is finally open at the Disneyland Resort’s Disney California Adventure. With a new ride, plenty of character experiences, and a long list of foods to try, it should keep anyone visiting pretty busy for the duration of their stay. For eagle-eyed Marvel fans, though, there’s a whole other layer of immersion thanks to a surprising amount of Easter eggs hidden throughout the land.
Obviously, when it comes to Marvel, you expect hidden references to various corners of the universe. At Avengers Campus, though, everywhere you look there is probably a secret nod to something–and not even just other Marvel characters.
The land is filled with a variety of Easter eggs referencing MCU movies, but also Pixar and Disney movies, as well as retired Disney theme park rides and experiences. There are so many, in fact, that it would be nearly impossible to catalog them all unless you had the land to yourself for months on and to go over every inch with a microscope.
GameSpot sadly didn’t have months. However, we did get the chance to visit the expansion during a media preview and were able to find a number of well-hidden and very fun Easter eggs. Take a look at the 15 best we could find below. Then, when you visit Avengers Campus yourself, let us know in the comments what your favorites are.
Avengers Campus is open now at Disney California Adventure.
1. An Avengers-sized snack
The Shawarma cart in Avengers Campus is an Easter egg unto itself, nodding back to the post-credits meal the heroes enjoyed in the first Avengers film. However, the cart is also covered in newspaper clippings, notes, and photos referencing a number of things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so study it carefully.
2. Damage Control
Spread around Avengers Campus are crates marked “Damage Control.” That, of course, is a group referenced in both Agents of SHIELD and Spider-Man: Homecoming–they’re the government operatives that arrive to clear up the alien wreckage at the beginning of the movie.
3. Miles Morales
Though he’s yet to appear in the MCU, Miles Morales is one of the most popular Marvel characters around these days (thanks to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). And he’s also a student at the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (WEB), which is home to the new Spider-Man ride, it turns out. On the side of the WEB Slingers building is a massive piece of graffiti with Miles’ tag on it.
4. Remnants of SSR
There is a story behind Avengers Campus. In the land’s canon, the location was originally a Stark Industries complex that also happened to serve as a base of operations for the Strategic Scientific Reserve. The SSR was a precursor to SHIELD that was created to battle HYDRA and included members like Howard Stark, Peggy Carter, and Edwin Jarvis. While the SSR is long gone, you’ll still see some of their markings left on buildings if you’re paying close enough attention.
5. The parking spots
There are a few places around the campus still marked from the compound’s SSR days, including parking spaces for Peggy, Howard, and Jarvis. You’ll have to go out of your way to find them, though.
6. A claw machine stuffed with Easter eggs
In the pre-show area for WEB Slingers, there’s a claw machine on the left side of the room. In it are a number of Easter eggs, including a Captain Marvel Funko Pop, a Big Hero Six Baymax toy, a tiny green alien from Toy Story, and a pair of 3D glasses from It’s Tough to Be a Bug, the primary attraction from A Bug’s Land–which was closed in 2018 to make room for Avengers Campus.
7. The LEGO Death Star
Also in the pre-show, you may notice a LEGO Death Star on a shelf. In theory, that’s the same one Peter and Ned were building in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
8. These WEB kids look familiar
You may also recognize some of the WEB kids working on WEB Slingers. Obviously, Peter Parker is involved. However, you can also see that Harley Keener (the kid from Iron Man 3) is there, along with some new (but very familiar) characters. In the comics, Lunella Lafayette is Moon Girl, Doreen Green is Squirrel Girl, and Onome is a child prodigy from Wakanda who became a member of the Future Foundation. All of the characters also appear in the ride’s pre-show.
9. Squirrel Girl’s bike
Since they are students there, it should come as no surprise that their belongings are also laying around. One of the more notable touches is Squirrel Girl’s bike–complete with an acorn-shaped bag–in the bike rack.
10. Harley’s potato gun shenanigans
In Iron Man 3, Harley showed Tony a super-powered potato gun he built. Evidently, he hasn’t given up on his favorite invention and it’s dangerous enough to warrant a sign in the WEB Slingers line queue.
11. Very colorful lockers
Elsewhere in the queue, you’ll see a collection of WEB student lockers–many of which belong to a variety of Marvel characters. Among the kids at WEB are the aforementioned Miles Morales, America Chavez (Miss America), Harley Keener, and so many more.
12. Some clever cleaning supplies
Even the cleaning supplies in WEB Slingers are Easter eggs. There are nods to characters Monkey Joe, Wal Rus, and Goom. Our favorite, though, is the can that says WDI 1401. This is a reference to Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), with 1401 representing the group’s office address, 1401 Flower Street, Glendale, Ca.
13. A Hawkeye Easter egg
Hawkeye hasn’t even premiered yet, but there is a nod to the series. As you leave WEB Slingers, check out the sticker above the exit door. Lucky Dog’s Pizza is a reference to Clint Barton’s dog Lucky, who will be seen in the series.
14. A nod to California Adventure’s past
When getting your condiments at Pym test Kitchen, don’t forget to look up at the giant-sized ketchup and mustard bottles hanging from the ceiling. They are labeled Bountiful Valley Farms, which is a reference to a farming area in the original iteration of Disney California Adventure. It was closed to make way for A Bug’s Land, which itself was demolished to build Avengers Campus.
15. The Incredible Hulk Tree
We saved the best for last. This particular Easter egg was actually pointed out to GameSpot by a member of Walt Disney Imagineering. The Incredible Hulk tree is on the side of the WEB Slingers building. It’s a massive tree compared to those around it and if you look behind it, you’ll see why. There are gamma radiation pipes on the side of the WEB building, seemingly dumping the substance into the soil. While the young geniuses polluting the soil in Avengers Campus is probably not the best idea, it has resulted in one gigantic tree.
