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

[TrainsOfDisney]

typical DL queues, which, due to the smaller size and greater density, have to manage thematic transitions with a greater degree of intentionality and creativity.

But when I’m waiting for Alice and can see and hear the teacups, monorail, and Matterhorn - it’s all part of the theme and experience. Plus I can watch the caterpillars and get excited for the ride.

Fully themed queues can be fun as well - but at Disneyland the outdoor switchbacks just work somehow.

But I realize this is about Villians….. haha

 

[_caleb]

But when I’m waiting for Alice and can see and hear the teacups, monorail, and Matterhorn - it’s all part of the theme and experience. Plus I can watch the caterpillars and get excited for the ride.

Fully themed queues can be fun as well - but at Disneyland the outdoor switchbacks just work somehow.

But I realize this is about Villians….. haha

I agree. It’s just a different approach. But this is related to Villains because I think most of us are hoping it’ll be the sort of atmosphere that has a lot going on (we always call it kinetic energy, but it’s probably more than that).

You make a good point that DL’s density means you get loads of (multi-thematic) atmosphere around the park with almost none of the stagnant in-between areas we find at MK. Despite the “blessing of size,” I hope they lean into the DL-style layered approach for Villains (which is how I interpret the concept art).

 

[rreading]

I’ve always seen what you’re calling “WDW-level” as simpler than typical DL queues, which, due to the smaller size and greater density, have to manage thematic transitions with a greater degree of intentionality and creativity.

If you have the benefit of wide open minimally-themed space between attractions, it seems like immersive queues would be much easier.

I appreciate the theory; but can you offer an example? I’m not sure I can think of one that fits the mold

If you’re thinking DL’s pirates, then it shows that everyone has their own perspective on things. I suppose you could say that the queue transition into the experience is well done for what it is (and I would agree with that) but I would also suggest that WDW’s queue allows a lesser ride experience to feel more like a complete overall experience

 

[rreading]

But when I’m waiting for Alice and can see and hear the teacups, monorail, and Matterhorn - it’s all part of the theme and experience. Plus I can watch the caterpillars and get excited for the ride.

Fully themed queues can be fun as well - but at Disneyland the outdoor switchbacks just work somehow.

But I realize this is about Villians….. haha

This is what I mean- that the environment is the theme…and I get that

But I also wonder if that’s why my kids get tired of the environment more quickly

Kinda like eating pasta and vegetables and chicken separately might be interesting for longer; but put them all in a soup and it might be delicious but you might not want to eat it all day

 

[Pizza Moon]

We’re getting into pre-D23 when random posters start misleading everyone about their knowledge or company standings. Here’s a few yellow flags.

Today is a holiday. Len made his post on Saturday. Len did not say this decision occurred the day before.

One did not walk into the “WDI” office, as implied, today on a Holiday to see people quit because of something that happened weeks or months ago. They walked into their CM break room, or operational middle management and chatted about what they read online.

What’s obvious is that all the announcements are
phase 1.

What it ends up being is anyone’s guess. There’s no way they’ve totally settled on plans still in the air.

 

[_caleb]

I appreciate the theory; but can you offer an example? I’m not sure I can think of one that fits the mold

If you’re thinking DL’s pirates, then it shows that everyone has their own perspective on things. I suppose you could say that the queue transition into the experience is well done for what it is (and I would agree with that) but I would also suggest that WDW’s queue allows a lesser ride experience to feel more like a complete overall experience

I agree that the queue for MK's Pirates is very good, and sort of helps make up for its lesser ride.

I became interested in thematic transitions back in 2012 when I read this post about Disneyland’s Awkward Transitions at Passport2Dreams. Since then, I notice the transitions all around the parks.

What Disneyland mostly pulls off is this: even when you can see other lands, they somehow feel like natural extensions of wherever you’re standing.

One of my favorite examples is Adventureland. As you walk through, the vibe shifts from Hawaiian to Arabic to Spanish to Indian to jungle-inspired — but it never feels like you’re stuck between themes.



Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland has similar shifts, but there are more dead spots in between — usually handled by hiding the next theme instead of blending it in.



I'm hoping Villains Land can somehow use the DL approach.

 

[Professortango1]

Disneyland is the ultimate - that’s for sure. I’d definitely say it’s a 2 day park.

I've never been to Disneyland for a multiple day visit, unless also visiting DCA the next day. Disneyland is a full day park. If the resort still had the entertainment offerings they did less than a decade ago, I could see taking 3 days to take in the resort, but a day from 9/10AM -11PM/12AM is more than enough for the average Disneyland guest. It is enough time to do about 20-30 attractions without too much issue. This abundance pays off as I spend a lot of visits enjoying nighttime rides on Storybook Land/Casey Jr and enjoying more of the park for longer hours.

With Magic Kingdom, there aren't enough C/D tickets to keep me around after hitting the smaller samplings or E-tickets. No Alice, Snow White, Toad, Casey Jr, Storybook Land, Roger Rabbit, Mickey & Minnie, Smuggler's Run. These filler vibe attractions are so important to theme park design and it seems most of the Florida parks are missing these mid-level attractions. Hopefully they have 3 attractions in Villains and not just a main plussed D to E ticket and a spinner.

Now, if they were to build it as a dark answer to Disneyland's FL with 6-10 attractions, then that plus the Cars area could make MK the best park in Florida.

 

[Pizza Moon]

Speaking hypothetically, if you worked on something for two years, only for that something to be thrown away, would you not be upset?

Imagine going through 2 years of college only to be told to restart, despite all those late nights spent cramming to meet deadlines

Very demoralizing.

 

[Pizza Moon]

Still, I raise my eyebrows when someone needs to imply they work for imagineering. People don’t imply, they tend to mislead about their adjacency.

They certainly are no where near this project if they first read about it online.

Can you fill me in on the drama? What's been going on

 

[nickys]

Can you fill me in on the drama? What's been going on

There is a rumour that the plans for the Villains Land are changing, that Josh D’Amaro has called for a different, bolder vision.

The thread isn’t long. Reading through it will fill you in.

 

[Pizza Moon]

There is a rumour that the plans for the Villains Land are changing, that Josh D’Amaro has called for a different, bolder vision.

The thread isn’t long. Reading through it will fill you in.

Oh, I'm aware of that. I just am not aware of what @BrianLo is referring to.

 

[nickys]

I'm saying specifically for people claiming to have insider information.

And?
They’re soon sussed out. No one who comes on and starts spouting off is going to be taken seriously.

 

[nickys]

Oh, I'm aware of that. I just am not aware of what @BrianLo is referring to.

Click on his post and read everything from around the same time.

 

[etc98]

I'm saying specifically for people claiming to have insider information, over time you'd be able to see if they're actually insiders or not through pattern recognition. Like you'd probably be able to get an AI with enough data to be able subtly observe psychology to figure out that the site that shall not be named is not an accurate source for news.

You can also do that now with your own brain

 

[Tha Realest]

I really hope Josh does things to make WDW better and not just milk WDW like the cash cow it is.

I do too. But since he presided over the Parks division when the milking increased in a bevy of ways, I’m not totally optimistic.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I do too. But since he presided over the Parks division when the milking increased in a bevy of ways, I’m not totally optimistic.

Good point. Putting on my “WDW rationalization” hat, could it be possible Josh’s hands were tied while Iger was boss and now Josh will be free to do things he really wanted to do?

 

[nickys]

Good point. Putting on my “WDW rationalization” hat, could it be possible Josh’s hands were tied while Iger was boss and now Josh will be free to do things he really wanted to do?

I really, really hope so.

I had high hopes when he was put in charge of parks, from everything that was said about him by CMs and others on here.

And then things continued as before.

I’d love to see him make some positive changes now.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Listened to some of Len and Jim Hill’s podcast on my drive this morning (not all so there may be points I’m missing) and was happy to hear that this sounds like a big reimagining, with bigger budgets and bigger ideas in mind. Sounds like the rides and restaurants are actually being redesigned, vs. given small glo ups like more animatronics.

 

[nickys]

Back to Villains Land meanwhile.

We’ve discussed rides and roaming characters, and to a lesser extent food & beverage.

What else do people want? What would help create the ambience of a Villains Land and elevate it above Pandora and Galaxy’s Edge? This has been longed for by fans for so long, how do they live up to that dream?

 

[Pizza Moon]

Back to Villains Land meanwhile.

We’ve discussed rides and roaming characters, and to a lesser extent food & beverage.

What else do people want? What would help create the ambience of a Villains Land and elevate it above Pandora and Galaxy’s Edge? This has been longed for by fans for so long, how do they live up to that dream?

I think it needs a Knockturn Alley equivalent.