Size matters: A sneak peek inside Disney HK’S new Ant-man and The Wasp ride

HONG KONG — Paul Rudd (Ant-Man himself) got onstage at Hong Kong Disneyland’s Storybook Theater with director Peyton Reed last March 28 to launch the park’s latest attraction, Ant-Man and Wasp: Nano Battle, but also to engage in some goofy banter.

Paul: “Guess what, Peyton? I finally impressed my kids.”

Peyton: “Wait, they weren’t impressed that you were a star of your own movie? Or that you’re now an Avenger?”

Paul: “Uh, no. Couldn’t care less. But now that I’m an attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland? My kids finally think I’m cool.”

Local kids go all-in wearing new Ant-Man and The Wasp costumes. Photo by Juancarlo Gonzales

Underlying that goofiness is a kernel of truth: opening a new Disney ride in Hong Kong is now a huuuge deal  — huge enough to lure big Hollywood names halfway around the globe.

Especially when it’s a spin-off of last year’s big hit, Ant-Man and The Wasp. The synergy between Disney and its Asian market is important enough for Rudd, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, Ant-Man director Reed, Disney and Marvel executives to arrive here, along with local HK officials, to talk up this latest addition to Marvel’s expanding park ride universe.

What’s all the fuss? Well, Marvel now has a nice bit of turf inside Hong Kong Disneyland’s Tomorrowland: there’s the Stark Expo Pavilion, with its merch store, plus Iron Man Experience, which opened in 2017 to rave reviews. Next to that is the new Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle ride. Both attractions are unique in that they feature actual Hong Kong locales or acting talent (local actress Jessica Hsuan) during the ride experience.

So how is the new ride? Over 1,000 guests — including press, superfans, Hollywood talent and local public officials — got a chance to preview it two days before the public opening, and it’s definitely a blast: more of a shoot-’em-up than a motion-simulator like Iron Man Experience, it recalls Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, where you shoot arcade targets from moving cars.

Inside the Data Core, visitors get to shoot Swarmbot targets with EMP Blasters to rack up points.

But, in this nerd gamer’s grown-up, slick, sophisticated version of that, things get seriously twisted around: after an introduction video with snarky asides between Iron-Man, Scott Lang and Hope Pym (Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, reprising their roles from the film), and newcomer Leslie Lam (Hsuan), guests take a seat in the new D/AGR attack vehicle and pick up an EMP Blaster. They’re enlisted to help Ant-Man defeat evil Arnim Zola and his army of Swarmbots before they infest the S.H.I.E.L.D. Pavilion and destroy the Data Core. As the motion ride progresses, you’re zapping various gold targets of different sizes for big points — pyew! pyew! pyew! — then things get really interesting: Ant-Man and The Wasp need the guests to shrink down to ant-size and destroy the Swarmbots from within.

The ride suddenly sends us down inside a new interior universe of pneumatic tubing, cooling fans, CPUs and circuit boards until you reach the Data Core room, where the Swarmbots have converged into a massive Hivebot. Shrunk down inside, you try to reach the nerve center as the game continues — blasting more targets and, probably, mentally computing your score for later bragging rights with your friends. 

Gamers will love this richly detailed ride for the sheer interactive quality. According to our press pack, “The ride combines cutting-edge scenic technology, visual effects and a brand-new, state-of-the-art gaming system to deliver a media-rich immersive experience.” You’re also using a brand-new weapon — the EMP Blaster — that is very responsive to that trigger finger. The angles of attack along the ride are challenging and often hidden until the last moment. It takes mad skills to rank high in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle. (Top scores for opening day, we heard, reached close to half a million.)

Evangeline Lilly appeared via video message with behind-the-scenes images from shooting the Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle ride.

Top-secret facility

The new attraction clearly steers Hong Kong’s Tomorrowland into a more Marvel-heavy direction. Iron Man Experience set its motion-simulation-enhanced storyline in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Island (apparently, that’s where Tony Stark chose to set up his new Asian headquarters, maybe because the property values are sky-high), so local guests had fun spotting specific business towers, streets and Central Harbour sites as Iron Man careened the motion ride across Hong Kong cityscapes in hot pursuit of Hydra.

The kicker is that Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle is a sequel of sorts. According to the storyline, while Iron Man is busy with Hydra (cliffhanger!), Ant-Man and The Wasp are called in to go after Zola and his Swarmbots. (Though it’s somewhat harder to spot specific HK locales in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle because you’re mostly inside a Data Core.)

Fire when ready: (from left) Marvel president Kevin Feige, director Peyton Reed, HK actress Jessica Hsuan and Paul Rudd take up their EMP Blasters.

Before the official ride launch, we spent the previous night having a “Heroic Encounter with Iron Man,” part of the elaborate Iron Man Tech Showcase — in which actual park technology is so advanced, it almost matches that of the fictional Stark Industries. Take the real-life Tony Stark/Iron Man we encountered during a photo op: this character actor apparently employed a voice-simulator to transform his spontaneous interactions with guests into Robert Downey Jr.’s voice. Isn’t technology amazing?

We also took a tour of a top-secret testing facility below the Iron Man Experience ride (no photos allowed), stopping at a Stan Lee tribute wall before checking out the actual motion simulator beneath the ride known as Advanced Technology Leisure Application Simulator (ATLAS) in action. It’s amazing: apparently robot-operated (think Jarvis), capable of delivering precise, subtle motions — hovering, swooping, rearing back and diving down at heights of 30 feet and sideways 25 feet. It’s the reason motion-simulation rides like Iron Man Experience are so breathtaking.

Of course, merchandise is another huge attraction for Marvel fans, and the Stark Expo offers a galaxy of MCU items, many of them exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland (some 40 new, exclusive items alone were revealed in the Ant-Man and The Wasp Pavilion, everything from seriously cute costumes for kids to Tomy Matchbox-sized Ant-Man figures, to cool fashion tees, polos and caps.)

Some 40 cool, exclusive new items were unveiled at HKDL for the launch of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle attraction.

Summer’s here, after all, and for those planning to flock to Hong Kong Disneyland again and again, there’s a whole roster of food items (Toy Story 4-themed sweets and drinks), attractions (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for princess makeovers at castle area; Pixar Water Play Street Party to cool guests down with water squirters), and theme-party ideas (birthday, anniversary and Moana-themed rooms available at upgrade rates at Explorers Lodge, Hotel Hotel and Disneyland Hotel) that will keep summer fresh.

And if you’re really looking for a new summer thrill, try getting small like Ant-Man. You’re bound to get back in line again and again. And your kids will think you’re cool.