Our next land is one I’m very excited about, this is Shadowlands. This land is dedicated to one of the most popular group of Disney characters, the antagonists. Past a broken wall covered in black and purple vines, a crumbling bridge leads to a mysterious dark town. This is where evil villains and dark demons have been banished to and that’s simply how this town has been built up. If you walk around this town, you’ll feel like you’ve ended up in the Storybrooke (ABC’s Once Upon A Time) for villains. In town you will find that the villains have laid down their evil plans for a while and built up lives with specific businesses. They are all resting until they can get back at finalizing their dastardly deeds. The town will be a bit similar to the one that can be found in the Night at Bald Mountain short from Disney’s Fantasia. That’s especially because of the fact that the town lies at the foot of Bald Mountain. Around the land is a large wall, which was constructed to keep everything that goes in there. Unfortunately, the villains have found a way to break holes in the wall, but luckily it gives us a chance to take a look at their lives behind the wall. As you walk around the town you will be able to meet all of your favorite baddies, but also get a chance to say hi to some less popular characters like Ratigan, Yzma and Stromboli. Dive into the land of shadows and find out more about the backstories of these evildoers. The area itself will feel similar to Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Orlando, especially Knockturn Alley.
Around these winding streets you will find different shops, restaurants and rides that are all connected to the villains’ franchise. Shadowlands offers a variety of places to fuel up for evil encounters and it’s easy to escape this town of terrors by entering the many shops sure to tempt your most dastardly desires. For a quick drink and snack, stop by
Yzma’s Potion Bar. This bar, owned by the Peruvian mad scientist herself, serves many of Yzma’s curious and mysterious brews. Luckily, these ones won’t change you into animals though! Connected to this building is a rollercoaster adventure for young and old, one of those things we, Disney Maniacs have been waiting for,
Yzma’s Secret Lab Coaster. Yzma has never given up on her **** for the Peruvian throne and she needs test audience to see whether she can successfully use her potions to make her dreams come true. That’s why she’s inviting you to her secret underground lab in the Shadowlands, which she says has been upgraded, compared to the one in Peru. The most notable entrance to the lab is a room similar to the one we know from the Emperor’s New Groove movie. A room in which we can find a large door with two levers. Once the correct lever is pulled, the visitor is seated in a vehicle and rides into the lab, via rollercoaster. Race around twists and turns while Yzma is trying to get you to drink her suspicious potions. In the end, she manages to spray the potion over the Guests. In a mirror you can see yourself transformed into different animals. Yzma decides she wants to transform into a serpent so she can poison Kuzco, yet Kronk gives her the wrong one, transforming her into a turtle. Guess you’ll have to come back another time, if you want to help her out again.
One of the most popular places around town is
The Poisoned Apple. This is the local sweets and bakery of the Shadowlands. Get your poisoned candy apple or try some delicious Agrabah Delights. The most popular dining option is
Club Chernabog though, almost a night club for villains. Enjoy a villainous cabaret and dining show featuring some dark tunes like Poor Unfortunate Souls, Be Prepared and Cruella de Vil. This show will be similar to the Villains Tonight! show on the Disney Dream Cruise Ship. This table service restaurant is where baddies go to relax and enjoy a good meal. All of the dishes and drinks are named after Disney villains. The most popular drink, The Poisoned Apple Brew.
The Villain Emporium, Shadowlands’ largest shop. Brave this large store for villain memorabilia.
The Sea Witch’s Lair is where Ursula has built up a fish restaurant, where you can hook a snack from the seas. The restaurant’s layout will be similar to the undersea lair seen in The Little Mermaid movie. A familiar bully has also set up his business here. Pete, Mickey’s antagonist has set up his store,
Dastardly Deeds here and
By Hook or Crook is Captain Hook’s shop selling sea robber’s products. You can find some great souvenirs and products here.
Savannah Bites is where you can hunt for your Pridelands meal yourself. Scar has set up this restaurant so you can enjoy some BBQ and African dishes. Dine in Elephant bone booths and beware of hyenas trying to steal your food from your plate.
Another familiar diva has also set up her business here and maybe if I give you a hint related to spots, dots and fur coats, you might guess it. That’s right,
De Vil Fashion is the right place to find your De Vil products. Perform a quick fashion show with Cruella herself as she proudly presents her designs. Actually next to this shop, is another Shadowlands attraction,
Cruella’s Motor Car Mania. In the De Vil Warehouse Cruella announces a new clothing line with Dalmatian fur, however Pongo and Perdita have hidden themselves to help the puppies escape which have been caught by Jasper and Horace. In this attraction you will board a motor car and race the streets to help Pongo and Perdita escape from Cruella. The ride will be very similar to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, but better themed and slightly more thrilling and spinning. The vehicles itself will be more advanced as well. Near the end of the attraction you will crash into Cruella’s car.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing is a small restaurant where you can enjoy the Big Bad Wolf’s favorite snacks, like the B.B. Sausage and the Red Riding Ribs. After this, we will visit a more colonial styled part of the Shadowlands. One of the buildings is home to
The Legend of the Headless Horseman. Run through the dark woods and try to get away from the legendary headless horseman. This thrilling trackless dark ride lets Guests board horse carriages as you rush through the spooky forest, while around every corner the legend of the horseman is chasing you.
The Sleepy Hollow Tavern is not too far away from the attraction and is themed after the restaurant in the segment from Adventures with Ichabod and Mr. Toad. This is where you can enjoy some classic American meals and learn more about the Legend of the Headless Horseman as Brom Bones is very willing to tell you about all the ghost stories.
A more rundown manor is home to another family favorite here in the Shadowlands, the
Lonesome Manor. You’re invited to one of the most haunted homes of Shadowlands. This attraction is based on the Mickey Mouse short, Lonesome Ghosts and will be similar to the Monsters Inc. Hide and Go Seek ride at Tokyo Disneyland. It will also feature references to the black and white shorts, The Haunted House and Skeleton Dance. Guests are recruited as ghost hunters and are given light torches to find all the lonesome ghosts haunting this manor. Around the manor, the ghosts are using their poltergeist powers to scare us off. By shining the light on specific places, Guests will activate special effects. These effects are activated with audio animatronics and projected effects. Can you find them all and maybe even scare the ghosts away? Near the exit,
Happy Hauntings is where you can find your Shadowlands and Lonesome Manor souvenirs.
A twisted looking building is where Guests will find the entrance to the
Mad Doctor’s Contraption attraction. This is the home and laboratory of the murderously insane doctor that tried to attach Pluto’s head to a chicken body to find out if in the end it would bark or crow or cackle. In this attraction you will help the Mad Doctor test out his newest invention, but is it all doomed? Craze around this house and see what the doctor is up to. This crazy dark ride is where all cartoon gags are used on you (think of a falling anvil, an encounter with a murderous spider and a crazy saw robot. The attraction will be based on the Mickey Mouse short as well as on the references which are made in the Epic Mickey video games (which btw are fantastic, in my opinion).
Although the town has enough to explore for Guests, Bald Mountain is always lurking you closer and closer. This is where you’ll find the land’s main attraction, called
The Gathering. Escape a mysterious and evil gathering of some of Disney’s darkest villains. In this hydrocoaster, similar to the Efteling’s De Vliegende Hollander rollercoaster in The Netherlands and Europapark’s Poseidon in Germany, you will find out that the villains haven’t exactly been resting, but instead have been finding ways to become stronger by conjuring the evil demon Chernabog, living inside Bald Mountain. Inside the mountain you’ll encounter villains such as the Evil Queen, Maleficent, Jafar(transforming into a gigantic snake), Ursula(imagine a scene in which you make a half inverted turn and slow down as you rattle over Ursulas tentacles) and Hades(blasting fire) as they try to get you out of the way. The indoor sections features flume as well as rollercoaster sections while passing by spectacular show scenes, of which the final one features a sea of flames out of which Chernabog is awakened and sends you down a waterfall. This will also be one of the most popular rides at the park in general, known for its characters, sets, effects and thrills.
Shadowlands
Attractions:
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The Gathering
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Legend of the Headless Horseman
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Lonesome Manor
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The Mad Doctor’s Contraption
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Yzma’s Secret Lab Coaster
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Cruella’s Motor Car Mania
Restaurants:
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Yzma’s Potion Bar
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The Poisoned Apple
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Club Chernabog
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Savannah Bites
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The Sea Witch’s Lair
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Sleepy Hollow Tavern
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The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Shops:
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Dastardly Deeds
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By Hook or Crook
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De Vil Fashion
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Villain Emporium
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Happy Hauntings
Entertainment:
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Club Chernabog Dinner Show
Meet and Greets:
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Maleficent, The Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil, Ursula, Captain Hook, Jafar, Hades, Scar, Queen of Hearts, Dr. Facilier, Pete, Gaston, Lady Tremaine, Claude Frollo, Yzma, Oogie Boogie, Mother Gothel, Big Bad Wolf, Madam Mim, Shan Yu, Governor Ratcliffe, Madame Medusa, The Horned King, Prince John, Sheriff of Nottingham, Honest John and Gideon, Stromboli, The Headless Horseman, Ratigan, The Lonesome Ghosts
)Small plot twist, I’d like to save Fantasyland for last so that’s why we’re moving over to the east side.
