MK Villains Land Announced for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

[DrStarlander]

Once again. from a theme park guest experience, what is the difference in the actual experience of Vader doing walk around interaction vs Kylo doing walk around interaction? Is one more playful? Do they give different energies and activities for guests to experience?

As someone who paid $200 to visit the park, what improvement or change am I experiencing by swapping out Kylo for Vader? What did that change for me, a theme park guest?

They are different characters. In one scenario you get to see and interact with Darth Vader. In the other, you are interacting with a derivative character that is essentially culturally irrelevant. I understand you and some people you know perhaps can't tell them apart but many (though I agree not all) other people can clearly tell them apart and have an entirely different emotional connection, for some (who can afford a $10,000 vacation) going back 50 years.

So if Disney has the rights to both, why not use the one that's more culturally resonant? Are you trying to save Disney a few thousand dollars making a Darth Vader costume?

I'll be interested in checking in on the merch in SWGE this summer to see how much we see Darth Vader on merch versus Kylo Ren. Because while we can debate this intellectually, Disney has the data and they know who is more resonant, and they will follow the money.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Once again. from a theme park guest experience, what is the difference in the actual experience of Vader doing walk around interaction vs Kylo doing walk around interaction? Is one more playful? Do they give different energies and activities for guests to experience?

As someone who paid $200 to visit the park, what improvement or change am I experiencing by swapping out Kylo for Vader? What did that change for me, a theme park guest?

(Excuse the typos, WDWmagic loves to have pop up ads appear over the text box every 15 seconds or so.)

I don’t think the issue is only about Vader, I think it extends to the land in general, where people would have liked to see more classic elements. Maybe a brief walkthrough attraction of Jaba’s lair, Ewok village, things like that.

To tie it back to Villains - that’s one worry I think we can definitely cross of the list for this land. There’s very little controversy over which villains to feature and the newer IPs rarely even have villains.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There’s very little controversy over which villains to feature and the newer IPs rarely even have villains.

True - when was the last really good Disney villain?

it’s obvious this land should highlight the classic Villians - Maleficent Captain Hook Cuella Ursula Scar etc.

 

[drkarcher22]

True - when was the last really good Disney villain?

it’s obvious this land should highlight the classic Villians - Maleficent Captain Hook Cuella Ursula Scar etc.

King candy is I’d argue really good and one of the few twist villains in that era that worked. Or Mother Gothel. The issue is both of those movies are nearly or over 15 years old

 

[Brer Oswald]

Is there a reason why the train ends early? Could this change if they expect more people potentially visiting Villains Land at night?

Fireworks I assume.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Fireworks I assume.

Trains cause pause and resume operations after fireworks.

And of course currently the train does not travel within the fallout zone.

 

[DisneyHead123]

True - when was the last really good Disney villain?

it’s obvious this land should highlight the classic Villians - Maleficent Captain Hook Cuella Ursula Scar etc.

Wish was supposed to be a response to requests for a classic villain, but since that was a box office disappointment doubt Magnifico will feature prominently (tried Googling the spelling of his name and had trouble even getting it to come up, the top results were for a Magnifico movie). I guess Moana 2 had Nalo but again, had to stop to Google the name and Nalo appears more as a force of nature than a personality. Hans was trying to pass as a nice guy so didn’t seem particularly villainous for most of the movie. Many other movies (Encanto, Luca, Soul, Turning Red, Inside Out, Elemental) didn’t have a true villain.

Thinking Mother Gothel and Ernesto de la Cruz were the last classic villains with a well defined villainous personality. (Although they aren’t as well known and agree villains land should focus on the classics.)

 

[ManicMillennial]

Multilevel Shanghai DL style boat ride?

The building can be multilevel without the ride being Multilevel.

Also, if you’re going to have a villain’s land with a ride centered around Maleficent it seems a waste to not have Maleficent‘a castle. We’ve seen plenty of castles with different things happening on each level. Many of the castles also have restaurants.

 

[gorillaball]

One last thing. I’m surprised/saddened that we are finally potentially getting a Florida version of SDL Pirates tech and 90% of the chatter is just about a roller coaster.

Honestly I think that’s just because it’s easier to measure against other coasters. Dark rides are harder to measure and often times you get zero information about then unless chosen to release that information.

I would surmise the base of this forum would take a 5 star dark ride over a 5 star coaster any day and twice in Tuesdays.

 

[Touchdown]

I don’t expect Disney to ever build a 5 star roller coaster. Doing so would require too high a minimum height and be too intense for the clientele. They can build a 4 star ride though, like Hagrids.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I don’t expect Disney to ever build a 5 star roller coaster.

What’s a 5 star coaster? If we are talking theme has anything beaten Big Thunder?

 

[Touchdown]

What’s a 5 star coaster? If we are talking theme has anything beaten Big Thunder?

Veliciocoaster is 5 stars. I haven’t been on Iron Gwazi, so that’s the only 5 star coaster in Florida. Stardust is really close but can’t stick the landing.

 

[CoasterCowboy67]

I wish the Shanghai Pirates tech had come to any park other than Magic Kingdom.

Villains Land is still bittersweet for me, because I love the idea of doing it, but am bummed it’s coming to a park that is already so impossible to experience in a day. DHS would have been so much better because it sorely needs the attractions, has the Fantasmic tie-in, and would have made a slightly darker and edgier theme a better fit for the target age of the park as a whole.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Veliciocoaster is 5 stars. I haven’t been on Iron Gwazi, so that’s the only 5 star coaster in Florida. Stardust is really close but can’t stick the landing.

Who's rating them? Michelin?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Veliciocoaster is 5 stars.

Why?

My favorite coaster for a coaster in Florida is probably Mako - but of course I don’t want a B&M hyper in MK.

 

[Touchdown]

Who's rating them? Michelin?

Me I thought that was obvious. But I’m a coaster enthusiast to be 5 stars you got to have many changes in forces, maintain your speed, be smooth and pretty much wow me on my first ride. I’m old, my 5 stars are full old favorites, because I’m biased. So if a new coaster gets a 5 star from me it’s phenomenal, only two I’ve done since Covid fall into that category, Veliciocoaster and Alpenfury up at Canadas Wonderland.

 

[James Alucobond]

If five stars require a hideous twist of steel on the skyline, count me out.

 

[Touchdown]

If five stars require a hideous twist of steel on the skyline, count me out.

I already said a 5 star coaster is never happening at Disney.

 

[Brer Panther]

The villains team up all the time.

Now that I think about it, Fantasmic is kind of strange too. Frollo doesn't revel in being evil, he thinks he's in the right, and he's terrified of witchcraft and the devil, isn't he? But he teams up with Hades and Maleficent and CHERNABOG?

King candy is I’d argue really good and one of the few twist villains in that era that worked. Or Mother Gothel.

Mother Gothel wasn't a twist villain, but King Candy was great too - it's the role that put Alan Tudyk on the map as a Disney Legend.

Wish was supposed to be a response to requests for a classic villain, but since that was a box office disappointment doubt Magnifico will feature prominently (tried Googling the spelling of his name and had trouble even getting it to come up, the top results were for a Magnifico movie).

I wouldn't be so sure. Wish got a float in Disney's Starlight and is referenced in the queue of Better Zoogether. I wouldn't be surprised if Maginifico pops up somewhere.

And Magnifico's apparently not a very well-written video. I'm still not quite sure what their intent with the character was.

 

[Timothy_Q]

I'm also creating my own personal system for rating rides, and it's based on how well themed a ride is, how immersive the experience feels, and how much it transports guests to a different time and place

I'm gonna use letters for this system, with E being the highest and A being the lowest

Big Thunder Mountain is an E
Space Mountain is an E
Expedition Everest is an E
Matterhorn is an E
Big Grizzly Mountain is an E