Rumor What is everyone’s confidence level that a Villain’s land will happen?

[Ichabod Crane]

Hard to say really. At the moment Disney absolutely believe they’re going to build one but as we all know that doesn’t always mean it’ll happen, especially assuming it’s a “phase two” project.

I’m gonna be real with y’all, none of the reasons for not doing it make much sense to me. There doesn’t “need” to be a reason for the villains to team up and even if there did it’s very very easy to make it super simple like they did with Fantasmic where the villains just wanted to cause some chaos together/mess with the heroes. Don’t over think it. As for the land being “too scary” I think people are both overestimating how scary the villains are as well as how easily kids scare. Kids love Halloween these days. They’ll do just fine in Dark Universe and that will be much scarier than any villains land ever would be.

That being said I do see a timeline where the concept evolves into just a general spooky land that incorporates villains but also has some other more spooky properties like Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocus or something along those lines.

 

[mattpeto]

Can they find a middle ground and pull off a land that’s family friendly, not cheesy and serious but run by the Villains?

If they are concerned with certain demographics skipping it, it won’t be built.

Guests can skip Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror, but a whole new land?

 

[Weather_Lady]

Under current Disney management, the fact that so many guests want it and would enjoy it seems to make it less likely to happen, rather than more.

 

[Tha Realest]

Can they find a middle ground and pull off a land that’s family friendly, not cheesy and serious but run by the Villains?

If they are concerned with certain demographics skipping it, it won’t be built.

Guests can skip Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror, but a whole new land

Striking the right chord is key. Softening the edges too much and removing any fright or danger and it runs the risk of being too campy.

 

[donaldtoo]

It already exists…

Disney Corporate.

 

[drew81]

There are WDW VPs who won’t even allow villains to be in their specific park. It seems unlikely that MK gets it.

I would love for it to happen, but I really doubt it does.

 

[Twirlnhurl]

Villains as an organizing theme doesn't really answer any of the questions about what the land will be like.

Villains are a category of character, and I am not aware of any successful theme park land with characters as a basis for the theme.

What would the land look like? (Does that include shade?) What do guests feel like as they walk through the space?

Should Disney have a few more rides and shows that have villains and thrill or scare elements? Sure. Magic Kingdom would probably be the best place for it, too (as thrill rides are the side of that parks program that are the most lacking).

But as an organizing concept for a theme park land, I don't see how that could work. Who wants to spend time in a fantasy dystopia?

Striking the right chord is key. Softening the edges too much and removing any fright or danger and it runs the risk of being too campy.

I feel like the highest likelihood version of a villains land is one that is high camp.

 

[Magicart87]

I think internally the Zootopia IP has greatly shifted the plans.

 

[JD80]

Disney doesn't really do catch-alls anymore in WDW, outside of AK

They don't do catch alls except for when they do. C'mon.

It doesn't have to be dark and scary but it can look rough and dangerous. Pick a few properties and build rides around those characters. Wouldn't even begin to think about what 3 or 4 villain properties you'd want to build around. It's basically Villain Fantasy Land.

I doubt they would go with a single IP.

Descendants 4 is coming out in a few weeks. They can look to Isle of the Lost as inspiration.

 

[Ghost93]

Can they find a middle ground and pull off a land that’s family friendly, not cheesy and serious but run by the Villains?

If they are concerned with certain demographics skipping it, it won’t be built.

Guests can skip Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror, but a whole new land?

The thing is, the loss of people who would skip villain land for being too adult or thrilling would be offset by the influx of people specifically seeking out those types of thrills.

 

[mattpeto]

The thing is, the loss of people who would skip villain land for being too adult or thrilling would be offset by the influx of people specifically seeking out those types of thrills.

Maybe. I don’t think so.

Not a whole land or separate gate.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Villains as an organizing theme doesn't really answer any of the questions about what the land will be like.

Villains are a category of character, and I am not aware of any successful theme park land with characters as a basis for the theme.

What would the land look like? (Does that include shade?) What do guests feel like as they walk through the space?

Should Disney have a few more rides and shows that have villains and thrill or scare elements? Sure. Magic Kingdom would probably be the best place for it, too (as thrill rides are the side of that parks program that are the most lacking).

But as an organizing concept for a theme park land, I don't see how that could work. Who wants to spend time in a fantasy dystopia?


I feel like the highest likelihood version of a villains land is one that is high camp.

I think the organizing theme would be something like the archetype of “the wild”. Not wild as in “nature”, which can be quite orderly in a sense. Wilds as in the archetype of darkness beyond civilization, the realm of the misfit, Elsa when she’s singing her ode to “Oh f*ck all this trying to fit in” with Let It Go, the “beauty of decay” in Tears For Fear’s words. There’s something a bit heady and exhilarating about the concept of entropy in small doses. I think it’s why there’s so much love for Halloween in this country.

 

[Trauma]

I don’t think they can do it after what Universal revealed. The two lands will be compared and Disney just can’t compete with Universal right now.

 

[peter11435]

I don’t think they can do it after what Universal revealed. The two lands will be compared and Disney just can’t compete with Universal right now.

Disney knew about Dark Universe long before the reveal and long before they teased a villain land at D23.

Disney can easily compete with Universal they just have to want to

 

[Disone]

I would only hope if they decide to do it that it’s given a proper budget.

A dark Fantasyland concept with 3-4 rides would be a dream for me.

Disney does seem to be shifting focus from villains in their attractions however that doesn’t mean they couldn’t attempt to build a land solely based around them.

IMO, sadly Disney state side nothing is given a proper budget anymore. Add insult to injury what they end up doing is less than the sum of its parts due to needlessly high and artificially inflated expenses.

 

[peter11435]

IMO, sadly Disney state side nothing is given a proper budget anymore. Add insult to injury what they end up doing is less than the sum of its parts due to needlessly high and artificially inflated expenses.

Budgets aren’t the problem.

Galaxies Edge
Tron
Cosmic Rewind
Even Ratatouille

All had proper healthy budgets

 

[bwr827]

Budgets aren’t the problem.

Galaxies Edge
Tron
Cosmic Rewind
Even Ratatouille

All had proper healthy budgets

All pretty great, too. Looking forward to what’s next.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

Zero percent chance and if it happens, it would be very likely underwhelming.

The reason is that "blue sky land" is designed with Magic Kingdom in mind. If Villains Land was planned for DHS, I would give it a 10 to 25 percent chance.

Magic Kingdom is a problem for potential scary attractions considering the reason Alien Encounter left Magic Kingdom decades ago. Also Disney's Halloween Parties are not scary for a reason also.

The fact is Magic Kingdom has a different audience that Universal has and that explains why Universal is doing Dark Universe for Epic Universe. Magic Kingdom is known to draw in kids and having scary stuff in that park is not a good fit due to potential amount of complains.

I am being that negative to Magic Kingdom is because I think Villain Land is meant to be a dark theme park land and I already mentioned about the responses about Alien Encounter. When I said a dark theme park land is something similar to Dark Universe.

My negativity with Villains land being underwhelming if it happens starts with Disney's stuff that has opened since the fall at WDW. Also Villains Land being dark is unlikely due to how Disney has used Maleficent.

 

[Bocabear]

Maybe. I don’t think so.

Not a whole land or separate gate.

I disagree...I think there are waaaaay more peole that would appreciate a complete land of Villains...I think it would attract a huge crowd that has also moved away from Disney and over to Universal...Disney fans would all love it too...and like Haunted Mansion, not everyone HAS to do it....If your toddlers are afraid of it, they most likely won't be on your next trip... Kids grow up fast, and in this world we live in, they are exposed to a lot of real horror at an early age... Disney would do a nicely balanced area that would never be too frightening, anyway...

 

[Doberge]

I don't think a villains land belongs in Magic Kingdom but that's maybe a discussion.

Any villains land that Disney does need not to be scary. I don't exactly want to see Descandant's Isle of the lost replicated but it's at least a blue print for an area with multiple villains living together with places like the Facilier's Shop, Hades Cave, Usula's Fish and Chips, Queen of Hearts Salon, Frollo's Creperie, Gaston's Duels Without Rules, etc.