Marvel have released official images from its Guardians of the Galaxy-themed ride in Disney California Adventure park. It was announced last year that Disney’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror would be transformed into the Collector’s Fortress for a new ride called Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT. Concept art and a subsequent preview video painted a picture of a very authentic Guardians experience, with new VFX and music from the movie’s iconic Awesome Mix enhancing the adventure.

Even the construction signage surrounding the building site has been laced with typical Guardians humor. Now, Marvel have released a couple of images of the transformed Tower of Terror, alongside a brief description of the new ride that highlights some of the story elements that come with the Collector’s Fortress.

Here is an official description of the Collector’s Fortress (pictured below), from Marvel:

The narrative crux of the ride is that Taneleer Tivan a.k.a the Collector, has acquired the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves as part of his collection. Park goers will enter the attraction as one of Tivan’s VIP guests and team up with Rocket Racoon to break the Guardians out of the Collector’s elaborate lair.

The fortress shimmers with colorful and sparkling details; pipes cross and climb the exterior, carrying the organic matter the Tivan Group has mined to power the massive generator that powers the entire building, keeping every cage locked and the valuable collection secure. Rising and falling gantry lifts peek out of doors exposed through the corroded, burnt metal, and it even looks as if the structure may have taken laser fire and blasts. Has someone tried to attack the facility?

Disney has an unparalleled history of providing bespoke thematic experiences for ride-goers, immersing them in the narrative of the ride even while guests are waiting in line. While the idea of teaming up with Rocket Racoon is compelling in of itself, the real hook of Mission: BREAKOUT is the promise of “randomized ride experiences”. These will combine the freefall elements of the Tower of Terror with the Guardians soundtrack, alternating the movement of the gantry to the beat of the music. This will offer unique rewards for repeat riders and the potential for different adventures for every guest.

This latest dynamic feature could prove to be groundbreaking, but it’s still comparatively tame to some of the features that Disney is currently developing and planning for its parks in the future. The House of Mouse recently filed a patent for rides controlled by your emotions, which could result in a sense of unlimited re-ridability. Another patent suggests that Disney are developing humanoid robots that will be adapted for “soft contact” with humans. Top that off with the latest suggestion that Disney are delivering the ultimate Star Wars experience with a luxury hotel and Star Wars roleplaying experience and it’s easy to draw more than a few comparisons to HBO’s Westworld. 

These features are still years away however, and with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hitting theatres soon, this brief tease will surely have fans longing to step into the action for this interactive and changeable set piece.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! opens on May 27th at Disney California Adventure.

  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Release Date: 2017-05-05