A very important milestone has been reached in the expansion of Avengers Campus at the Disneyland Resort. As construction continues to move forward, the Disneyland Resort has selected nearly 20 cast members to be the working leads for the land’s test & adjust team.
A Magical Surprise
The reveal for these cast members was done in a way that was full of Disney magic. The cast members were invited to attend an unrelated training, or so they thought… Instead, they arrived at the Animation Academy in Disney California Adventure, where they were surprised with the exciting news that they had been selected for this team. This was done with a drawing of an Avengers “A” and special embroidered Avengers hats to symbolize how they would be a part of this new team.
The Test & Adjust Team
Disney’s test & adjust team is an important part of the development of the Disneyland Resort. These teams are part of a longstanding tradition that is integral to the growth of The Happiest Place on Earth! Cast members are invited to apply to be a part of this specialized team that works with Walt Disney Imagineering for an extended period of time. This is to ensure that new attractions and experiences are ready to go before opening to guests officially.
One of the cast members who was chosen to be a part of this teast & adjust team has been on many before at the Disneyland Resort. His name is Mark Diwas. He has been a part of these teams on many different things that range from Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Mark has been with Disney for over 24 years and is stepping into a new role on the Avengers Campus. He will be selecting and leading the team supporting the expansion.
I can’t believe we’re finally here choosing the test and adjust team,” Mark said. “The fun part is having a team of cast members from different areas of the parks and different attraction types. We all use our knowledge collectively to figure out what’s going to work best.”
With his depth of experience on test & adjust teams, Mark is looking forward to leading this new team of dedicated cast members to ensure that Avengers Campus’ new attractions are ready for guests. This will be a unique opportunity for the cast members who are a part of this team to assist in the growth of the Disneyland Resort. It will also provide an incredible opportunity for their careers. Mark’s career is a prime example of how test & adjust can be so instrumental to professional growth. This is something that he says he is looking forward to seeing with this new team.
“Knowing what test & adjust has done for me, I am excited for this team and what they can do with their journey,” Mark said. “For a lot of them, this will be their first test and adjust experience, so I’m really excited to see where these cast members will go from here.”
Avengers Campus Expansion
There are two new attractions being added to Avengers Campus as part of this expansion. They are Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab. Avengers Infinity Defense will see guests becoming recruits and boarding a world-jumping spaceship. Their mission will be to stop a powerful multiverse variant, King Thanos, from destroying alternate realities. Guests will find themselves fighting alongside some of their favorite Avengers, including Tony Stark/Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to lend his voice to Iron Man/Tony Stark. In Stark Flight Lab, guests will get to go to Tony Stark’s workshop and experience training for what it is like to be Iron Man. This will be done by boarding two-person “gyrokinetic pods” before massive, expressive robot arms grab the pods and whirl riders around in a simulated flight.
As this test & adjust team is picked, the Disneyland Resort is now seeing that 3 out of 4 cast members indicate that they plan to work at the Disneyland Resort for 5+ years. In general, full-time professional and skilled-labor cast members have worked at the Disneyland Resort for over 12 years. In a survey of applicants, 75% said that career advancement was the top reason they wanted to work at the Disneyland Resort.
A specific opening date for Avengers Campus has not been announced for the Disneyland Resort. However, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will be taking place in August. There may be announcements made about Avengers Campus at this year’s ultimate fan event. Anyone who has visited Disney California Adventure recently can easily see the expansion of Avengers Campus rising from the skyline behind the land.
What do you think of this milestone for Avengers Campus? Are you excited about the expansion of this land? What are you most excited about with it? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
