Author: Shannon Pati
Due to the success of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and an ever-growing demand for new features at Disney theme parks, dreamers didn’t need a friendly genie for this wish to come true. On May 27, 2017, Disney’s California Adventure opened a new ride, Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout. This is just the anchor for the extensive superhero takeover that The Happiest Place on Earth is embracing. With an upcoming Monday holiday off, my fiancé and I made it our mission to join in on the fun.
I was awake at 4:30 am, determined to get to the parking structure by 5:30 am. Yes, I knew that the parking structure didn’t open until 7:00 am, but the number one rule of any Disney trip is to GET THERE EARLY. We parked in the structure near the booths and napped a little until the urban sounds of honking cars announced that Disney was opening their parking structure.
We did a Goofy-style power walk to Disney California Adventure to be greeted with more waiting. Honestly, I’m the type of person who I’d rather wait before anything opens than halt in anticipation, knowing there are a million more people in front of me. What went from two lines was eventually split into 4 by cast members, which then turned 8 at the entrance by 7:15 am. Let me say that crowd control is something Disney specializes in because they had the splitting down to a T!
Although DCA opened its gates at 8:15 am, the park didn’t open until 9:00 am; the result was more waiting. As I sped-walked to the standby line, my fiancé split from me to wait in the FastPass line (standby was on the left, and FastPass was on the right). The standby line transitioned from Hollywood Way to the Hyperion Theater (that’s where Frozen Live is) after a 25-minute wait to move to the actual ride line by 9:00 am. As I entered the ride line, my fiancé got the fast passes.
The GOTG attraction took over the area where The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror used to be. Now Mouseketeers get to enjoy an entirely new set design. The space-themed collection was so massive that it would take anyone a few trips to notice all the minute details. While moving through the expanse, you’ll spot the Yeti as part of their collection, one of the many Disney Easter Eggs in the Happiest Place on Earth.
As the line continued, the throng was surprised with a TV screen featuring a snarky walking and talking Rocket! Rocket explains that our mission is to aid him in breaking out his crew (thus the name). As we spotted the Gantry lift, the excitement level in the crowd rose. The time had finally come!
You must raise your hand and be scanned for the lift doors to open. Once in, we quickly realized how much work was put into this amusement. Remember how the Tower of Terror was 3 drops and only 3 drops in the same sequence? Not Mission: Breakout. There are 6 different songs, and the sequence of events you could get is randomized. My fiancé was so caught off guard by the first free fall that he elbowed me in the face! We got the song “We Got the Funk” by Positive Force the second time around. I forgot what song played the first time because I was too excited to pay attention.
Our mission was completed by 9:30 am, which means if you combine the wait time outside the gate to the ride’s entrance, the total time is 2.5 hours. This may seem grievous to some, but we were excited; we learned from other park attendees that the new wait time was 5 hours! Again, early is the number one rule.
Either way, the ride is worth the agonizing anticipation! I completely encourage fans, young and old, to accept the mission. Although it replaced a beloved classic, once you experience the lively music and are immersed in the cosmic world of the Guardians, the only thing you’ll be saying is, “Let’s do that again!”
