Guardians of the Galaxy Disneyland Ride Opening Date & Summer of Heroes Announced

There were a lot of fans upset when Disney Parks and Resorts announced they’d be shutting down and rebranding the Tower of Terror in Disneyland‘s California Adventure (the ride remains at other Disney parks untouched, including Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios). But rebranding it to “Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!” intrigued just as many, if not more fans. The new ride, themed around Collector’s Fortress and breaking free of it alongside Rocket Raccoon, can finally be judged by fans directly when it opens for business on May 27, 2017.

“This new adventure blasts you straight into the “Guardians of the Galaxy” story for the first time ever, alongside characters from the blockbuster films and comics,” reads the press release. “As you help Rocket bust his pals out of the Collector’s Fortress, you will experience randomized ride experiences complete with all-new visual and audio effects and music inspired by the popular film soundtracks. You never know which adventure you will get!”

In addition, the Disneyland parks will launch “Summer of Heroes” that day, through September 10, offering several Marvel-themed attractions and events, similar to how they’ve done “Star Wars Weekends” and “Season of the Force” for their Lucasfilm brands in the past. Some of the features will be new year-round attractions, including Groot joining the Disney cast alongside existing characters Captain America and Spider-Man, while others are only for the summer.

Summer of Heroes will launch these new, year-round experiences:

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off! – Don’t be surprised if you run into the Guardians of the Galaxy on their way to the Milano, with Star-Lord firing up his old-school boom box to get the party started. Gamora may prefer to stand back and observe, but everyone else is bound to get in the groove and show off their moves during this awesome rock ‘n’ roll bash!
• Super Hero Encounters – For the first time, citizens of Earth will come face-to-face with Groot, one of the Guardians of the Galaxy! You can also step up to meet the First Avenger, Captain America, along with everyone’s favorite web slinger, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

And for a limited time, step up to the challenge with new adventures during Summer of Heroes:

• Avengers Training Initiative – Black Widow and Hawkeye assemble young recruits for a series of tests to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Avengers.
• Heroic Encounter: Black Widow – Black Widow will arrive on the scene several times throughout the day in an armored Avengers vehicle for her heroic encounter with park guests.
• Grab a Piece (or Bite) of the Action – All that heroism making you hungry? Want a token as proof of your adventures when you get home? Special themed merchandise and food will be available throughout Hollywood Land.

Can’t wait? Well it’s under construction now, but one fan on twitter shared some behind-the-scenes look at the work in progress to tide you over.

Start planning your Disneyland trip for this summer now, and after you see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in theaters the first weekend of May, you can experience your own Guardians adventure the last week.