The tallest building in Disney California Adventure Park houses a classic free-fall ride, but Guardians of the Galaxy–Mission: Breakout is also the home base for a distinct group of characters within Disneyland Resort: superheroes. The Marvel Comics-themed ride deftly combines a shriek-inducing drop with a pop music soundtrack and the cheeky characters of the Guardians of the Galaxy comic-book and movie series.
The 183-foot-high structure in the Hollywood Land section of the park used to be known as the Tower of Terror, which took riders into a haunted, Twilight Zone-themed adventure. But unlike its spooky predecessor, Mission: Breakout has an upbeat, even free-wheeling energy. (Even so, the ride is intense enough that it’s suggested for ages teen and up.)
The ride’s storyline follows Rocket (the mechanically minded raccoon Guardian) as he hatches a plan to liberate his fellow Guardians who have become trapped inside The Fortress, a museum of space creatures and oddities overseen by longtime comic-book villain The Collector.
As the ride begins, look for the various treasures in glass display cases that The Collector has already amassed in his bottom-floor museum—a rotating exhibit of Marvel-themed props and gizmos, like Chitauri blasters from the Guardians of the Galaxy series, or Asgardian weaponry of Thor or Avengers fame. Then, an elevator takes you up the tower, but as Rocket’s plan goes awry—in different ways—you end up in a freefall.
Fully experiencing Mission: Breakout, however, means riding it at least six times, since there are that many unique variations on Rocket’s escape scenarios—and each scenario gets its own catchy soundtrack (the Guardians’ leader, Star-Lord, has a passion for mixtapes). One ride experience might feature Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” and another, The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”
To keep the groove going, check out the “Awesome Dance Off” parties staged near the ride, where you can flaunt your moves and have meet-and-greets with characters like Groot, the lovable talking-tree Guardian.
