Disney Parks Celebrates ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ With The New Black Panther & M’Baku At The Avengers Campus
The Disneyland Resort is a magical place that has something for everybody. With the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the holidays are getting even geekier at the Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure. Geeks of Color was recently invited by Disney Parks to check out its Black Panther: Wakanda Forever celebration, try the flavors of Wakanda, and see all the fandom holiday gift offerings.
One of the newest additions to Disneyland is Lord M’Baku making his debut in the parks. We had a chance to speak with creative director Michael Serna about the new additions to the campus.
When asked about bringing M’Baku to Avengers Campus, Serna said, “I loved M’Baku in the first film. We had brought in general Okoye and the Dora Milaje, and I thought, ‘What’s a balance to that? What kind of energy is different?’ And M’Baku was such a giant figure in the first film. I basically went back to the studio and said, ‘So, what do you think about us doing this?’ And they said, ‘Yes, 100%.’ When I saw the movie, I went, ‘Ohhhh, I see why they really were on board with it.’”
With this appearance, Serna said, “We wanted to get to the spirit of why the Jabari are the way they are. So it will give you some of that experience of what it is about the Jabari tribe and what is their importance. Whereas the Dora Milaje experience is about how you have inner strength as an individual, the Jabari is more about how are you stronger as a group? How does a family and tribe make you powerful? And how does that group aspect make you sort of a superhero in your own way?”
Serna continued, “The way we look at Avengers Campus, the multiverse is a big part of what we think about. Where the films are headed is exciting to us because anything can happen — three Spider-Men may converge in one world! — and we look at that as an opportunity for us. And I do think what we really want is Avengers Campus to be a surprising place where it’s never expected that I show up one o’clock and a [specific] thing is going to happen. I show up at one o’clock and ten things might happen. We really want to make that kind of a fun surprise for our guests, because that’s the world from the comic books and the movies.”
There is also an area designated as The Black Panther Celebration Garden, which features a large panther statue head and pillars covered in Wakandan script to honor the late Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa. Serna hinted at what the four pillars surrounding the Panther head statue were, allowing us to realize they said T’Challa, Shuri, Ramonda, and T’Chaka. You might even see a light show depending on the time you go.
At the parks, you’ll also find the Flavors of Wakanda marketplace located in the Hollywood Backlot. You can enjoy flavorful, spiced traditional African dishes and experience the vibrant culture of Wakanda through its food. Wakanda-inspired delicacies include the Peri-Peri chicken with yellow jollof rice, the butterfly pea tea lemonade, the Dawa beverage, consisting of vodka, lemonade, honey, ginger beer and butterfly pea tea, and maafe, a ground peanut stew with sweet potatoes, tomatoes, black-eyed peas and spices, served with naan. In addition, you’ll find new Wakanda Forever merch for sale, including t-shirts, bags, and Mickey Mouse ears.
The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever experiences and the Festival of Holidays are now underway at Disneyland Resort’s California Adventure Park and will conclude on January 8.
