Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

Image: Disney

The decision to reboot Twilight Zone Tower of Terror as a comic book attraction proved divisive to many. When the doors finally opened for the debut of the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction, Disney had the last laugh. Their decision seems brilliant in hindsight.

Mission: BREAKOUT! is exactly the attraction that Disney California Adventure needed. The park is currently in transition as it evolves into a half-Pixar, half-Marvel experience. While they’ve done well on the Pixar part, Guardians of the Galaxy was the first Marvel ride, and it needed to be terrific. It is.

The central conceit of Guardians of the Galaxy is that the titular heroes are terrible at their job. They screw up a lot and fight with each other as much as the bad guys. Somehow, they get results, though. And the bouncing elevator ride mechanic plays up this premise as each “floor” is another scene created expressly for the attraction.

You’re watching Star-Lord, Gamora, and their friends battle some sort of inter-dimensional goo monster. The fight…isn’t going well. In watching them try to save the day, you’re a voyeur experiencing a comic book movie mise-en-scene in an unprecedented way.

The rock music soundtrack adds to the immersive nature since Peter Quill’s soundtrack is functionally an extra character in the films. You’re bouncing to the music as the ride bounces up and down in the elevator shaft. While most parks have standard drop-tower rides, Disney has elevated the concept to its logical extreme thanks to style, substance, and ride structure.

The Incredicoaster

Image: DisneyCalifornia Screamin’ was a hallmark achievement in coaster design. Then, Disney rebooted the concept with a special touch, Pixar theming done right. Now, the dark tunnels have a purpose beyond keeping sunlight out of the eyes of coaster riders. They also tell a story.

That story involves Jack-Jack, the baby of the Parr family. He’s the youngest of the Incredibles and also the most powerful. In fact, he has roughly 20 superpowers…and his natural skills make him difficult to babysit. The Incredicoaster functions as one giant chase scene as a bunch of emotionally invested family members use their own powers to try to stop a baby who thinks he’s playing a game.

Of course, you don’t need to care about any of this to get a rush from the Incredicoaster. The structure of California Screamin’ is still there, which means that it’s in the discussion for best overall coaster in California before we factor in the theming. When we include the Parr family, it becomes a seminal masterpiece of Disney Imagineering, the perfect combination of thrill ride and storytelling adventure.