Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! Set To Open At Hong Kong Disneyland On March 31, 2019
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort today revealed that its newest Marvel attraction, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!, will open on March 31, 2019. It will be the world’s first attraction featuring Ant-Man and The Wasp, as well as the first Marvel-themed attraction featuring a female Super Hero as a lead character. The long-anticipated launch marks HKDL’s second Marvel-themed attraction and the continued development of an ultimate hub for Marvel Super Hero action in the region, as part of the multi-year expansion.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! expands the epic adventure of Iron Man Experience, which has been consistently rated as HKDL’s most popular attraction since opening in 2017. The new attraction will send guests on a critical mission with Ant-Man and The Wasp who have answered Iron Man’s call for support in defending Hong Kong against Hydra’s attack.
Shrink to ant size and fight alongside Ant-Man and The Wasp
This high-tech, high-energy interactive adventure begins with a visit to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Science and Technology Pavilion, a newly opened facility at Stark Expo in Tomorrowland, set up to showcase S.H.I.E.L.D.’s latest technological developments. The seemingly ordinary visit is soon interrupted by Hydra, who has initiated a two-pronged attack in Hong Kong. Hydra not only is attempting to steal the Arc Reactor atop Stark Tower in Kowloon, Hong Kong, but its artificial intelligence Arnim Zola has sent an army of Swarmbots to infiltrate the S.H.I.E.L.D. Pavilion in order to steal a Data Core that contains highly confidential information.
As he battles Swarmbots in Kowloon, Iron Man calls in Ant-Man and The Wasp to defend the pavilion, because only they can shrink down to get between the bots’ armor to destroy them from the inside.
But with thousands of bots and only two of them, Ant-Man and The Wasp will need help. Guests at the pavilion are called into action. Aboard one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s newest combat vehicles, D/AGR, the Defense/Assault Ground Rover (aka “the Dagger”), guests are issued an EMP Blaster and engage in a heroic battle alongside Ant-Man and The Wasp to defeat Zola and his Swarmbots.
Dale Sheehan, creative producer of the attraction from Walt Disney Imagineering, said “We are excited that this attraction continues the thrilling adventure from Iron Man Experience and elevates the Marvel experience at HKDL for fans in Hong Kong and from across the globe. Ant-Man and The Wasp are quickly emerging as a quirky, funny Super Hero duo and they are hugely popular in this part of the world. We can’t wait to take fans deeper into the action and humor of the duo in this dimensional, interactive experience.”
Close partnership with Marvel to bring the Marvel Universe to life
Marvel has a universal appeal with guests and fans of all ages and genders. In 2018, four of the top 10 blockbusters with the highest all-time global box office were from Marvel. “Ant-Man and The Wasp,” the sequel to “Ant-Man,” also opened as the top grossing movie in multiple territories across Asia Pacific.
Bryan Thombs, creative director of the attraction from Walt Disney Imagineering, said “We partnered closely with Marvel Studios to transform the powerful cinematic appeal into an immersive battle experience. The movie director, leading actors, as well as the score composer of ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ were all involved to make this possible.”
Created with classic Disney storytelling and close collaboration with Marvel, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! is a highly authentic and engaging Marvel experience. Director of “Ant-Man and The Wasp,” Peyton Reed and the movie production team were on board to film the media for the attraction; Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, the stars of “Ant-Man and The Wasp,” joined the action by reprising their roles; and Christophe Beck, composer for the Ant-Man movies, also created the score for the attraction. 14 types of artefacts and research items from more than a dozen Marvel movies, TV show episodes and comics will also be on display, some of which will be exclusively exhibited at HKDL.
The immersive, media-rich storytelling is enhanced by cutting-edge scenic illusion technology and a state-of-the-art gaming system was used to create an exhilarating, interactive experience. The all-new EMP Blasters deliver superb laser efficacy, accuracy and alignment, while targets of various sizes, difficulties and video effects create a complex, sophisticated game design that is both story-driven and challenging.
HKDL develops as Asia’s Marvel hub under multi-year expansion
With Iron Man Experience and the opening of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! HKDL will offer a complete Marvel-themed experience with two first-of-a-kind attractions, themed-merchandise, food and beverage and the Iron Man heroic encounter experience. Pavilion Gifts, the brand-new merchandise shop, opened in December 2018, provides more than 300 Marvel merchandise items and will introduce about 40 exclusive items themed to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! when the attraction opens in March. Guests will be able to take home special mementos that commemorate their heroic battle defending the S.H.I.E.L.D. pavilion alongside marvel Super Heroes. On the opening date of the new Marvel attraction, the admission tickets of the park will change with new design of Ant-Man and The Wasp. It will become a must-have collectables of avid Marvel fans!
HKDL’s multi-year expansion project will bring many exciting additions to the resort, underscoring Disney’s commitment to the continuous growth of HKDL and Hong Kong’s tourism industry. In particular, a third Marvel-themed attraction is in the works as HKDL continues to expand as Asia’s ultimate Marvel hub. The live atmosphere stage show “Moana: A Homecoming Celebration,” the first entertainment offering under the expansion, opened in May 2018. HKDL will bring more Disney characters and stories, from Marvel to Frozen and Disney Princesses, to life through one-of-a-kind experiences in the coming years.