DHS New Villains Show Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Summer 2025

[Disney Analyst]

For me, concept is “Villains competing for the title of most ‘misunderstood’ in a camp musical show”, whereas execution is how effectively, and on what scale, that idea is pulled off. I personally like the concept a lot.

I wonder if some of the criticism could be resolved for a contest of the most villainous?

I understood the misunderstood angle, it’s campy, and ironic, showing the delusion of the villains.

 

[Andrew C]

Just adding some background dancers would go a long way. More energy on stage.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

It comes across that way to you, perhaps, but I have repeatedly said that I am specifically talking about my family. I think that taking this tack of glorifying Villains is a shortsighted and wrong-headed means of utilizing the characters, but I'm not being judgmental in saying that. I think it's much more effective to have Villains be Villainous.

They should have put Edgar in the show! Poor guy just wanted some money Every Villain with a speaking role in this show (again, with the exception of Captain Hook) is legitimately evil, and I wouldn't be comfortable applauding for.

PotC is (especially now) a sanitized version of what pirates are (and most kid-focused pirate media is as well). When kids want to play pirate, they don't pretend to kidnap women and hold them for ransom (or anything else like that). They have swordfights and search for buried treasure.

How do you sanitize Cruella De Vil in the same way? Maleficent? They went with who is most popular, but not with who makes the most sense for a show about "misunderstood" Villains. Those two are not misunderstood; they're just evil.

Um in the version so many want back they were selling brides and chased woman, even having one hiding behind a guy talking about what he was gonna do with her….

 

[EagleScout610]

I hear that they moved a trash can an inch at MK

Let's go live to our Insider reaction-

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

…not a particularly impressive effort

Take THAT,Comcast!!

 

[LittleBuford]

Um in the version so many want back they were selling brides and chased woman, even having one hiding behind a guy talking about what he was gonna do with her….

Let’s not forget the girl hiding in the barrel from the pirate who had stolen her petticoat.

 

[eddie104]

That's all I took this as a replacement for. It replaced a single animatronic show.

If this was what replaced the BatB production on that stage I'd be confused.

Exactly how I feel.

I understand a lot of posters here were expecting more but I feel like we got exactly what was advertised.

The main attraction was the production not so much the performances. Another area for families to relax for 15 minutes is always a good thing.

If improvements can be implemented that would be very much welcomed. More dancers and villains taking the stage would be nice.

 

[Splashin' Ryan]

Just meeting baseline expectations shouldn't be the goal for the largest amusement park operator in the world with TENS of billions in revenue every year though...

Nothing feels like it is raising the bar, nothing feels particularly interesting at all if we're being honest. It's a concept a pre-schooler could've easily come up with.

"well not everything they do has to raise the bar!" you say... well I say why not?? There is no legitimate limiting factor that will not allow them to make bigger and better things other than money.

Complacency and acceptance with getting the baseline for show production, entertainment, attraction remodels, rising ticket prices etc etc etc will only allow them to keep doing this. People are still going to swarm this show on opening day even if it was even less of a show than it already is.

Don't get me wrong I think the actual set deisgns for this and mermaid look great but as a show that moves the needle for themepark entertainment, it does nothing when it very easily could have.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Exactly how I feel.

I understand a lot of posters here were expecting more but I feel like we got exactly what was advertised.

The main attraction was the production not so much the performances. Another area for families to relax for 15 minutes is always a good thing.

If improvements can be implemented that would be very much welcomed. More dancers and villains taking the stage would be nice.

It's definitely fair that they didn't advertise more than this ... I just think with how much they have been promoting, the hand painted giant mural going up, the amount of technology int he staging, etc, at least to me it set the bar a bit higher than what this appears to be.

But it very well may serve it's function well and hope all who visit enjoy it

 

[Ayla]

Yes. I want to clarify that none of my issues are with the cast. They are doing a great job with what they were given. The acting is not the problem for me.

Quoting myself to say, for anyone that watches Hacks, Cruella reminds me of Mayor Jo.

 

[JD80]

Just meeting baseline expectations shouldn't be the goal for the largest amusement park operator in the world with TENS of billions in revenue every year though...

Nothing feels like it is raising the bar, nothing feels particularly interesting at all if we're being honest. It's a concept a pre-schooler could've easily come up with.

"well not everything they do has to raise the bar!" you say... well I say why not?? There is no legitimate limiting factor that will not allow them to make bigger and better things other than money.

Complacency and acceptance with getting the baseline for show production, entertainment, attraction remodels, rising ticket prices etc etc etc will only allow them to keep doing this. People are still going to swarm this show on opening day even if it was even less of a show than it already is.

Don't get me wrong I think the actual set deisgns for this and mermaid look great but as a show that moves the needle for themepark entertainment, it does nothing when it very easily could have.

Every single new thing at WDW can't be bar raising. Context matters, this production seems a 100x better than the last show. And the show was a replacement for an empty building

 

[mattpeto]

Every single new thing at WDW can't be bar raising. Context matters, this production seems a 100x better than the last show. And the show was a replacement for an empty building

Yep. And that sort of opinion is prob what killed off Mary Poppins.

We need more of A-B ticket rides or shows at DHS.

 

[Baloo124]

Only one villain was misunderstood and had good intentions at the core... Thanos.
I can guarantee you, soon after he made the snap, rents and cost of living became affordable again in Cali and NYC.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Yep. And that sort of opinion is prob what killed off Mary Poppins.

What probably killed off the Mary Poppins ride was the cost/benefit ratio of having a fully enclosed ride with themed indoor queue and exterior facade, that was just a low capacity flat ride.

Compare that with what is being added to Disney Studios Paris now. Two flat rides, one the same teacup spinner as Poppins, but neither are completely indoors and have much simpler covered queues.

 

[Tori]

Are the personal mics they're wearing to sell the illusion that they're *not* lip-syncing??

Hook is the only one singing live. All three talk on the mic.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Hook is the only one singing live. All three talk on the mic.

Not sure if this random fun fact has already been shared but Hook is Sage from All Ears.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Every single new thing at WDW can't be bar raising. Context matters, this production seems a 100x better than the last show. And the show was a replacement for an empty building

It’s amazing how often “it was empty” is dropped as though Disney wasn’t already in charge of occupying the facility. That this isn’t a relatively new building that, like so many recent projects, was poorly sited thus making it more difficult to utilize.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Hey @The Mom isn't using laugh emojis in a derisive way against the TOS of this forum?

 

[Cliff]

Is this an attraction that you only go to see if you are already at the park?

Or, is this an attraction that you want to experience and "specifically" make the trip there to do it?

Example: When the new Test Track opens, I suspect I will travel to Orlando and buy a one-day Epcot ticket "specifically" to see it and will wait in a long line for it. This show, for me,...is not even close. It's only if I'm actually inside the park already and it's a walk-in with no wait. (I doubt there will ever be any wait for this)

 

[Chi84]

Is this an attraction that you only go to see if you are already at the park?

Or, is this an attraction that you want to experience and "specifically" make the trip there to do it?

Example: When the new Test Track opens, I suspect I will travel to Orlando and buy a one-day Epcot ticket "specifically" to see it and will wait in a long line for it. This show, for me,...is not even close. It's only if I'm actually inside the park already and it's a walk-in with no wait. (I doubt there will ever be any wait for this)

You think this is supposed to be on the level of Test Track?