Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT Towers High Over the Avengers Campus!

We’ve spoken a lot about WEB-SLINGER the new Spider-Man headlining attraction opening with the Avengers Campus on Friday as well as the new eateries like Pym Test Kitchen, character encounters and more. 

But let’s not forget the Disney California Adventure attraction that started it all! 

Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, invites guests of all ages into a new land where they can sling webs on the first Disney ride-through attraction to feature Spider-Man. The immersive land also presents multiple heroic encounters with Avengers and their allies, like Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Widow and more. At Pym Test Kitchen, food scientists will utilize Ant-Man and The Wasp’s shrinking and growing technology to serve up perfectly sized snacks. (Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)

From the moment you enter the Avengers Campus, Mission: BREAKOUT is simply not to be missed.  You’ll see it towering over the new Marvel-themed land no matter what your vantage point! And don’t get me started on how completely awesome the ride is. 

Image Source: LA Times

You’ll know that you’re about to embark on an adventure like nothing you’ve ever experienced before the minute you step inside the attraction which made its debut in 2017.   Inside this formidable building you discover everything from unusual galactic species to exotic plant live.  There’s even a Russian space dog named Cosmo! 

Fun Facts About The Collector’s Tower

To give you taste of the awesomeness of this ride here are some facts about the Collector’s Fortress that are mighty impressive: 

• The Fortress is owned by The Collector otherwise known as Taneleer Tivan who you may remember from the original Guardians of the Galaxy film. Within the tower walls, The Collector stores some of his most prized possessions. At the moment this unfortunately includes the Guardians of the Galaxy- and that’s where you come in! 
• Be on the lookout for the Tivan Group logo located on the front of the Fortress.  That’s the official branding for The Collector’s company.  The logo features a triangle logo pointing downward which actually pays tribute to The Collectors mining colony on Knowhere. 
• Cast members working the attraction also where the Tivan logo on the sleeves of their uniform.  The uniforms also come in hues of purple and gold which are consistent with The Collectors eclectic dress sense. 
• But this ride isn’t just about the first film.  You’ll also see some familiar faces from the sequel including Mantis! 
• There’s also some Easter Eggs to be found in the Fortress Lobby.  See if you can find the ghost dog from the Haunted Mansion.  Here’s a hint, he’s located on The Collector’s desk! 

Numbers Out of Knowhere

There’s a “number” of awesome things we’re excited to share with you about Mission: BREAKOUT. 

• 183 Terran feet is how high The Collector’s Fortress actually is! That’s the tallest attraction in all of Disneyland and it also extends an additional 40 feet underground. 
• 525 shrubs, including 25 varieties, grow outside the Fortress as part of Tivan’s Oasis. 
• 30 trees, representing 13 varieties, grow in Tivan’s Oasis, amount the foliage is a Queensland Bottle, African Tulip and Song of India trees.
• 25 potted plants, representing 20 varieties, also grow in Tivan’s Oasis. Disney Imagineers had fun coming up with varieties of plants to include. Making the cut are Cyphostema juttae (also known as Namibian grape), Dioscorea elephantipes (Elephant’s Foot), and Tylycodon reticulatus (Sifkop or Sieve Head).
• 14 overhead vitrines hang in the Lobby. Within you’ll find some familiar and some unexpected artifacts. 
• 2 large portraits of The Collector remind guests of his importance (lest we forget.)  The first one depicts The Collector playing a game with his brother, The Grandmaster, on Sakaar.
• 2 languages are used throughout one’s visit to the Tivan Collection: Listen carefully and you’ll hear both English and Celestial being spoken! 
• I bet you didn’t know that there’s also a STAN LEE CAMEO!?  You’ll find him somewhere on the tour of Tivian’s Collection! 

The Fortress Holds Over 2,200 Galactic Artifacts

The first time I read this, I couldn’t believe it but it is a testament to Disney Imagineering at its best! You’ll find over 2,200 galactic goodies inside the fortress.  This includes everything from creatures and weapons to costumes and more.  Many of them pay a tip-of-the-hat to other comic books.  This includes: 

• You’ll immediately fall in love with the Vyloos, which are little birds native to the planet Berhert. They actually appear in the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! 
• There’s a very ominous looking cocoon housed within The Fortress.  All we know is that The Collector takes great pains not to disturb it! 
• Aww, one of my favorites has to be Cosmo the test dog.  He was part of the Russian space program back in the 1960’s. 
• See if you can find the damaged Ultron Sentry from the Battle of Sokovia!
• The Fortress also houses a Warlock’s Eye which may sound gruesome but it’s actually a weapon which grants the user to have magnetic mind control over his victims! 
• The Collector also managed to get his hands on one of Rocket’s blaster weapons which is proudly on display. 
• My favorite is the case of Dark Elf artifacts. 
• There’s also Kree artifacts which include some Terrigen Crystals. 
• You’ll also find a Royal Guard uniform from Asgard (Thor and Loki’s home planet.)
• If you’ve seen the films, you’re also bound to notice a Nova Corps uniform! 

Listen Up for Fun Details

When you visit The Collectors Fortress, its not just about the sights you take in, its also about the sounds! Listen carefully and you’ll here an awesome Easter Egg or two.  Here’s a few that you’ll want to be on the lookout for: 

The Collector gathers sounds as well as artifacts, so guests will want to listen carefully for some auditory “Easter eggs,” especially in the outside garden. Examples include:

• • Famous speeches, such as a 1903 recitation of the Gettysburg.
  • Address Bird calls and other creature sounds from planets throughout the galaxy.
  • Musical instrument sounds from a wide variety of civilizations.
  • Guests on board the gantry lift will experience one of six songs that play throughout their experience. Each song accompanies a different version of the escape scenario, with a corresponding ride profile and visuals.

It wouldn’t be a Guardians of the Galaxy ride without a killer soundtrack. Thankfully Imagineers were up to the task.  During your your adventure up (and down) the gantry lift be on the lookout for the following tunes: 

• • “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar (1980).
  • “Give Up the Funk” by Parliament (1975).
  • “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf (1968).
  • “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 (1969).
  • “Free Ride” by The Edgar Winter Group (1973).
  • “Burning Love” by Elvis Presley (1972).

Music playing throughout the Lobby and Tivan’s office may sound familiar. It was composed by Tyler Bates, composer of the music for the two “Guardians of the Galaxy” films.

Cast members stationed at the Fortress are always keeping a watchful eye on The Collector and even have a secret way of communicating with one another via hushed whispers.  See if you can catch them murmuring some secret words during your visit. 

Also, as you’re exiting the ride, you may hear some creatures that have escaped including a certain “Duck” that might be known to the Guardians! 

Other Noteworthy Locations Near The Fortress

At one time Mission: BREAKOUT was sort of the lone outlier but now more! This area now has a whole host of awesome shops and restaurants that you won’t want to miss. For all your souvenir needs, we recommend that you pop into The Collectors Warehouse.  Here you’ll find the latest and greatest Marvel, Avengers and Guardians merch. 

And if all this adventuring has your working up an appetite head over to Terran Treats for a wee snack.  Tanleer Tivan has curated a menu of awesome snacks from the galaxy.  This includes churro spirals in some out-of-this-world flavors and cosmic orb with an other-worldly filling. 

You can try out your dancing skills against Star-Lord and Gamora during the Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Dance Off! 

Nighttime Fun with Monsters After Dark

Last, but not least, the fun doesn’t stop when the lights go out? It’s just getting started.  Each year at Halloween The Guardians of the Galaxy attraction transforms into Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark.  Each evening the Fortress is powered down and then back up signaling to guests that something is quite right. 

The Guardians have successfully escaped The Collector’s tower but they left Groot behind.  So it’s back into the tower for a Halloween adventure filled with some creepy creatures and as always some insane drops! 

Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog where we’ll be coming to you with more Avengers Campus news and updates throughout the month of June!

With new policies and procedures in place there’s never been a better time to work with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner who can help you navigate through Disney World’s new way of doing things! Just fill out my form HERE to get your FREE, no-obligation quote. Alternatively, feel free to reach out at mroden@mickeytravels.com or follow along on Facebook