Theme Park Bits: Avengers Campus Opening At DCA, M&M Store, And More

In this edition of Theme Park Bits:

One of the biggest, most exciting upcoming areas at the Disneyland Resort is dedicated to all things Marvel. Though Marvel characters have made their way into Hollywood Land, they're getting a unique campus all to themselves, fittingly titled the Avengers Campus. Now, we know that it'll be arriving in the summer of 2020. Details of the Avengers Campus are still quite vague — the report from the Disney Parks Blog says that they'll be recruiting superheroes, but doesn't go into too much specifics about the Ant-Man-themed restaurant or Spider-Man-focused attraction. But we're getting a lot closer to it being reality.

This March, Disney's Hollywood Studios is getting another all-new attraction. Though it may not garner the exact level of massive publicity as Rise of the Resistance did in December, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is sure to be an intriguing addition, taking the place of the late, lamented The Great Movie Ride. Disney's marketing machine is in full swing now, though, as they recently unveiled the first in a series of posters teasing the new attraction. Though I'm still not thrilled by the loss of The Great Movie Ride, I'm a big fan of the new Mickey Mouse shorts, and hope their zaniness makes its way to the new ride.

Disney Springs in Orlando is getting itself yet another store in 2020. Short version? Well, I hope you like chocolate, because the M&M Store is arriving there soon. It'll be installed near another recent addition, the NBA Experience. The M&M Store sells all things Skittles. (Oops, wrong colorful candy.) The store promises to be a vibrant and colorful new hot spot for all of your candy needs. The article linked above also says this will be an immersive experience, which I hope means that the store will feature a pool full of M&Ms in which you can swim and eat at the same time. (Listen, a man can dream.)

So, you've ridden Rise of the Resistance at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disney's Hollywood Studios. And maybe you've also seen Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. You might not realize, though, that your experience on the ride may well have informed the events of the film. Yes, really. (And here, I will warn you about spoilers for both the film and the ride, the latter of which far fewer people have seen.) According to this report, the ride, in which you board a First Order ship but thankfully avoid the clutches of Kylo Ren, ends in such a way that it explains why Kylo and General Hux are on a different ship at the start of the new film, and why Hux appears to be outranked by Richard E. Grant's officious Allegiant General Pryde.

Hard though it may be to believe, it really is a brand new year. And for those of you reading this column who happen to be Florida residents, it can be a very happy new year too. That is, if you take advantage of an intriguing new offer to experience the Disney theme parks between now and June 30, 2020. With the Discover Disney ticket, Florida residents can get a 3-day ticket to the parks for just $175. (It'll cost you 20 more dollars to add a fourth park onto the ticket, and it's a one-park-per-day ticket.) It's not a bad deal, though I have to imagine if you've got the money, you might want to splurge for an Annual Pass. (Oh, if only I lived in Florida!)