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

[EPCOTCenterLover]

What have they learned from Galaxy's Edge?

Hopefully, not to open the land until it's fully completed and ready to go. Perhaps make it more lively with character interactions all over from the start. Perhaps some movement in the land to make it feel alive. Lastly, to make the best experiences available to everyone and not as a premier pricing option.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Hopefully, not to open the land until it's fully completed and ready to go. Perhaps make it more lively with character interactions all over from the start. Perhaps some movement in the land to make it feel alive. Lastly, to make the best experiences available to everyone and not as a premier pricing option.

do we really think they learned that though?

By their "budget", the land is fully completed. Therein lies the problem. They really missed how massive they could have made Star Wars and Star Wars Land, but they botched it just like the Starcruiser

 

[Andrew C]

I would argue that one of the more popular IPs like Mario won’t be anywhere near the popularity as it should be due to the ride just being ok.

That attraction combined with the DK ride, they will be just fine.

 

[Schmidt]

I can only think of Dragons as somewhat questionable. The other 3 have more than proven their worth.

Yes USF is basically their Epcot that’s in need of a big makeover. It’s easily their weakest park by a mile. IoA not really as much since what it does have is almost all really good.

Dragons/Donkey Kong /Monsters are not strong IP’s. I mean how many times has Universal tried to reimagine the Monsters franchise? Now, is it the IP I am most looking forward too? Absolutely.

IOA is just as bad as Universal if not worse. Super hero island looks dated and dirty, as well as Popeye. Ripsaw falls is disgusting. Seriously that ride should be ripped out and placed in a Six Flags. Poseidon’s furry is closed, so yeah Hulk, Spiderman, Harry Potter are great. JP and a lot of other stuff need love.

Nothing wrong with Epcot. Did I prefer it before the debacle? Parts of it but it’s still the park that I repeat visit the most. Universal wishes it had a problem like Epcot.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

If you are talking about this video, these are the animatronics, not CGI.

I am. And yeah, that looks like CGI to me. Or supplemented with in any case.

 

[abaker1975]

If you are talking about this video, these are the animatronics, not CGI.

Wow. I mean - just wow! The fact somebody thought this was CGI tells you how much Universal has upped the standard. My mind is blown.

 

[BrianLo]

What happened where Universal does something and then, years and years later, Disney finally provides their "answer" instead of being the leader in the area? Oh yeah, that's right - They hired a former weatherman and general coattail-rider as their CEO.

Uni gets rights to Harry Potter, which opened in 2010. Disney announces Pandora in 2011 and then opens it *6* years later. Uni announces Epic Universe and opens it in 2025, Disney won't have anything ready "in response" until at least 2027, if not '28-29. Yet Bob talked about knowing, FOR A DECADE, what Universal's plans were. And it looks like Universal is going to stomp on anything Disney's done in years, and going to do in the foreseeable future, with what is opening at Epic. The best they can do is announce "plans" and "we're moving dirt!!!". When are people going to wake up and smell what Bob's been shoveling for 15+ years?

I really don’t understand how readily this narrative has been allowed to take hold.

The non fanboy answer is the operators seem to be volleying back and forth. Disney’s 2016-2022, investment cycle was frankly far stronger than Universal’s, perhaps outside of the noteworthy water park.


In reality Universal has never been ahead. They are always chasing Disney. They’ve never launched a resort into a market that Disney hasn’t already entered decades before. With the perhaps slightest glimpse of an anemic Texas investment? But Disney is already there with cruises.

 

[Stripes]

I am. And yeah, that looks like CGI to me.

They’re animated figures. But they do have a CGI-esque quality to them. Perhaps the lighting?

I find animated figures look better in promotional videos than they do in real-life, but we’ll have to wait and find out.

 

[abaker1975]

Hopefully, not to open the land until it's fully completed and ready to go. Perhaps make it more lively with character interactions all over from the start. Perhaps some movement in the land to make it feel alive. Lastly, to make the best experiences available to everyone and not as a premier pricing option.

I would hope Disney would learn that taking a "no brainer" IP to create an immersive land and then give it a theme that nobody wanted is a bad thing.

If IP is used you have to give fans what they crave. Wizarding World knew exactly where fans would want to go and what they would want to experience. How Galaxy's Edge got it so wrong but not giving any iconic location or characters is beyond me.

 

[Stripes]

If IP is used you have to give fans what they crave. Wizarding World knew exactly where fans would want to go and what they would want to experience. How Galaxy's Edge got it so wrong but not giving any iconic location or characters is beyond me.

Star Wars doesn’t have very engaging, iconic locations that you can turn into a theme park land.

 

[Schmidt]

I would hope Disney would learn that taking a "no brainer" IP to create an immersive land and then give it a theme that nobody wanted is a bad thing.

If IP is used you have to give fans what they crave. Wizarding World knew exactly where fans would want to go and what they would want to experience. How Galaxy's Edge got it so wrong but not giving any iconic location or characters is beyond me.

Galaxy’s Edge is Amazing! It’s a 10/10 for me and a lot of other people too…Honestly I can hang out there all day. Harry Potter is great but it does get repetitive. Galaxy’s edge doesn’t feel like a theme park too me. With that said to each their own. Lots of Pottwr fans out there.

 

[Purduevian]

They’re animated figures. But they do have a CGI-esque quality to them. Perhaps the lighting?

I find animated figures look better in promotional videos than they do in real-life, but we’ll have to wait and find out.

What's crazy to me is that this isn't even stage lighting/environment. These videos are clearly taken in a warehouse somewhere. It's the equivalent of this video from Disney:

 

[GhostHost1000]

anyone else think that arm swipe is exactly how the yeti used to look and operate?

 

[abaker1975]

I really don’t understand how readily this narrative has been allowed to take hold.

The non fanboy answer is the operators seem to be volleying back and forth. Disney’s 2016-2022, investment cycle was frankly far stronger than Universal’s, perhaps outside of the noteworthy water park.


In reality Universal has never been ahead. They are always chasing Disney. They’ve never launched a resort into a market that Disney hasn’t already entered decades before. With the perhaps slightest glimpse of an anemic Texas investment? But Disney is already there with cruises.

I do think it comes from Wizarding World being such a step up from where Universal were before that people have looked to Disney to make the same kind of step up from where they were.

I am guessing in reality it was Wizarding World that was basically Universal's answer to "step up" to Disney's reputation. It just seems from then Disney hasn't really made the same kind of improvement, and possibly could be viewed as having made a slight step down from their historical reputation.

I don't think reality matters, it is about perception.

 

[Mike S]

Dragons/Donkey Kong /Monsters are not strong IP’s. I mean how many times has Universal tried to reimagine the Monsters franchise? Now, is it the IP I am most looking forward too? Absolutely.

Dude two of the Monsters that are being used have been around for well over 100 years even before Universal made movies about them and are staples of pop culture. Stories of Werewolves go back even further. Creature from the Black Lagoon as far as I can tell did start with the movie but he’s just one of the included monsters. Donkey Kong is there because of his close relationship to Mario. They both premiered in the same game and pretty much share their world.

IOA is just as bad as Universal if not worse. Super hero island looks dated and dirty, as well as Popeye. Ripsaw falls is disgusting. Seriously that ride should be ripped out and placed in a Six Flags. Poseidon’s furry is closed, so yeah Hulk, Spiderman, Harry Potter are great. JP and a lot of other stuff need love.

Yes JP does need love and Kong needs its 3D back. Popeye is the best water ride in Orlando and Ripsaw falls as old and dingy looking as it is now the best flume since Disney ruined Splash. I would still love to see it get a makeover with better figures and sets so you’re not wrong there. The Lost Continent will eventually make way for The Legend of Zelda once Uni’s plate is more clear.

Nothing wrong with Epcot. Did I prefer it before the debacle? Parts of it but it’s still the park that I repeat visit the most. Universal wishes it had a problem like Epcot.

To me both parks are pretty much the same when it comes to missed potential. A few things I like and a lot that needs improving. The big difference though is that I can see things going better for USF a lot faster than Epcot. We’ll likely see actual movement there before Disney even gives a vague announcement of plans for Imagination.

 

[Bocabear]

I would hope Disney would learn that taking a "no brainer" IP to create an immersive land and then give it a theme that nobody wanted is a bad thing.

If IP is used you have to give fans what they crave. Wizarding World knew exactly where fans would want to go and what they would want to experience. How Galaxy's Edge got it so wrong but not giving any iconic location or characters is beyond me.

So the Auto Parts Mountain area of MK is a repeat of a franchise people know in a location they don't...
No clue what tey are doing with Villains, but it will have to be in an unrecognizable location as each of the Villains come from completely different locations, time frames, and stories. The old Villain's Mountain "Convention Of Villains" was a good way to bring all of those characters together....Or I guess a Dark Fantasyland format where each villain will have their own setting with the setting being a twisted European village motif.... But at this point we have seen nothing more than some vague concept art os Malefecint's castle backdrop and a roller coaster....

 

[MisterPenguin]

They're gonna learn that Single IP lands are the definitive future and not understand the IPs for EU were picked for a Very Good Reason and cannot apply to every single IP out there. Looking forward to Disney trying to justify why Chicken Little needs a Galaxy Edge scale land!

Umm... there are counter-examples.

The Cars ride looks like an IP land, but, it's just the outdoor track of a single ride (and it's junior flat ride sitting in the middle of it). It's not like BTMRR is being converted into a Cars-franchise ride in order to create a mini-land.

In DAK, "Tropical America" isn't a single-IP land. Indy and Encanto are not in the same universe.

The new villains show in DHS isn't creating a mini-land. And the Monsters Inc coaster isn't going to be surrounded by other Monsters Inc rides and attractions.

Disney isn't making exclusively single-IP minilands.

 

[Mike S]

I really don’t understand how readily this narrative has been allowed to take hold.

The non fanboy answer is the operators seem to be volleying back and forth. Disney’s 2016-2022, investment cycle was frankly far stronger than Universal’s, perhaps outside of the noteworthy water park.


In reality Universal has never been ahead. They are always chasing Disney. They’ve never launched a resort into a market that Disney hasn’t already entered decades before. With the perhaps slightest glimpse of an anemic Texas investment? But Disney is already there with cruises.

There’s work going on right now for a UK park. After all their success Universal is now getting into a market before Disney.

 

[Stripes]

What's crazy to me is that this isn't even stage lighting/environment. These videos are clearly taken in a warehouse somewhere. It's the equivalent of this video from Disney:

They’re in a warehouse, but there’s definitely stage lighting on them.

 

[Schmidt]

Galaxy’s Edge is Amazing! It’s a 10/10 for me and a lot of other people too…

Dude two of the Monsters that are being used have been around for well over 100 years even before Universal made movies about them and are staples of pop culture. Stories of Werewolves go back even further. Creature from the Black Lagoon as far as I can tell did start with the movie but he’s just one of the included monsters. Donkey Kong is there because of his close relationship to Mario. They both premiered in the same game and pretty much share their world.

Yes JP does need love and Kong needs its 3D back. Popeye is the best water ride in Orlando and Ripsaw falls as old and dingy looking as it is now the best flume since Disney ruined Splash. I would still love to see it get a makeover with better figures and sets so you’re not wrong there. The Lost Continent will eventually make way for The Legend of Zelda once Uni’s plate is more clear.

To me both parks are pretty much the same when it comes to missed potential. A few things I like and a lot that needs improving. The big difference though is that I can see things going better for USF a lot faster than Epcot. We’ll likely see actual movement there before Disney even gives a vague announcement of plans for Imagination.

We definitely have different prerogatives, but that’s not a bad thing. Competition means the fans win in the end!