It’s already been a year since Marvel Avengers Campus opened its doors, and the Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure attraction welcomed its first recruits. To this day, the Worldwide Engineering Brigade at Avengers Campus invites guests to join forces with Spider-Man in an interactive adventure, thanks to innovative gesture recognition technology. We went to meet the Campus Personnel who welcome guests to the Worldwide Engineering Brigade at Avengers Campus every day to find out more about their work on the attraction and their role at W.E.B.
At 6:30 a.m., the first seven members of the attraction’s Campus Personnel get ready for a team briefing before starting their day at the Worldwide Engineering Brigade of Avengers Campus. After receiving instructions from their Team Leader, the first members of Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure’s Campus Personnel head to the Control Tower to begin the attraction’s opening procedures. They are joined by other colleagues later in the morning. A minimum of seven people is required to keep the attraction running smoothly.
With the start of summer and high season, a number of seasonal members of the Campus Personnel join the Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure team, which is why the most experienced will be their instructors for the day, like Aude, who is showing Lorane the ropes.
Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure’s Campus Personnel works as a team to carry out the checks and adjustments needed to keep the attraction running throughout the day.
With a checklist in hand, every detail counts, and since guest safety is a top priority, Campus Personnel walk through the attraction to ensure that video equipment, scenery and other show elements are in good working order. ‘Every detail of the set has been meticulously thought out by the Imagineers to ensure that the attraction is as immersive as possible,’ says Yodin, showing us round the set. ‘There are also nods to the park’s history, such as props from the former attraction, Armageddon – Les Effets Speciaux!’
Scott, in the Control Tower, assists and guides his colleagues thanks to the numerous cameras set up throughout the attraction.
The attraction features many Slinger vehicles, serviced day and night by the maintenance team in the attraction’s garage, which is hidden from the view of guests. To enable the recruits to sling their virtual webs with a simple hand gesture, the Slinger vehicles are equipped with innovative technology requiring thorough checks by Campus Personnel every morning before the attraction can open its doors. They also check every vehicle’s systems – door closure, fan operation, lowering of the safety barrier and the guest fall detection system. To guarantee complete reliability and safety, the rule is simple: if any of these components malfunctions, the vehicle is sent to the garage to be repaired by the maintenance team as quickly as possible.
The technology to be tested isn’t limited to the Slinger vehicles – Campus Personnel tests the scanners at the entrance to Disney Premier Access to ensure they are ready to welcome all the guests. A walk-through of the queue is also performed to ensure that it is perfectly clear and operational for guests who will use it to board the attraction. This includes the smooth running of the pre-show, where recruits meet Peter Parker.
Finally, before opening the attraction to visitors, Campus Personnel tests the ride in real-life conditions, to ensure that the special effects and on-board vehicle technology are working properly. Meanwhile, the 3D glasses needed to experience the adventure are prepared and set out for the guests to use when they arrive.
At 8:30 a.m., the first recruits arrive at Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure to begin their first mission of the day, and a queue begins to form since the attraction is very popular.
‘Since opening, the attraction has been a big hit because it appeals to the whole family!’ says Manon enthusiastically. ‘We do our best to make the recruits’ experience as immersive as possible.’
This attraction features a Single Rider queue, which allows visitors to ride the attraction on their own, potentially reducing their waiting time. Maxime, Manon and Charlotte, the Welcomers, enthusiastically greet guests at the entrance to the attraction and direct them to the queue that best suits their needs.
However, as visitors make their way through the queue, Campus Personnel seem increasingly agitated, creating an atmosphere of haste.
‘It starts out as an open day for the Avengers Campus Worldwide Engineering Brigade,’ Maxime explains, ‘but when we discover that Peter Parker’s invention, the Spider-Bots, are multiplying and threatening to destroy the campus, everyone panics! ‘
Manon leads the recruits into the pre-show room, where they can find out about the history of the attraction and the incident that takes place there when they arrive, before going to rescue Avengers Campus from the Spider-Bots.
‘The Imagineers’ work is absolutely amazing and so detailed, especially here!’ exclaims Manon between two sessions. ‘There are references to the Marvel universe hidden all over this room, you just have to look for them!’
Meanwhile, Emma hurriedly invites the recruits to get into the Slinger vehicles to go and save the Campus. She takes her role very seriously but remains polite to the recruits.
Another special feature of this attraction is that it has been designed to be as accessible as possible. People with disabilities who can’t transfer from their wheelchair to the Slinger vehicle are still able to board as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle has been designed to accommodate all recruits.
‘Disneyland Paris puts a lot of emphasis on accessibility, for example by avoiding the use of stairs in many of its attractions,’ Maxime explains. ‘The most important thing is to enable everyone to board our attractions and have fun!’A member of Campus Personnel is located at the front of the queue to deal exclusively with disabled guests.
Finally, Campus Personnel located at the Slinger vehicle exit show visitors the way out at the end of their adventure, and invite them to return their 3D glasses.
Campus Personnel regularly change posts and replace their colleagues to vary their tasks. ‘There are 12 different posts at Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure, and we rotate regularly so our workday is very varied!’ says Eloisia, the attraction’s Team Leader. ‘We can have up to 30 people working on the attraction at the same time thanks to the rotation system. It also allows us to manage break times and lunchtimes, and to welcome visitors over a wide range of hours.’
The talented Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure team has been immersing guests in the Spider-Man universe every day for the past year, offering them an unforgettable and heroic experience. Happy anniversary, and a huge thank you to the team who brings Spider-Man W.E.B Adventure to life!
