Anytime something new happens at the Disney Resort theme parks, it’s exciting, whether it’s a brand-new land, an all-new ride, some re-theming, or even a new character meet-and-greet. And in what is just the beginning of what’s coming for Marvel at Disney California Adventure, the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! is a cool kick-off for Summer of Heroes, which brings park guests new ways to step into their favorite superhero stories.

From now through September, you can join Star-Lord and Gamora for an Awesome Dance Off! featuring tunes from an old-school boom box, have superhero encounters with Groot and Black Widow (to add to the experiences with Captain America and Spider-Man), and go through the Avengers Training Initiative as Black Widow and Hawkeye assemble and test young recruits to see if they have what it takes to join the Avengers. While you’re in Hollywood Land, you can also pick up special themed merchandise, including cool t-shirts and figures, and even a plush version of Cosmo the dog and Howard the Duck, or try out the variety of new food offerings.

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Image via Joshua Sudock - Disneyland Resort

At the centerpiece of all of this is the undeniably thrilling and incredibly fun new attraction that took over and re-themed The Twilight Zone - Tower of Terror ride and turned it into the Collector’s Fortress, complete with a statue in his honor. It is incredibly detailed and filled with Easter eggs throughout, and from the moment you step through the door, you can check out various artifacts and objects from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both familiar and never before seen.

After passing by a very lifelike Cosmo the dog, a “cocoon of unknown origin,” an Asgardian war hammer, dark elf artifacts and various weapons, you make your way into the office of The Collector, aka Taneleer Tivan, where you learn that Rocket needs your help to bust the Guardians out of the Collector’s Fortress, so that they can get back to protecting the Galaxy. And while you are still technically in the same ride system from the previous incarnation, which is an elevator that hurls guests up and down, it has been reconfigured to be more active (there are more sudden drops and rises, and starts and stops), and it has all-new visual and audio effects and music inspired by the films’ soundtracks. The experience is also randomized so that you never know which of the six different adventures you will get.

Just like the movies themselves, there is action and humor, and there is the heart and flare that fans have come to expect from the Guardians, which makes sense since writer/director James Gunn was heavily involved. During the opening ceremony, the filmmaker proclaimed that while most people in his line of work dream of winning Oscars, he has always dreamed of having a ride at a Disney theme park, based on his movies. Not only has that dream now come true, but it’s only the beginning of what possibilities could come in the future for Marvel at the Disney Resort theme parks.

click on any image for high-res

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Image via Joshua Sudock - Disneyland Resort
pom-klementieff-guardians-of-the-galaxy-mission-breakout-disney-california-adventure
Image via Joshua Sudock - Disneyland Resort
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Image via Joshua Sudock - Disneyland Resort

Images below via Christina Radish

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Photo by Christina Radish

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