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

[Fox&Hound]

You don't need to travel to research 40 year old Disney cartoons. You purchase a Disney+ account and watch the films.

Wow. I have no words…

 

[Jedi14]

I'd bet there's going to be a dark ride where all of the villains have been summoned to team-up and Sorcerer Mickey has to fight them off. It's how you squeeze a ton of otherwise unassociated villains into one land. Then you'll get the building where each villain is in their "lair" for photo ops.

They have already said that the premise of the land is that the villains have been summoned by a spell to the land, and that there are no heroes to save the day. I don’t think they would make Fantasmic the ride in Villains land.

 

[Fox&Hound]

I still wonder how this will work in the beautiful bright FL sun? Still think an indoor area would have worked better.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

They have already said that the premise of the land is that the villains have been summoned by a spell to the land, and that there are no heroes to save the day. I don’t think they would make Fantasmic the ride in Villains land.

I don't think they'll make an attraction where the villains win.

 

[BrianLo]

Much as I generally disagree with the argument that Batuu was a problematic approach, the issue isn't the same here. Is anyone really clamoring to explore Jafar's quarters, Frollo's chamber, Ursula's makeup vanity, Ratcliffe's tent, or Lady Tremaine's bedroom? These are not well-defined or interesting locations that people dream of visiting. The villains who have notable lairs are few and far between. There aren't any Mos Eisleys or Cloud Cities among their domains about which people can really wax poetic. Even Maleficent's castle is only iconic in profile and largely featureless within.

A lot of the recognizable iconography is better served in the dark ride itself. As I think Universal is now seeing (whether they take responsibility for it or not), your land needs to look good for the full operational day and not the last 20-30% when the sun goes down.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

• If they make it a singular "town" of sorts, with all the villains as inhabitants, many will say "this is another Batuu, a place we're not invested in and never needed to go to."

It would also just look like a rip off of what Universal built to the average guest

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Thank god we have the #1,000,001,000,000,200 person who thinks they are an expert in theme park design without...

Tony Baxter has criticized the modern day research trips as well. They are certainly a bit eye-rolling.

 

[DrStarlander]

Much as I generally disagree with the argument that Batuu was a problematic approach, the issue isn't the same here. Is anyone really clamoring to explore Jafar's quarters, Frollo's chamber, Ursula's makeup vanity, Ratcliffe's tent, or Lady Tremaine's bedroom? These are not well-defined or interesting locations that people dream of visiting. The villains who have notable lairs are few and far between. There aren't any Mos Eisleys or Cloud Cities among their domains about which people can really wax poetic. Even Maleficent's castle is only iconic in profile and largely featureless within.

I have to go back and watch some of these movies, it seems like there were more interesting locations associated with the villains than what you've listed here -- or maybe I'm just imagining their worlds beyond what's shown on screen based on what is shown. But you could be right. However, your comment got me thinking: I don't think anyone was clamoring to see Dolores Umbridge's office until Universal's Ministry of Magic made that possible. I'm also recalling the Disneyland Toontown Mickey and Minnie Mouse houses making quite an impression on me, just everyday stuff like a fireplace and a vegetable garden -- nothing iconic that featured largely in media as far as I know. An even smaller example is the "Tom [heart] Becky" fence on MK's Tom Sawyer Island. All that's to make a minor point that sometimes non-showy, mundane settings can be a surprisingly cool way to connect with a character and make them seem real. All these examples above make their respective characters more real to me than, say, Sleeping Beauty which has a showy castle in the middle of Disneyland (even with the storytelling dioramas inside). Going inside Ratcliffe's tent or Lady Tremaine's bedroom could be really cool, and uniquely revealing about those characters and make them seem real -- their day to day lives, their personal stuff, their priorities, etc. But no, people aren't clamoring for these non-iconic place's before they exist, but they do often appreciate them after designers pursue a "deep cut," so to speak, and make them exist.

But as far as the Batuu comparison, set the circumstances of the Star Wars franchise aside for a moment. More broadly, when Disney creates IP lands that are not only not iconic/familiar, but don't even deliver on what guests imagine the character's worlds are like, it doesn't seem to result in the most beloved park places. I'm thinking Avenger's Campus, Pixar Pier, Tiana's "area"/Bayou Country, maybe Toy Story Land? To be clear, I am absolutely not saying there are not fans of these places, but if surveys or focus groups of guests were done somehow to sort out the most beloved and resonant lands/areas (not attractions, not food, I'm talking the themed environment), I think these made-up places would tend to score lower (than, say, Pandora, Cars Land, World of Frozen, Zootopia...). The made-up places are more head-scratching. They have to be explained (salt domes and "this is where Stark Industries once was" backstories that never really get conveyed). Maybe the Batuu issue is more narrow than that, but I'm still concerned Disney may make up a billion-dollar villain town that just doesn't resonate. And it's not that I don't want them to try, necessarily. It's just that it's a risk given their track record lately.

 

[Ghost93]

I think Disney announced the villains land well before they had a solid idea of what the actual plan was. I think the concept was greenlit, but they are still ironing out the overall details.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Disney Fans: PLEEEASE!! We really want a Villains Land!!!

Disney: OK, fine. We're gonna build one!​

Disney Fans: Great! But here is a lengthy list of things that, if you do them, we'll hate. And here's a much shorter list of things we want in a Villains Land, but, we all disagree with one another about those things.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Tony Baxter has criticized the modern day research trips as well. They are certainly a bit eye-rolling.

Everybody loves a long trip to Europe pretending (even to yourself) to do important stuff sipping on a coffee, staring at a building.

For DAK, the research trip mentality got so dominant that the park ended up looking the 'Africa and Asia backpacking experience' park. They themed the park after their experience.

Nevertheless, there is something intangible but irreplaceable about walking around a place yourself. Every new country or city that I visit, despite any preparation, only ever really gets understood when I see it in person. Everything just comes together.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I don't think they'll make an attraction where the villains win.

I could be done that they just undermine each other and the plan fails due to that not due to a hero saving the day

 

[Brer Panther]

It's almost like maybe doing a Villains' Land isn't such a good idea after all?

 

[bmr1591]

The rage against Imagineers taking trips is really weird. The problem isn’t that they’re doing research, it’s that the research isn’t reflected in a quality final product. I don’t think anyone should begrudge the many expeditions that resulted in Animal Kingdom. The trips that resulted in Tiana, however…

They obviously didn’t visit New Orleans enough if they came back with THAT beignet product.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I never thought a Villains Land was a good idea. The only saving grace for this is we might get a good roller coaster and/or dragon animatronic and/or second coming of some Beastly Kingdom designs.

 

[JD80]

Why do we care again that TWDC spends thousands of dollars for research for a billion dollar project?

Are we jealous someone is taking a fun business trip?

 

[Bocabear]

I think a Villain's Lair/ Dark Kingdom concept is pretty solid... People love to be a little scared....Hence the neverending popularity of The Haunted Mansion.... Epic Universe's most anticipated thing was Darkmoor and the Monsters Unchained ride... The Harry Potter lands are always extremely popular because I think it edges on being wonderful and a little scary...
If they don't value-engineer it to death and really do a good job with it, Villain's Land will be extremely popular....

 

[George]

You can go scary/dramatic or light hearted/funny. Either way the main through line of the land should be the villains can’t really work together and are constantly back stabbing/betraying each other. You have one of the non mystical, magical, over powered villains (I personally prefer the stepmom in this role) being ridiculously Machiavellian and playing off everyone against each other. Also, a restaurant where various minions and sidekicks are either rude to the patrons or begging for help/escape/release.

 

[MisterPenguin]

There's a reason so many art students travel the world sketching and painting. There's a benefit in seeing in person.

Remember how everyone lauds DAK for being so authentic and well themed (Dinorama excepted)? It was the result of multiple worldwide trips by Rohde and company. It allowed them to copy and/or buy all that theming people hold up as the ideal.

People on these forums belly-ache if the theming isn't authentic. I don't know how authentic you can get with Google pictures of the places one is drawing inspiration from.

How many behind-the-scenes documentaries do we need to see in which Disney animators brought in actual animals or human dancers in order to perfect their animation before we realize the importance of in-person witness?

IOW, I find the criticism of in-person studies abroad incredibly short-sighted.

 

[Purduevian]

I could be done that they just undermine each other and the plan fails due to that not due to a hero saving the day

There is also the "suicide squad" route. Maybe one of the villains is getting out of control and stealing the others powers to the villains must team team to defeat one of the other villains.