Iron Man Experience Review

[HKDLFAN]

Hello everyone! So I had the pleasure of going to the ride today during its annual passholder (magic access) preview. Here is my review in bits and pieces:

The exterior:

Following the trend of small-scale ventures at HKDL, the exterior of Iron Man Experience is cool yet small. This doesn't concern me anymore since the park has been well established to feel this way (although with the upcoming mammoth expansion it all may change). This ride's stark tower building and shop expo change the aesthetics of tomorrowland from both within the land and outside. The expo shop and the stark tower are the most catchy visuals anyone will see when they reach the hub and look left towards the path leading to tomorrowland. They also tower over everything (now that Space Mountain is covered by trees from most angles other than from within the land) when you peek at tomorrowland from its Fantasyland or Main Street entrances. And at night the buildings are simply gorgeous. HKDL has the second best night lighting in its Tomorrowland after Shanghai.

The minimalistic and futuristic design of this area clashes with the retro and rather dated aesthetics of Astro Blasters. That ride needs to go.

The queue:

Probably the coolest queue at HKDL. The interior of the building has the arc energy beams pulsing throughout overhead and subwoofers hidden in the floors give the feeling that you are inside a reactor or power plant (in this case the arc reactor). The queue twists through several areas with big visuals of Stark Expos around the world and what the company has accomplished. The whole facility is sold as an educational/research oriented experience as if you are visiting the expo and are being treated by Tony Stark. The Star Tours queue is still better because it feels a lot more kinetic and "lifelike" with the droids working about.

The ride:

So the ride is good. It is not quite as good as Star Tours because the ride vehicle doesn't have an AA to drive it (so it's just a very basic simulator ride but in a Disney park) and there are also no real surprises in the ride. It's just that, a simple simulator that is done really incredibly well. The coolest thing about the ride though are it's crisp visuals and stunning 3D. The screen is far better than any of Disney's other simulators and the 3D effects are incredible. And also, the ride starts and ends literally at HKDL. So that was quite cool, flying above HKDL. And the fact that the whole ride isn't a clone and was well thought out is good. I appreciate that the imagineers reconstructed HK and wanted to deliver a unique experience. My main gripe other than a rather lifeless cabin is that the ride is just a touch too short. I've only been on it once so I may feel differently next time.

There Is also a Stan Lee cameo!!

Overall, It is a pretty good addition to HKDL. Nowhere near as impressive as Mystic Manor and probably not something a huge Disney fan would remember the most out of HKDL but it is a ride that HKDL desperately needs. Most importantly; it doesn't feel like a cheap ride like those in TSL.

Rating: 4/5 stars. Nothing as groundbreaking as Mystic Manor and doesn't have the repeat value of Star Tours 2.0 but it is great ride that makes HKDL a better park.

[HKDLFAN]

Also let me know if you have any questions!

[Mr. Wong]

Hello HKDLFAN, does the Iron Man Experience have different footages like Star Tours or is it just the same one for every flight and simulator?

[jcruise86]

Thank you, HKDLFAN! ! !

[whaleatcoast]

Let me just add a little bit about the ride. I have only been to Tokyo Disneyland other than HKDL so the only similar ride to compare is Star Tours in Japan. I think the ride system is rather stable than Star Tours. There are less feeling of drop, probably because of the the ride footage itself, not much dropping and the fictional vehicle is very stable as a public transport. Though there are no AAs controlling the vehicle but we still have J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI controlling the vehicle. Also, from the start of the waiting area until the end of the ride, there are full of Marvel/Ironman humor, I would give a really big thumbs up for that.

The waiting area is really detailed showing the history of Stark Industry and the latest technologies. All the details mentioned in the waiting area are closely related to the ride footage. Also there are at least 6 footages showing inside the waiting area, which probably needs to get into the queue multiple times to watch all of them as the queue is moving so so fast.

Also I had a chance to meet and greet with Ironman, and I would say that was the greatest meet and greet I have ever seen. That was not just a simple meet and greet, but also a short sketch. You would feel that you are really into the story.

[ree523]

I just returned from the annual passholder preview. Some trivials to add, the ride lasts about 5mins or less and each carbin can hold 45guests at a time. And there are 5 carbin in total. (225 guests at a time) The waiting time seems quite fast. And the plot is simply about Hydra wants to steal Star Tower's Arc Reactor, and Ironman fight back.

[Asa]

Ride video from Disney Magic Kingdom blog

*Edit: the video has been removed.

**Replaced with another video.

[hakjie11]

Just have been on the ride twice today (through registration magic access). The ride building is nice, a lot of details. The ride itself is really really too short. Its a Star Tours Makeover with Iron Man and HK background. But did you guys noticed the hangar-construction in which we land the vehicle after we return back to HKDL in the movie was similar to what they announced earlier as Marvel Expansion for HKDL in 2023. I think they are building the landing platform for real from the Iron Man ride.

[Mr. Wong]

The hanger in the ride is positioned on top of the Iron Man Experience show building, so I doubt it'll be part of the Marvel Extension. Also from the flight, the queue for Autopia can be easily seen. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is also there.

[Duyanh92]

Ive been to TDL's Star Tours only and I don't think this ride is attractive enough, except for the stunning queue. The ride vehicle is too small for a simulation. A Storm Rider's cabin is the one we need to see, with larger screen. However you said that it isn't as good as Star Tours. I will leave the rest when I see this in person. Hopefully the visual effects and screen resolution will make up for this.

[hakjie11]

Storm Rider is not bad..especially the weather effects, but it felt more like big Imax cinema room then a ride despite the good theming. I would say that the size of Star Tours and Iron Man vehicle felt more immersive as a ride due to its smaller size and the because the whole vehicle could be fully tilted in every direction and the interior felt like a real passenger airplane. As an adult there was at least 10 seconds I was immersed into believing that I was actually flying in a plane. I also liked that the 3D effect was not used too much, just a few good times here and there. If Universal was doing this, I am sure they would throw all kinds of 3D effects at you including Iron Man sitting on your lap to make you nauseous. I also think the queue building before the ride does make the ride complete and cooler. This part (excl. Harry Potter) has always been the weakness of Universal.

The screen resolution is close to real life when flying above Hong Kong, it tends to look a bit more CG when Iron Man is fighting the bad guys.

Iron Man ride was clearly not primary made for adults, more targeted to teenagers (even 5 years kids would enjoy it ) and parents can enjoy it with their kids. Its not a thrill ride for sure and it is a bit too short in my opinion.

However with the Iron Man ride, the park does feel a bit more complete.

[tanzirian]

Thanks for the review!

I'm glad the theming was well done. But the technology (minor updates aside) is 30 years old was never going to be a really big hit. The short wait times noted in the comments above are testament to this reality. I hope the proposed expansion comes to pass, that's what's needed for true uptick in attendance.

[Asa]

I hope the proposed expansion comes to pass, that's what's needed for true uptick in attendance.

That's only if the expansion uses state-of-the-art ride technology. Disney has not debut a ride with new technology for a rather long time. Universal is ahead of Disney in this aspect.

[hakjie11]

That's only if the expansion uses state-of-the-art ride technology. Disney has not debut a ride with new technology for a rather long time. Universal is ahead of Disney in this aspect.

I agree but I do like the Disney approach more, not overly depending on watching 3D screens like Universal does. When I go to a physical park, I want to experience 'mostly' physical rides. Not something which I can experience with a VR headset or big 3D screen. But in terms of mastering 3D screen rides, I do agree that Universal is way ahead of Disney.

[Asa]

I agree but I do like the Disney approach more, not overly depending on watching 3D screens like Universal does. When I go to a physical park, I want to experience 'mostly' physical rides. Not something which I can experience with a VR headset or big 3D screen. But in terms of mastering 3D screen rides, I do agree that Universal is way ahead of Disney.

It is not just about 3D screens, it is the ride vehicles. The Mommy ride is able to stop, spin around and go high speed or low speed; the Transformers/Spider-Man rides are able to spin around 360 degrees while going along a track and also travel in many directions. Disney doesn't have that.

[ree523]

I think the transformers/spiderman ride is literally incomparable to the disney star wars/ironman ride, they are totally two different things, just people (including me) think that the game would be as exciting as the universal rides and that's how people may get underwhelmed too.

Be honest, I think the ride is good but Disney could make the Stark expo and the Ironman ride much better than it is now. With due respect, I think the Stark Expo is a bit lame, even an exhibition (in museum) by LCSD would be more fabulous and interactive. The story to the ride is that simple and a bit dull. I wish I could see more Jarvis "humorous" line or some easter eggs or hidden someone in the footage, just like it movies did. (Please tell me if you find one, I mean anyone except Mr Stan Lee. I really want to know).

[hakjie11]

I think the transformers/spiderman ride is literally incomparable to the disney star wars/ironman ride, they are totally two different things, just people (including me) think that the game would be as exciting as the universal rides and that's how people may get underwhelmed too.

Be honest, I think the ride is good but Disney could make the Stark expo and the Ironman ride much better than it is now. With due respect, I think the Stark Expo is a bit lame, even an exhibition (in museum) by LCSD would be more fabulous and interactive. The story to the ride is that simple and a bit dull. I wish I could see more Jarvis "humorous" line or some easter eggs or hidden someone in the footage, just like it movies did. (Please tell me if you find one, I mean anyone except Mr Stan Lee. I really want to know).

Agree, yes Disney could have done much more with this ride. But they opted for the easy n safe way using old technology. I am not dissapointed because I didn't expect it to wow me. But for Disney fans who have experienced Star Tours a thousand times, this is nothing new besides the story and the building.

[MickeyHKP]

I don't understand why they didn't use a modified version of the Mission: Space Tech? That could make it feel like you're in your own Iron Man Suit. After coming from a great expansion track record (Toy Story Land non withstanding) this is kind of a disappointment. The show building is very uninspired, the theme clashes with the whole concept of "Tomorrowland", the ride is dull and essentially a boring rehash. Even the name wasn't thought through enough! "Iron Man Experience"? It's the laziest name they could've come up with. Definitely not worth the 2-3 year wait.

I personally don't like the new direction HKDL is going in with all these franchised mini-lands that are all very short term in hindsight (unlike Grizzly and Mystic, which could go on forever). I really hope they refresh this ride in the future because this is just disappointing.

[Asa]

I personally don't like the new direction HKDL is going in with all these franchised mini-lands that are all very short term in hindsight (unlike Grizzly and Mystic, which could go on forever). I really hope they refresh this ride in the future because this is just disappointing.

I also don't understand why "franchised mini-lands" cannot go on forever while non-franchised rides can?

Isn't Fantasyland entirely filled with franchised rides and stuff? It seems to be as popular as it has ever been, if not more popular than before.

[MickeyHKP]

I also don't understand why "franchised mini-lands" cannot go on forever while non-franchised rides can?

Isn't Fantasyland entirely filled with franchised rides and stuff? It seems to be as popular as it has ever been, if not more popular than before.

Fantasyland is fine and is a prime example of what Disney should be doing. Yes, there are rides based on franchises in Fantasyland but the ENTIRE fantasyland isn't themed to 1 specific franchise. This is what Disney should be doing as 1) It doesn't limit the creativity of attractions that could go in that land 2) the investment required to change a specific ride when/if a franchised ride stops being popular is significantly less than changing an entire LAND. If Frozen stops becoming popular in 20 years, Disney will have to invest a lot more in completely changing the story and theming of Frozen Land compared to if it was simply a ride.

I say that non-franchised attractions and lands can survive longer, and theoretically "forever", compared to franchised ones can as these original stories and themes aren't confined to a movie that goes by a specific story. For example, if Imagineers wanted to change Mystic Manor, they could very well make up a story as to why Lord Henry left and why this other person came in that could still fit in the "world" of Mystic Point. In franchised rides, however, you're limited by the scope and story of the movie it is based on. You wouldn't expect to see anyone other than Frozen characters in a Frozen land, and taking them out wouldn't make sense at all. This leaves Disney "trapped" in a way, with no other alternative other than to stick with the original franchise even if it becomes unpopular. This isn't the case with non-franchised areas. Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point could go on until HKDL closes without becoming stale because the imagineers could blue sky a multitude of stories for those particular settings. For frozen land, not as much.