Disney is finally giving Spider-Man the roller coaster treatment! Get a peek at the plans for the first-ever Spidey coaster and which Disney park is getting it!
As one of the most recognizable comic book characters in the world, it’s no surprise Spider-Man can have a theme park presence, although it’s a tad complicated. When Universal opened its Islands of Adventure park in 1999, the signature ride was Spider-Man, a game-changer for theme park attractions. The brilliant mix of dark ride, 3-D, screens and effects paved the way for the likes of Rise of the Resistance and other attractions.
This, of course, was a decade before Disney bought Marvel. Due to the complex rights issues, while Universal can still use Spider-Man in Florida, Disney can utilize the character in other parks. That includes the hit Web-Slingers ride in California Adventure, which is basically like Toy Story Mania except firing “webs.”
Disney has hinted at a new Spider-Man attraction, which would be tricky as it can’t be in Florida. There were rumors of a ride using a “swinging” mechanism, but now, some new plans hint at what it is.
A Spidey Coaster?
Filed with the Pudong district government, this ride will be an addition to Shanghai Disneyland. The placement will be next to the newly opened Zootopia land, which is an interesting location, but then Shanghai Disneyland's Tomorrowland already has the Tron LIghtcycle Run, so it likely wants to space out the coasters.
A government filing in Shanghai has revealed Disney's plans for its first-ever Spider-Man-themed roller coaster. https://t.co/PrRHZGjEpM
— Theme Park Insider (@ThemePark) April 23, 2024
And that’s what this is, a roller coaster, looking like a launch type. The exact track layout isn’t fully decided but the initial plans show a mostly outdoor track like Tron and some good size to it. The plans describe an above-ground floor area of about 1.5 acres for the project, on a 5.26 acre lot.
It's likely that the ride is based on the MCU Spider-Man in some way although hard to figure out the storyline as the future of the movies is in flux. It could simply be a stand-alone attraction of Spider-Man on some adventure using the coaster motif.
A Spider-Man coaster is a fun idea as it will no doubt play on the idea of the riders “swinging” above a city and some wild turns. The plans indicate there will be an official announcement of the project in early May that will no doubt give more details and likely artwork.
Again, given the rights issues, it’s likely Shanghai will be the only park to showcase this ride and give guests a chance to enjoy a wild take on everyone’s favorite Wall-Crawler.