Disney Replacing The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror with a Guardians of the Galaxy Ride in Disney California Adventure

After months of rumors, Disney has confirmed that the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride in Disney California Adventure will be replaced by a new attraction based on the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and comics. The ride was announced earlier tonight at the Marvel Studios panel at the San Diego Comic Con, and it was subsequently confirmed on the Disney Parks Blog to be replacing Tower of Terror.

Disney also released a video with Imagineer Joe Rohde talking about the upcoming ride.

When rumors first started circulating about Disney replacing Tower of Terror with a Guardians ride, the majority of Disney fan sentiment was opposed to the idea. Beyond the fact that an outer space theme will clash with the 1930s Hollywood theme of the Hollywood Land area, it would mean the end of one of the most popular and most intricately designed attractions at the park.

It’s also been rumored that a Guardians attraction replacing Tower of Terror would be the first step in the creation of a larger Marvel-themed area at Disney California Adventure. That wasn’t addressed at the Marvel Studios panel, but Rohde mentions in that video that this ride will be “the first in what will become a whole new universe in Disney California Adventure.”

It was also announced at the Studios panel that Benicio del Toro will reprise his Guardians role as the Collector for Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. The ride will apparently open in 2017, so if you’re a Tower of Terror fan and worry you won’t be able to make it out to ride the original at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando any time soon, you might want to get to Disney California Adventure while you can. The Tower of Terror is scheduled to close in early 2017, according to the Disney Parks Blog.