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Tower Of Terror To Turn Into Guardians Of The Galaxy At Walt Disney Resort In Florida?

Published Tue, 22 Mar 2016 10:15:44 -0500

WDW1974 is a rumourmonger for Disney theme parks. He is basically what I would be if I didn't have Bleeding Cool.

And he has new information regarding the future of Marvel at Florida's Walt Disney Resort. Because, due to current contracts, it hasn't really had one. Universal owns most of those rights. But The Guardians Of The Galaxy is outside those contracts.

If current plans (and they are subject to change, but accurate as of this posting and that is all I can ever offer) follow through, sometime in either 2017 or 2018 you will get to experience a true GotG E-Ticket at The Corpse of The Disney-MGM Studios. Fast construction timeline you say. Or the Spirit is smoking on some bad Kissimmee weed you say?

Nope. Welcome to The Guardians of the Galaxy Tower of Terror. Yes. Really. Yes, Disney wants to destroy (or make over depending on how you look at it) one of its high points of creative product in the last 25 years to tie it to a BRAND that it can't even use to advertise and promote, in Florida that is.

You see, like almost everything these days, the genesis of this project is in Anaheim where ToT isn't an anchor of a park (DCA), just part of its menu of offerings. A park that can take full advantage of The Weatherman's acquisition spree (the only thing that marks his tenure as head of the world's largest entertainment company) and is planning a major Marvel addition right next door to an old hotel on Hollywood's dark side. WDI has pushed this concept heavily and TDA wants to do it badly.

Having to license The Twilight Zone IP from CBS, IP that most people not born prior to 1980 have little if any knowledge of — just makes it even more attractive.

Let's forget that this is one of the best attractions Disney has ever built. We do have toon characters in Small World and Jack Sparrow soon to be in every Pirates attraction worldwide, so shilling IP by changing classic attractions isn't something Disney is afraid to do.

They want to market it as DL's 'BIG, NEW THING' for 2017 and the first of many new major Marvel attractions in DCA (and other parks not located in the Florida swamps) before The Star Wars Experience (oops, did I name drop prematurely? Happens with age!) debuts in DL in 12/18 . If they have their way, the current Anaheim ToT will close around the first oft the year and reopen before summer with an entirely new GotG based show, still (somehow I am told) centered on a haunted hotel from the 1930s. How? Who knows? Stitch and Buzz Lightyear belong in Tomorrowland, right?

The hitch right now is, naturally, WDW. They are interested in this, but they see it more as a temporary overlay to draw people into their moribund Studios park (the one they actively engage in deceptive advertising in because telling people that the real Star Wars stuff won't arrive before 2020-21 probably wouldn't be good for business). They (again naturally) are looking to cut the budget and the timeline because shutting the ToT next January might just finally be the straw that breaks the camel's back (hell, even 1-2 lifestylers might tell people to not visit for more than half a day out of their 11 day on property MAGICal $11,000 WDW vacations ). At DCA, this will be the gateway to Marvel BRAND Land and has to look and act the part. TDO is whining about money and downtime (they will soon count restrooms and ODV carts and Marsha the special needs CM at The ABC Commissary that thinks she does a great Daisy Duck impression as attractions).

But right now it looks like this has the momentum needed to happen on BOTH coasts provided TDO is willing to shoulder the costs and realize this will be a permanent change, not a summer marketing deal.

Here's a brief glossary – The Weatherman is Disney Chairman/CEO Bob Iger. Disney's Hollywood Studios (originally Disney-MGM Studios until 2008) is the third of four theme parks built at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Tower Of Terror , is an accelerated drop tower dark ride located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's California Adventure, Tokyo DisneySea and Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris using IP based on the Twilight Zone TV show. DCA is the Disney Californian Adventure Park. WDI is Walt Disney International. TDA is Team Disney Anaheim, the administrative headquarters of the Disneyland Resort.

This news is not being received well by Disney park fans who love the existing Tower of Terror themed ride, and resist the Bob Iger push to have more and more park rides based on successful media franchises… But it is big news that Disney will even be able to use Marvel characters at their Orlando park…as those rights are with Universal Studios.

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