Disneyland Debuts in Fortnite with “Game Rush” Island

California-based video game company Epic Games, Inc., and The Walt Disney Company collaborated to launch a new metaverse attraction within the Fortnite world. On Nov. 5, “Disneyland Game Rush,” a Fortnite Creative island, debuted, marking Disney Parks’ first-ever fully realised gameplay.

Under the collaboration, Fortnite will feature seven mini-games inspired by Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Additionally, the in-game island has musical elements, Disneyland Resort sites, and even a replica 70th anniversary sculpture modeled after Sleeping Beauty Castle. 

The limited-time experience celebrates Disneyland Resort’s anniversary with a metaverse push and IP extension strategy, building on Disney’s $1.5B equity stake in Epic Games, aiming to let players experience “the happiness of Disneyland Resort” within the Fortnite world.

What’s Inside “Disneyland Game Rush”

Fortnite users can get access to the Disneyland Game Rush by searching for “Disneyland Game Rush” or using a unique island code, 4617-4819-8826, and start playing. According to IGN, upon entering, players enter an esplanade designed to resemble the one situated between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. From there, players can explore the collection of seven quick-play mini-games.

All of the games feature actual attractions from Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, such as Haunted Mansion: Scavenger Haunt, Star Wars: Stormtrooper Showdown, Matterhorn: Slip-and-Climb, Indiana Jones: Tomb Runner, Space Mountain: Rocket Race, Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission: Sneak Out!, and WEB Slingers Spider-Bot Blaster. 

Players collect tokens and “Disneyland Keys” across zones, redeemable for island-exclusive cosmetics themed to the 70th anniversary celebration. The tokens can be used for cosmetics like Mickey Ears, Hatbox Ghost Back Bling, and the head of a Disneyland 70th-themed R2-D2, and each Disneyland key can be used to unlock the golden version of these cosmetics.

The experience is accessible globally via Fortnite Creative, though it is framed as a limited-time event to increase scarcity-driven event status.

Monetization and Brand Ecosystem

The Game Rush island is a way for Disney to transform its rich intellectual property (IP) into virtual experiences rather than solely relying on physical parks or films. The move follows a current industry trend, where prominent brands use a cross-media branding strategy, targeting netizens, to retain engagement.

Disney’s $1.5B investment in Epic Games, announced in February 2024, underlined the company’s goal to create a persistent, cross-platform entertainment universe that combines Disney-owned intellectual property (Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar) with Fortnite's live service and creative economy.

Earlier this year, the two businesses collaborated to launch a “Star Wars-themed” season, "Galactic Battle‘ in Fortnite. On Nov. 1, Fortnite launched a month-long battle-royale season featuring “The Simpsons,” signalling deeper ecosystem integration before launching the Disneyland Game Rush season. 

With Fortnite’s Disneyland Game Rush debut, Disney can leverage Fortnite’s global player pipeline (on average, 30 million users daily) to test its metaverse strategy in virtual spaces. Many gaming IP projects, such as Falcon Beyond’s Cyberpunk project and the “Super Nintendo World” park, aim to bring the gaming world to reality through physical experiences. However, Disney took a way around; with Disneyland Game Rush, a theme-park IP enters an established live-service game.