Disney finally gave us some answers on the Avengers Campus expansion at Disney California Adventure! At D23's Horizons showcase on August 15, 2026, they confirmed both new attractions, Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab, will open in 2028. When they're done, the land will be TWICE as big as it is right now, and it'll reconnect with Cars Land. John Stamos and Walt Disney Imagineer Brent Strong made the announcement with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige on stage ([Disney Parks Blog]).
Avengers Infinity Defense: Recruits assemble
Avengers Infinity Defense is the E-ticket headliner of this whole expansion, a dark ride that drops you right into the middle of a multiverse conflict ([ABC News]). You start with a pre-mission briefing from Ms. Marvel, with Iman Vellani back in her MCU role, before you have to reassemble the Avengers to take on King Thanos, a variant from a reality where the villain actually won. The ride travels through Asgard and Wakanda, then New York City. It blends huge physical sets with screen scenes. ([ABC News]). Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) all reprise their roles ([Marvel.com]).
Stark Flight Lab: Train like an Avenger
Stark Flight Lab is the one we're most curious about, honestly. It puts riders in two-person gyro-kinetic pods that travel along a track and then attach to a robotic arm, and each arm gets its own personality, in the spirit of DUM-E from the Iron Man films ([Wikipedia]). Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Mackie act as your flight instructors, with Brie Larson's Captain Marvel joining them. Brent Strong told the crowd, "Together, they will be your flight instructors as you discover what it's like to train like an Avenger" ([Marvel.com]).
What changes on the ground
If you've been near the park lately, you've likely already seen the changes.
- The walkway between Cars Land and Avengers Campus, which has been closed for months during construction, reopens "soon" ([Mickey Visit]).
- Site work has gone vertical ([Disney Tourist Blog]).
- This expansion is the resort's stated first priority, ahead of the Coco attraction and the Tomorrowland reimagining ([Magic Tips]).
- Both rides will join a land that already hosts Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure ([Mickey Visit]).
- The resort also plans to build a future Avatar-inspired area over in the Hollywood Land corner ([Los Angeles Times]).
What Disney didn't say
Disney gave us only an opening year.
- No month or season was named for 2028.
- There were no ride stats, no vehicle capacity, no manufacturer details, and no closures of any existing attractions.
The exact shape of the Cars Land reconnection is still waiting for a future reveal.