Disney has a Marvel problem.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has earned more money at the box office than any other franchise in movie history, but Disney has not yet found a way to translate that success to its theme parks or cruise line.
It’s gotten to the point where fans are complaining when Disney keeps a Marvel-themed location. After last week’s reveal of the Disney Believe cruise ship, many fans griped that Disney did not announce plans to replace the Worlds of Marvel restaurant that appears on all of Disney’s Wish-class ships.
I have sailed on all those Wish class ships. Worlds of Marvel is the opposite of inviting, managing to be both industrial and claustrophobic at the same time. The Quantum Encounter video show that plays on the restaurant’s abundant screens is fine entertainment to watch during dinner, but it’s a one and done. I totally get why Disney Cruise Line fans would want to see what else Disney’s Imagineers might envision for that space on a new ship, given all the franchises the company has in its portfolio.
In the parks, Avengers Campus has underwhelmed many fans at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Paris’ recently renamed Disney Adventure World. The lands’ Spider-Man shooter ride suffers from comparisons with Universal Orlando’s The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, which remains one of the top theme park attractions in the world.
The cruise ship restaurant and Avengers Campus lands suffer the same lack of focus. Marvel is a brand, not a theme. That leaves Disney working with sterile, generic environments that fail to engage fans. No one wants to visit an office park or conference room when spending big money on Disney tickets or cruise fares. At least at rival Universal Orlando, its Marvel Super Hero Island is themed to Marvel’s comic books, giving it a hand-drawn animation vibe that helps make the land feel special.
Perhaps the upcoming Avengers Infinity Defense ride at California Adventure will give Disney a Marvel ride to match Universal’s Spider-Man. But that won’t help the underlying problem with the land. Right now, Disney’s best Marvel attraction is the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT. Yet Disney’s choice to theme that to a “Wonders of Xandar” EPCOT pavilion was an awkward compromise that keeps fans from feeling fully immersed in a fantastic world.
A better approach would be for Disney to create a destination themed to one of Marvel’s specific characters or locations, rather than a catch-all or compromise setting. The company is trying that in China, where it is building its first Spider-Man-themed land at Shanghai Disneyland. Disney has yet to release details about that land, but it will include an all-new roller coaster. That track looks impressive, but how engaging can a land themed to the New York borough of Queens be?
Disney fans love Marvel and long for great Marvel attractions in the parks. That is why so many of us feel frustrated when Disney repeats mediocre concepts rather than trying something new that might deliver the world-class experience that fans deserve.