News 'Beyond Big Thunder Mountain' Blue Sky concept revealed for Magic Kingdom

[Villains0501]

Umm... actually...

Mal1 got only fair to good reviews and made not too much at the B.O.

Mal2 got poor reviews and lost a bit at the B.O.

Cruella got good reviews and because of the day and date release on D+, we'll never know how well it did between the international B.O. and the premium fee on D+.

But apparently Cruella did well enough to warrant greenlighting a sequel with Emma Stone on board. But, I've not heard of any movement on making this happen.

I think the very existence of a Maleficent 2 is proof of the *modest enough* success of Maleficent 1 that Disney felt comfortable investing in the property a second time.

I'm not saying these movies did gangbusters at the B.O. Nor are they very good -- although Cruella is easily the best of the three.

But live-action movies based on Disney Villains is something I never thought I'd see. They've clearly moved into the mainstream. Although I'd argue a character like Cruella has had high visibility with the general public since 1996 at the latest, with the Glenn Close film.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I wouldn't want a live action focused Villains land. It'd have to be the animated villains or I'm not interested in the Imagineers doing it.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I wouldn't want a live action focused Villains land. It'd have to be the animated villains or I'm not interested in the Imagineers doing it.

There isn't even enough of the live action Villains to anchor the land and I don't think they'd mix them stylistically. I think what people were saying is that the villains are very popular and that films like Maleficent have proved that.

 

[drizgirl]

I think the very existence of a Maleficent 2 is proof of the *modest enough* success of Maleficent 1 that Disney felt comfortable investing in the property a second time.

I view it as proof that Disney is creatively bankrupt.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Required:
Evil Queen/Hag
Hook
Malnificent
Cruella
Ursula
Jafar
Hades
Dr Faciller

Highly suggested:
Churnabog
Pinocchio Villains
Queen of Hearts
The Nightmare Before Christmas Crew
Frollo
Capt Gantu
Hans
Ducktales Villains
Peg Leg Pete
Mad Doctor

Scar and Gaston should be some other "required" villains for the Villains land.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I wonder if that means that they're interested in doing the Villains Land before Coco/Encanto.

That would be odd, given how hard they've pushed Encanto and Coco of late...

But perhaps a combination of several factors already mentioned (including Universal building an equivalent land in Orlando) made them want to reassure people that it was seriously being considered and not just empty blue sky bait.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I view it as proof that Disney is creatively bankrupt.

I mean, even if that were the case (and these days you could certainly argue it is), they still wouldn't throw good money after bad by spending money on a sequel if the first one hadn't made them enough money. Especially with a salary like Angelina Jolie's to pay.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

I want Fantasmic the ride essentially, mainly all the villains teaming up to try and topple the Magic Kingdom. I think that a full NBC ride would be great too.

This, and a dark ride where you leave the van Tassel’s Halloween party and are set upon by the Headless Horseman.

 

[DavidDL]

This, and a dark ride where you leave the van Tassel’s Halloween party and are set upon by the Headless Horseman.

This sounds like a great idea for a Fantasyland-style dark ride. Maybe as a sort of spiritual successor to Snow White’s Scary Adventures? You begin at the party and are essentially chased through the woods for the duration of the experience sort of like before.

Admittedly this would make more sense in Liberty Square.. but gosh, that’s a fun idea! You’d probably not get as many complaints as Snow White did too because parents would know going in that this isn’t “the Snow White ride”. It’s a Headless Horseman ride.

 

[doctornick]

That would be odd, given how hard they've pushed Encanto and Coco of late...

Unless they have shifted gears, I think part of the reason they are pushing for both Encanto and Coco - beyond that they are quite popular - is as part of their inclusivity work. It isn't surprising to me that they want to have some Latino presence in the world's most visited theme park.

 

[DavidDL]

Even though both Coco and Encanto both technically feel like they can work in MK (given the nature of the park) and assuming they’re going to move forward with both in same way in the parks, I think Coco should go to the Mexico Pavilion and Encanto should be a candidate for MK. I’ll beat the same dead horse others have and say the boat ride in Mexico really needs the help.

Also, even though there’s magic present in both stories, I just feel like Encanto’s fits better into MK? Am I crazy? Maybe it’s just because they keep bringing up the literal “magic” over and over in the film and that just feels like a very Magic Kingdom thing to do.

 

[Touchdown]

Scar and Gaston should be some other "required" villains for the Villains land.

Gaeston has his pub already though and Scar is a lion, hard to mesh in with humans and other bipedals.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Even though both Coco and Encanto both technically feel like they can work in MK (given the nature of the park) and assuming they’re going to move forward with both in same way in the parks, I think Coco should go to the Mexico Pavilion and Encanto should be a candidate for MK. I’ll beat the same dead horse others have and say the boat ride in Mexico really needs the help.

Also, even though there’s magic present in both stories, I just feel like Encanto’s fits better into MK? Am I crazy? Maybe it’s just because they keep bringing up the literal “magic” over and over in the film and that just feels like a very Magic Kingdom thing to do.

Coco should not go into the Mexico pavilion.

 

[DavidDL]

Coco should not go into the Mexico pavilion.

Isn’t it sort of already halfway there, though? What with all the merch they sell and that Day of the Dead exhibit they keep around in the lobby?

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Isn’t it sort of already halfway there, though? What with all the merch they sell and that Day of the Dead exhibit they keep around in the lobby?

Not on the grounds that Coco as an IP shouldn't go to the Mexico pavilion. The pavilion can't handle the demand of a Coco attraction. Also I think Coco should get a brand new attraction, not a rethemed Gran Fiest.

 

[DavidDL]

Not on the grounds that Coco as an IP shouldn't go to the Mexico pavilion. The pavilion can't handle the demand of a Coco attraction. Also I think Coco should get a brand new attraction, not a rethemed Gran Fiest.

You do have a point regarding the current infrastructure of the pavilion and how to manage the massive lines a ride like that would bring in.

Last time we were there, I found myself asking how the heck they would manage so many people or a line like that inside and the only thing I could come up with was breaking the line in half with Cast Members being forced to ferry Guests between points, with the outdoor portion heading out the sliding door on the right of the pavilion and some kind of massive switchback taking over the current Donald meet n’ greet alleyway outside.

 

[Villains0501]

I wouldn't want a live action focused Villains land. It'd have to be the animated villains or I'm not interested in the Imagineers doing it.

I don’t imagine it will be, if it ever comes to fruition. I think they'd stick to the animated iterations of the villains. And hopefully keep it to the really great ones, so ideally no Hans, no Bellwether, none of these silly twist villains that make little impact. Give me the Queen, Maleficent, Ursula, etc.

Who would you guys want to have a ride in a Villains Land? Maleficent & Chernobog are obvious choices. Maleficent would probably be the mascot for the land.

I'd love to see Oogie Boogie get a ride. I've always been jealous of the Nightmare retheme of Haunted Mansion. A full on Nightmare ride at WDW would make me so happy.

A Jafar centered thrill ride in the Cave of Wonders would be amazing too. It's insane that Aladdin doesn't have any major rides; the flying Carpets are cheap & a boring use of that series.

Dr Facillier would be my next choice but there's no way we get two Princess & The Frog rides lol. I think they should try to avoid series that already have a ride in Magic Kingdom in general. Spread the love! Atleast for rides.

I'd imagine some type of E-ticket the combines multiple villains in one attraction, maybe with a cameo from a couple heroes woven in. Sort of like Fantasmic! the ride. Likely setting it in either Maleficent's castle or Bald Mountain, and making that the physical weenie of the land.

Not sure what would work as a secondary attraction. Probably an Ursula spinner, but I'd prefer a Cruella car chase dark ride, similar in energy to Mr. Toad.

I think though that if Disney really wanted to do it right, they could easily create a Diagon Alley-esque villain space, a spooky village with gnarly trees, windy paths, and even an animatronic dragon of a certain disgruntled fairy. Throw in a character meal/permanent meet and greet space, and you have a robust land right there.

 

[Bocabear]

I don’t imagine it will be, if it ever comes to fruition. I think they'd stick to the animated iterations of the villains. And hopefully keep it to the really great ones, so ideally no Hans, no Bellwether, none of these silly twist villains that make little impact. Give me the Queen, Maleficent, Ursula, etc.



I'd imagine some type of E-ticket the combines multiple villains in one attraction, maybe with a cameo from a couple heroes woven in. Sort of like Fantasmic! the ride. Likely setting it in either Maleficent's castle or Bald Mountain, and making that the physical weenie of the land.

Not sure what would work as a secondary attraction. Probably an Ursula spinner, but I'd prefer a Cruella car chase dark ride, similar in energy to Mr. Toad.

I think though that if Disney really wanted to do it right, they could easily create a Diagon Alley-esque villain space, a spooky village with gnarly trees, windy paths, and even an animatronic dragon of a certain disgruntled fairy. Throw in a character meal/permanent meet and greet space, and you have a robust land right there.

I love those ideas...They could totally do that just beyond the Haunted Mansion...the dark side of the Magic Kingdom....
Coco definitely belongs in EPCOT and honestly Encanto would fit there too if they created South American pavilion between Germany and Coke outpost.
Magic Kingdom beyond Thunder Mountain would be a stretch going from New Orleans Splash, American Southwest for Big Thunder, then the Colombian Jungle? it would be an odd transition....Especially if you were on the train ride....

 

[Villains0501]

I love those ideas...They could totally do that just beyond the Haunted Mansion...the dark side of the Magic Kingdom....
Coco definitely belongs in EPCOT and honestly Encanto would fit there too if they created South American pavilion between Germany and Coke outpost.
Magic Kingdom beyond Thunder Mountain would be a stretch going from New Orleans Splash, American Southwest for Big Thunder, then the Colombian Jungle? it would be an odd transition....Especially if you were on the train ride....

The way they're packaging the presentation of all these disparate IP together feels...inelegant, to say the least. Like they're throwing out a bunch of ideas and seeing what sticks...which is actually exactly what they're doing.

I feel like that's fine for blue sky concept meetings behind the scenes, but it's strange that they've decided to include the public at what feels like a very early stage in this creative process.

Assuming any of this gets built, I hope they're able to navigate the tonal transitions between these lands/mini-lands(?). I think they still sometimes know how to do that. Faint praise for sure.

 

[Sorcerer Mickey]

I think the very existence of a Maleficent 2 is proof of the *modest enough* success of Maleficent 1 that Disney felt comfortable investing in the property a second time.

I'm not saying these movies did gangbusters at the B.O. Nor are they very good -- although Cruella is easily the best of the three.

But live-action movies based on Disney Villains is something I never thought I'd see. They've clearly moved into the mainstream. Although I'd argue a character like Cruella has had high visibility with the general public since 1996 at the latest, with the Glenn Close film.

Maleficent 1 made $750m+ at the global BO.