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When, where and how: Marvel characters in Disney theme parks

Marvel characters in Disney theme parks

I’ve heard the same refrain for the last week or so: How will Disney ever incorporate the dark and edgy Marvel comic book characters into its family-friendly fairy tale theme parks?

While at first glance the task seems daunting, upon further reflection the opportunities appear endless. It’s certainly not a question of “if” but rather “when, where and how.”

It’s been fun to imagine the juxtaposition of Marvel’s assassins, terrorists, serial killers and vigilantes mixing on Main Street USA with Disney’s princesses, fairies and army of anthropomorphic animals. But Marvel also has a deep bench of heroes and villains in its 5,000-character catalog that would blend seamlessly into Disney’s theme parks.

The early contenders will almost certainly come from the ranks of Marvel’s past films (”Spider-Man,” “X-Men,” “Hulk,” “Iron Man,” “Fantastic Four”) and upcoming releases (”Thor,” “Captain America,” “Avengers,” “Silver Surfer,” “Ant Man”). There’s even a few minor characters that would fit perfectly in specific Disney attractions and themed lands.

Disney’s done it before with “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “The Muppets,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” and even Aerosmith.

And while Disneyland might not be the ideal match for Marvel characters, the superheroes fit like a skin-tight spandex suit in Disney’s “studio” theme parks.

So, keeping in mind that Mickey and Spidey have only been in-laws for less than a fortnight, lets take an unofficial and speculative look at how the marriage of Marvel and Disney might play out in the company’s theme parks around the world:

Merchandise
* T-shirts, plush dolls and toys represent the easiest first step and would serve as a gentle introduction of the Marvel brand into the theme parks and adjacent Downtown Disney shopping districts.

Characters
Hiring actors to dress up like the superheroes for visitor meet and greet opportunities would add an instant Marvel presence in parks. A few possibilities:
* Silver Surfer in the futuristic Port Discovery marina at Tokyo Disney Sea
* Iron Man (with a jetpack) flying around Tomorrowland a la Disneyland circa 1966
* Blizzard (one of Marvel’s minor characters) at the winter-themed Blizzard Beach water park in Orlando, Fla.
* Ant Man (starring in his own movie in 2012) in Bug’s Land at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim or Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando

Parades
* At Walt Disney Studios theme park in Paris, imagine the Disney Stars and Cars parade with the Fantastic Four in the Fantasticar and Ghost Rider on a flaming motorcycle.

* At Hong Kong Disneyland, Spider-Man’s nemeses Doc Ock and Green Goblin could join the other Disney villains in the Glow in the Park Halloween parade.

* Disney frequently attaches a pre-parade “coming attractions” float onto daily in-park parades to promote a new movie (Think: Captain America on a stars and stripes float).

Special Events
* According to Screamscape, a Marvel Comics version of the popular Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is under consideration as a way to skirt existing agreements with Universal Studios Orlando, which retains the rights to Marvel theme park attractions in Florida.

Restaurants
* Screamscape suggests a revival of Marvel Mania, the short-lived themed restaurant chain in the vein of Planet Hollywood.

* Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure features a Captain America Diner serving burgers, fries and American fare, which Disney could easily replicate or improve upon.

Shows
* A shortened version of the Spider-Man musical planned for Broadway could play at the Hyperion Theater in Disney’s California Adventure or Theater of the Stars in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

* Daredevil could star in the car and motorcycle stunt shows at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando and Walt Disney Studios in Paris.

* Any of the characters from the Marvel Universe could be weaved into the nighttime spectaculars at Disney’s California Adventure (World of Color) and Tokyo Disney Sea (BraviSEAmo).

* A 3D movie for the parks could be developed based on the upcoming “Iron Man 2″ movie, which Marvel may release in 3D.

Rides and Attractions
Disney-imagineered attractions featuring Marvel characters could easily fit into:
* The backlot studio tour at Walt Disney Studios in Paris
* The nautical-themed Tokyo Disney Sea, which features faster rides and scarier shows than most Disney parks
* The New York Streets area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando (my Spidey senses are tingling)
* The space-, energy- and ocean-themed areas of Epcot
* The animation building at Disney’s California Adventure

Themed Lands
* Universal Studios has already built a Marvel Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure in Orlando which features a Dr. Doom drop ride, the Storm vs. Magneto tea cups, a Hulk roller coaster and a Spider-Man simulator ride that many consider the best theme park attraction in the world. A similar land could easily fit in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando), Walt Disney Studios (Paris) or Disney’s California Adventure (Anaheim).

Theme Parks
* A 100-acre Marvel Superheroes theme park at the massive Dubailand development is expected to open in 2012. Off-site testing has already begun on three of the planned attractions: Flying with Spidey, Fantasticar and X-Men: Danger Room.

* Blue Sky Disney dreams of a Disney villain theme park (complete with Marvel bad guys) at the long-planned “third gate” across from Disneyland.

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland. Follow Funland on Twitter and Facebook.