By: Aurora Willis

This spring break me and my family got the chance to go to California on a family vacation. While there we took a trip to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park. Since its opening in 2021, It has always been one of my goals to one day experience the park for myself. After watching a bunch of my favorite influencers experiencing the park, I felt more than ready to take on Avengers Campus. But how did the actually experience compare with my expectations as a long time MCU and comic book fan? All that and more as I talk you though my trip to Avengers Campus. As well as some tips if you plan on taking a trip there as well.

The Outfit

Starting off with my outfit, I choses to honor my all time favorite Avenger, Black Widow by wearing an outfit that match with her color scheme. Originally I had hope to wear a long sleeved red athletic shirt with some flare black athletic leggings, however the weather did not permit such a outfit. My first of many tips, if you plan on going to Avengers Campus, dress according to the weather, the sun in California is no joke. Also, and I cannot stress this point enough, WEAR. COMFORTABLE. SHOES. Even if they don’t go with your outfit, trust me your feet will thank you. While my outfit was perfect for the hot day. A part of me wishes I had wore a Black Widow t-shirt rather than just a regular red shirt. I feel that without her logo nobody got that I was representing Black Widow. I was hoping to find some Black Widow themed Micky Ears to complete the look, but apparently they don’t exist. Hint hint to who ever is in charge of the Micky Ears at Disney.

Character Interactions

I don’t care how old I get, I love character interactions. Part of the reasons I wanted to go to Avengers Campus so bad was so I could interact with my favorite characters. I will admit I was a little nervous, at first I thought it would almost be like a job interview, where I would have to make conversation. But the actors where actually very good at making conversation and creating dialog. The first character we came across was the King of Wakanda himself: The Black Panther. Another tip to consider, while characters will walk around the park, Avengers Campus employees accompany them so people can form a line for a meet and greet. If you want to meet the character you have to act fast as their is a cut off. During our interaction, Black Panther acknowledged my names royal lineage, at least by Disney standards. He also addressed my mom as The Queen Mother which I thought was very sweet.

The next character we met was The Amazing Spider-Man. Given that he also has a mini show, the line for the meet and greet was a lot more formal than Black Panthers. While it is a long wait time, its located in a shady area, but if you absolutely cannot do the sun, than I suggest bringing some kind of fan or umbrella to keep you cool. Spider-Man was everything I thought he would be, sweet and a little nerdy. While it was cool to meet him, I actually found myself liking his interactions with younger fans. He was really good at getting them out of there shells and watching him teach them to make the Spider-Man fingers was just plan adorable.

The next character I ended up meeting was the God of mischief himself: Loki. Located at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Loki was one of many characters that visit that area for meet and greets. Before leaving for my trip, one of my best friends Kat asked if I run into Loki to say hi for her. When I told Loki this he shouted “Hello Kat, where ever you are.” After teaching me to pose like a God, Loki asked me if there was any way I could help him open the doors to the Sanctorum, I told him I didn’t know how and that he should probably ask Doctor Strange, much to his dismay. When I bid him good bye and told him it was nice to meet him, he give a very Loki like “I know.”

The final, and by far my favorite, interaction was with Black Widow and The Red Guardian. When it was finally my turn I showed off not just my outfit, but my version of the Black Widow signature pose. Playing off Black Widow more cool and calm personality was the Red Guardian more outgoing proud dad personality were he would simultaneously praise Black Widow and embarrass her at the same time. At one point we ended up talking about her love life, to which I suggested a certain metal arm super solider, if you read the comic you know. this lead to the Red Guardian asking Black Widow if there was anything he should know about Bucky “or should I say Lucky.” Her response however was that she had only met him a few times. This cemented for me that despite being connected to Marvel, Avengers Campus is all MCU lore. However this doesn’t mean that comic book fan can’t enjoy it or find interesting Easter Eggs around the park.

Rides

Given the long wait time and the fact that I was with a group, the only ride I got to go on that trip was the WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. Compared to the other ride at the park Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT! The wait time was a lot shorter and given that the Web Slinger didn’t involve heights or going really fast, it was more my groups speed. But I do hope to someday do Mission: BREAKOUT! Another tip I have for visiting the park is to download the Disneyland app. You will have to create an account but that cost you nothing. Through the app not only are you provided with a map of the entire park, but you are also told the wait times of the different rides, you can also order food from it and see when certain characters make appearances. Back to the Web Slinger, it was waiting for this line that I finally figured out that doom scrolling does service a purpose. However there are other ways to past the time, you could stick up a conversation with other people in line, or if your in a group get a game of heads up started.

While waiting, the surrounding areas does give you a glimpse into the world of this ride, including this mural that show the scientist responsible for the ride. Obviously Peter Parker is included, but we also get introduced to other character like Lunella Lafayette, who has yet to make her live action MCU debut, but in the comics is know as the superhero Moon Girl, as well as holding the title as the smartest person in the Marvel Universe. (Editor Note: Check out Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur on Disney+)

As you make your way deeper into the ride, you begin to notice little details like this that only comic book readers would get. This bulletin board not only depicts Lunella again, but it also makes reference to her partner Devil Dinosaur, who seems to have gone missing. Right next to the missing poster is a Drummer Audition poster with a color skim of hot pink and light blue, a dead ringer for the comic book character Ghost-Spider, who has yet to appear in the MCU. You can also spot some lockers that are decorated to resembled the students distinct personalities, including one spray painted Miles.

As for the ride itself, you start off with an introduction to one of the Campus most promising young sciences Peter Parker. Peter introduces you to his lates inventions the Spider-Bots. While showing you how they work, Peter’s AI assistant Sharon notices that the Bots are cloning each other at an alarming rate and have seemed to gone rogue. Peter goes for help and in just a few seconds Spider-Man appears.

Informed by Peter about the bots and the threat they pose to the park, Spider-Man leads us to a pod that fits up to four people. Once you are given 3D glasses and have taken a seat inside the pod, it moves you and your group around to different location of where the bots are. Using Spider-Man signature Web fingers, you are giving the power to shoot webs at the rogue bots and fight along Spider-Man. While maybe not as fast and heart pounding as other rides in the park, the interactive nature of the ride does do it job. By the end you feel as if you have worked and helped Spider-Man.

Food

While I was unable to try any of the gigantic foods from Pym Test Kitchen, Avengers Campus offers street food as well. This includes the Shawarma Palace from the first Avengers movie. The wait time is not crazy as most people are trying to get an order at Pym Kitchen and you are given three options at the palace such as: the Denver Breakfast Shawarma, New York’s Tastiest, and the Impossible Victory Falafel.

I got the New York’s Tastiest, and afterwards I understand why Tony was so insistent on it in the first movie. Served on pita bread with chicken, fresh vegetables, and cucumber tzatziki sauce. This is the perfect fulling meal to have after saving the world from an alien invasion or walking around the park after a few hours.

To wash it all down, I would suggest popping over to Pym Tasting Lab and grabbing one of their signature cocktails. I myself got a Popping Particle Punch, a drink with non-alcoholic carbonated pineapple hurricane with grenadine and blue pop rocks that floated in the drink. While all this shouldn’t work in a drink, it totally did. The punch was refusing and the sugar in it defiantly gave me a much needed energy burst.

If you have a sweet tooth like me, I suggest heading over to Terran Treats to grab a MCU themed dessert. I got the Infinity Cream Puffs, six cream puffs based off a different Infinity Stone with six different flavors. With the Reality Stone being strawberry, the Space Stone cotton candy, Time Stone key lime pie, Power Stone raspberry, Mind Stone pabana (tropical), and the Soul Stone orange. I remember particularly liking Reality, Space, and Soul while the other three were, at least to my taste buds a little tart. All in all very fun food to eat and I would get it again.

That’s all for my Nerdy Guide to Avengers Campus. I truly had a great time and would recommend this park to any kind of Superhero fan. I hope some of my tips are helpful to those planning a trip, and I’m looking forward for what’s to come from the park, as while I was there, I noticed some construction around the park. I wonder what they will add?