Marking the first introduction of a Marvel franchise inside a Disney park, Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries breathes new life into a sleepy corner of the Disneyland. Promoting the upcoming release of Iron Man 3 on May 3rd, guests can get up close and personal to one of the main stars of the films - the suits!
It’s no secret that Disneyland’s Innoventions is in need of an overhaul, and other than being a (literally) cool place to hide-out on a hot summer day, the venue falls short in offering any type of substantial entertainment for guests coming from near & far to visit the park. For months, rumors have swirled about possible changes coming to Innoventions, one of them being an Iron Man themed roller coaster. While fans on both sides of the house have expressed strong feelings about the two worlds coming together, the crowds flocking to this relatively small experience shows there’s an opportunity for much, much more.
Entering on the second floor, you walk through several pre-existing exhibits, finally ending at the Iron Man experience. Admittedly, we skipped through all of them and headed straight for the goods. I was surprised at how small the area was, but still felt the experience was worth the 20 minute wait to get inside.
One of the exhibits we zoomed past on our way to see Iron Man (this may look familiar to those that have visited Epcot)
Tony Stark's Hall of Armour
There are two experiences within the exhibit. First is the Hall of Armour, featuring the suits from all of the films - Iron Man, Iron Man 2, the Avengers, and finally, Iron Man 3 at center stage.
The second experience is the “Suit Up” simulation, allowing guests to virtually put on the latest suit in Stark Technologies, the Mark 42. The simulator captures your image, suits you up, and lets you virtually test it out. The experience is similar to the scenes of Tony Stark testing out his suit’s capabilities in the first film.
As you exit the experience, you’re directed through a hallway that cuts behind the Hall of Armour, featuring posters and stills from Iron Man 3.
As we made our way out of Innoventions, we were handed FREE Iron Man 3 posters!
Overall, both my husband (the Marvel fan) and I (the Disney fan) really enjoyed the entire experience. Albeit small, it was great to have something new to experience inside Innoventions. I really think this was a nice way for Disney to test the waters, and truthfully, while we were skeptical before, I’d feel safe in saying that we’d both be more open to more Marvel in the parks.
Do you think blending Marvel into the Disney parks is a good idea? How would you like to see it incorporated? For more family travel news, reviews, and trip reports, be sure to follow Adventures by Daddy on twitter and “like” our facebook page too.
I had no idea this was going to be there, too! So sad we couldn’t come as I think we both would have loved it. The Iron Man series is definitely one of our joint favorites, The pictures of the displays are amazing! Well, with your blog, it’s like we were ALMOST there.
Thanks so much!