Hong Kong Disneyland Unveils ‘Iron Man Experience’ Ride, Failing Heart Not Required
On January 17 of next year, Hong Kong Disneyland will finally pull back the curtain on their newest attraction, the Iron Man Experience. The immersive virtual simulation puts visitors right in Tony Stark’s jet-powered shoes, offering mere mortals the chance to live like the first breakout Avenger. The ride begins as you wake up, a nasty hangover pounding like a bass drum inside your skull. You roll over in bed, where three messy-haired models peacefully slumber. Look down, and oh no — your failing heart is in danger of conking out yet again, better drag yourself across the floor to get a replacement before cardiovascular stress ends your life. What fun!
No, the actual Iron Man Experience doesn’t get quite so real, instead placing audiences in a flying car called an “Iron Wing” designed to look like one of Stark’s supersuits and allowing them to fly alongside Iron Man himself. Forty-five visitors load into a single Iron Wing at a time, and what’s supposed to be a routine flight with ol’ Shellhead around the sights of Hong Kong soon turns perilous when H.Y.D.R.A. terrorist agents attack. Will Iron Man and his busload of liabilities save the day, or will the forces of evil wipe them all out? Probably that second one, or else Hong Kong Disneyland’s looking at a whole mess of fun lawsuits. The same issue sucked a lot of the suspense out of the similar-sounding Spider-Man Adventure at Universal Studios in Florida, but such is par for the course on thrill rides.
In a video on Facebook, Stan Lee and the engineers behind the magic explain how the ride will work and what visitors should expect when they sign on for the Iron Man Experience. Take a look, and begin googling low-cost flights to China at will. (Here’s a fun travel hack: save on ticket prices by stowing away in the cargo hold of a freighter plane!)