show, so there's no disconnect there.

Then the Twilight Zone easter eggs at the end should be glaringly obvious and the tone of the show should be apparent throughout the whole attraction.

 

[Professortango1]

Then the Twilight Zone easter eggs at the end should be glaringly obvious and the tone of the show should be apparent throughout the whole attraction.

It is. The show was amazing, but obviously dated in effects and style. The DHS captures it at times, but also tries for a ghost story haunted attraction. The two clash with each other (in my opinion, of course) and it makes the nods to the show seem clunky and campy.

I would have loved it if the ride was set at a TV station and it transported you into the TV show entirely. Black and white sets, weird images. That would be very Twilight Zone.

DCA's version acknowledged the clash of 60's era low budget TV with modern horror attraction and decided to really focus on just the horror aspect. The attraction does seem more focused and better for that decision.

 

[spacemt354]

DCA's version acknowledged the clash of 60's era low budget TV with modern horror attraction and decided to really focus on just the horror aspect. The attraction does seem more focused and better for that decision.

This isn't true. It was still called the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and was inspired by the show. However the DCA version was cheap and inauthentic to the source material, creating an awkward in-between that in my view and popular view has always made it inferior to DHS' version.

But this thread isn't for comparing the different towers. You're entitled to your opinion.

 

[Tom Morrow]

TBH they both have campy elements. DCA's cartoony boiler room and overall narration, "wave goodbye to the real world" etc, and DHS's overuse of the visuals from the opening credits.

 

[Curious Constance]

Why do I have the sudden urge to go camping?

 

[mickEblu]

Why do I have the sudden urge to go camping?

Lol. I actually never want to go camping again.

 

[BrianLo]

So, was this a success after all?

Within Chapek's first few months he questioned his predecessor's (Stagg's) complete lack of movement on the Marvel portfolio, which they had owned since 2009. There was basically nothing in the works at the time of his movement into the position, outside of the Iron Man Experience for Hong Kong. Rohde was quickly moved into the portfolio position in July 2015 as the design leg work of his long gesticulating project (Pandora) was actually winding down.

Within those next six months or so came the realization that the mess wasn't wholly the result of the predecessor not having any spine, but the fact WDI was a cesspool of leadership incompetence that simply couldn't produce anything of value in a timely fashion. Bruce Vaughn was shown the door in Jan 2016 and Rohde was given a mandate that the timeframe mess of Pandora was no longer going to be a way things worked. One Disney was dismantled. They were now 7 years post Marvel purchase and the Marvel brand was as hot as ever, but incompetently contained to the Marvel HQ at Disneyland.

Hence, while the overall land would still be a number of years out, the demand came down that something of value needed to happen on a quick timeframe. The goal, get Marvel into the parks within a year in a big, meaningful way.

Enter the guardians, which after all the pandering actually seems to finally be a true Marvel offering 8 years into their purchase. Something Rasulo/Staggs couldn't deliver in 6 years, but Chapek pushed through in 2.


I know Chapek is blamed for the brunt of all the angst, but the man has barely been around long enough for us to really see what he has to offer, now we are seeing just the first wave of his quick projects in earnest this year. The bigger term stuff is coming soon at D23 for us to truly determine whether this man is an improvement or a detriment.

To his credit: Frozen in DCA, the Rivers of America/Fantasmic, the Guardians of the Tower, Happily Ever After, DLP's 25th and repurchase, Miss Adventure Falls, plus planned Hong Kong's next expansion wave, the Disneyland Eastern gateway project and the WDW gondola transit system are his earliest moves due to project latency. I know there is bigger things brewing, but they still live in the unofficial realm. The big stuff right now is still the dredges of Staggs. Star Wars is a bit of both, albeit he pushed through the bigger, shinier version of the project in the end.

 

[TP2000]

Can we save the conversation about WDW's Tower vs ours for another thread, please?

No kidding.

I love y'all, but really.

Back to the photos, reviews and videos. Here's a good video of the new gift shop at the exit, now called The Collector's Warehouse. Some cool 1980's kitsch for sale in here now!

 

[dweezil78]

New video that shows a lot more of the boiler room w/ more working effects. Looks super fun! I bet the crowds get really into this at night, which was always my favorite time to ride ToT.

 

[TP2000]

So, was this a success after all?

Within Chapek's first few months he questioned his predecessor's (Stagg's) complete lack of movement on the Marvel portfolio, which they had owned since 2009. There was basically nothing in the works at the time of his movement into the position, outside of the Iron Man Experience for Hong Kong. Rohde was quickly moved into the portfolio position in July 2015 as the design leg work of his long gesticulating project (Pandora) was actually winding down.

Within those next six months or so came the realization that the mess wasn't wholly the result of the predecessor not having any spine, but the fact WDI was a cesspool of leadership incompetence that simply couldn't produce anything of value in a timely fashion. Bruce Vaughn was shown the door in Jan 2016 and Rohde was given a mandate that the timeframe mess of Pandora was no longer going to be a way things worked. One Disney was dismantled. They were now 7 years post Marvel purchase and the Marvel brand was as hot as ever, but incompetently contained to the Marvel HQ at Disneyland.

Hence, while the overall land would still be a number of years out, the demand came down that something of value needed to happen on a quick timeframe. The goal, get Marvel into the parks within a year in a big, meaningful way.

Enter the guardians, which after all the pandering actually seems to finally be a true Marvel offering 8 years into their purchase. Something Rasulo/Staggs couldn't deliver in 6 years, but Chapek pushed through in 2.


I know Chapek is blamed for the brunt of all the angst, but the man has barely been around long enough for us to really see what he has to offer, now we are seeing just the first wave of his quick projects in earnest this year. The bigger term stuff is coming soon at D23 for us to truly determine whether this man is an improvement or a detriment.

To his credit: Frozen in DCA, the Rivers of America/Fantasmic, the Guardians of the Tower, Happily Ever After, DLP's 25th and repurchase, Miss Adventure Falls, plus planned Hong Kong's next expansion wave, the Disneyland Eastern gateway project and the WDW gondola transit system are his earliest moves due to project latency. I know there is bigger things brewing, but they still live in the unofficial realm. The big stuff right now is still the dredges of Staggs. Star Wars is a bit of both, albeit he pushed through the bigger, shinier version of the project in the end.

Fantastic summary of how we got here! I had forgotten some of the Staggs drama, and how inexcusable it was that they did nothing but a meet n' greet for 7 years after their Marvel purchase. Now it kind of makes sense how Staggs was branded the "Waifish man with anemic personality".

The buzz and the media and the reviews on this new ride are amazingly positive thus far. Really, I haven't read a review yet that wasn't glowing and/or raving. The news from Twitter tonight with all the AP's at the $150 party are also very good, if not raving. And if the die-hard AP's are raving after spending $150 to go on the ride, that's a very good sign.

Disneyland Resort appears to have a new E Ticket hit on its hands. The real test comes Monday. Why Monday? Three levels of AP's are blocked out for the holiday weekend the next two days, so crowds will be manageable. But on Monday the AP's get unblocked and it should be crazy.

Let's see what the reviews are like when people wait 4 hours in a Standby line.

 

[dweezil78]

Disneyland Resort appears to have a new E Ticket hit on its hands.

Well, technically ToT was already an E Ticket hit... So, more like a refreshed E Ticket hit?

 

[Disney Analyst]

New video that shows a lot more of the boiler room w/ more working effects. Looks super fun! I bet the crowds get really into this at night, which was always my favorite time to ride ToT.

Was this a soft open or media preview?

 

[TP2000]

Was this a soft open or media preview?

This is from Friday night (tonight), so it was from the $150 Preview Party made up mostly of AP's and Disney Fans.

 

[dweezil78]

Was this a soft open or media preview?

It was from tonight I think, so probably the special ticketed event for guests tonight.

 

[Disney Analyst]

This is from Friday night (tonight), so it was from the $150 Preview Party made up mostly of AP's and Disney Fans.

Ahh okay, that was tonight! They all seemed super into it, fun crowd. The video of the boiler room looks sick, all the lighting effects.

 

[Curious Constance]

Lol. I actually never want to go camping again.

In all seriousness, I went camping one time and hated it. After walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night, in the pitch black, hearing someone nearby pray/chanting, I pretty much decided then and there I'd never go again.

 

[TP2000]

Ahh okay, that was tonight! They all seemed super into it, fun crowd.

Yes, the crowd tonight seemed very excited about it all.

Here's a thorough review of the entire attraction from a guy who is a die-hard Tower of Terror fan and has already been on the new Guardians ride seventeen (17!) times in the last two days.

Not surprising at this point, but his review is extremely positive. He loved it.

At the 12:00 minute mark he has a really good point about Rocket Raccoon pointing out Disneyland from the open doors, and this being the first Anaheim ride that actually references and mentions the word "Disneyland".