Magic Kingdom, the flagship park of Walt Disney World in Florida and the most visited theme park on the planet, is expanding with Villains Land, a new area dedicated to the classic antagonists of Disney animated films. The project is arguably more anticipated than anything else Disney is currently developing for its parks. That’s saying something considering other expansions include an Encanto ride and a Monsters, Inc. roller coaster, both of which also have fans excited for their openings. Disney knows it has to deliver with Villains Land, and details for what’s coming indicate they will.
In this story, we’ll break down the future Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom, including the rides Disney is building and which Villains have been confirmed to appear. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including Disney’s quiet clues for Tally the Elf potentially returning for this year’s holiday season and Disney working on a new Halloweentown movie 20 years after the last film.
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Imagineers’ Approach to Villains Land at Magic Kingdom
“An evil wish poisoned the wishing well. Its tainted magic seeped forth, twisting the land into the Dark Forest.”
Villains Land is under construction at Magic Kingdom. In a theme park known for fairytale princesses and happily-ever-afters, this huge area will turn the spotlight on Disney Villains with two new rides.
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Villains Land will be “on the scale of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge,” said Bruce Vaughn, Walt Disney Imagineering President and Chief Creative Officer, onstage at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026.
Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park, is rich in architectural detail and storytelling placemaking. It’s also home to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which has quickly become one of Disney’s most popular rides since it debuted in 2019. This sets expectations incredibly high for Villains Land.
Villains Land will feature many favorite Disney antagonists, but has some important criteria for who’s invited. Only characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films will be part of Villains Land, not bad guys belonging to other subsections of Disney, such as Pixar, Lucasfilm, or Marvel.
For example, Maleficent is fair game because she’s from 1959’s Sleeping Beauty, which was created by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Ernesto de la Cruz, however, is off the table because he’s from 2017’s Coco, which was made by Pixar.
We’ll take a closer look at which characters have been announced for Villains Land later in this story.
Concept art for Villains Land is decidedly scary, with one particular illustration containing floating eyeballs, skeletons, rats, and bats! See our previous coverage where we examined this and other artwork to explore how scary Villains Land might be.
“We’re creating an entirely new story for these characters, and a new way of seeing them,” said Vaughn. “These aren’t Villains hiding in the shadows. They’re powerful, sophisticated, elegant, and they have impeccable taste.”
Let’s venture into the Dark Forest to discover what Vaughn means.
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Maleficent Roller Coaster
“Enchanted briar ensnarls Maleficent’s fortress, posing a challenge to those who dare answer her invitation.”
A roller coaster starring Maleficent, the “mistress of all evil” from Sleeping Beauty, will be part of Villains Land at Magic Kingdom.
The coaster will be a “high thrill” attraction, teased by Caroline May, Walt Disney Imagineering Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney World, onstage during D23 2026. This likely places it along the lines of something like TRON Lightcycle / Run rather than the more tame Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
“You will encounter Maleficent herself as you chase through the enchanted briar, around her mountaintop fortress,” May said. The ride will contain elements that Imagineers “haven’t done before in a Disney coaster.”
It seems that the coaster will be mostly outdoors. See our previous coverage for a deeper dive into the Maleficent coaster, including a closer look at more photos of the scale model.
Dark Ride With Tons of Disney Villains
“Magic Mirror on the wall within his Mirror Realm sees all. For the bold who follow him through the glass, he promises reflections of what may come to pass.”
A dark ride starring a who’s-who of Disney Villain favorites will be part of Villains Land at Magic Kingdom. “Dark ride” is theme park lingo for an indoor attraction that’s typically slow-moving and story-driven.
Riders will venture into the dungeon of the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. There, the Magic Mirror will beckon them into the Mirror Realm to visit the following Disney Villains:
- Cruella De Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- Jafar from Aladdin
- Doctor Facilier from The Princess and the Frog
- Scar from The Lion King
- Ursula from The Little Mermaid
Concept art depicts the ride vehicle as a boat, but Imagineers have not once referred to this attraction as a boat ride. This leads us to believe the ride may simulate a boat’s movements without actually being in any water.
Glenn Close surprised fans during the Villains Land announcements at D23 2026 by appearing onstage as her version of Cruella De Vil from the 1996 live-action remake of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. This was an extremely fun moment, and Close clearly had a blast. However, it caused some confusion among fans and even some news outlets that reported Close was returning to the role for a Cruella ride in Villains Land. It’s our understanding that this is not the case.
Cruella will appear in the Magic Mirror ride, but concept art depicts the animated version of the character, consistent with all the Villains in Villains Land. Close has never voiced an animated version of the character, and has not been announced to be part of the attraction. In recent decades, any Cruella animated appearances in various Disney projects have been courtesy of voice actor Susan Blakely, who also voices modern-day Maleficent and Evil Queen appearances.
Villains Land Location
Within the storyline, Villains Land will take place in the Dark Forest. A mysterious stranger makes an evil wish into a wishing well, which creates dark magic that spills from the well and attracts Disney Villains to its power.
With the physical realities of Magic Kingdom, Villains Land will be located at the northeast corner of the park, partially on real estate that was previously occupied by Tom Sawyer Island and partially on formerly undeveloped land.
A huge parcel of land immediately south of Villains Land is also under construction. Formerly belonging to the remainder of Tom Sawyer Island, it will one day be home to Piston Peak National Park, a Cars-themed area with two new rides of its own. See more about the thrill ride and family ride coming to Piston Peak.
Dining and Shopping
Villains Land will contain restaurants and shops, but specifics about these entities have not been revealed. Stay tuned on this front!
The Villains’ Evil Lairs
Guests will get to see Disney Villains’ evil lairs within Villains Land.
The bad guys have “used this land’s cursed magic to conjure the perfect new lairs for themselves, everything they could wish for,” said May. “The style reflects the style, humor, and fiendish personality of the Villain that owns it.”
It remains to be seen exactly how these lairs will be experienced. Will they be meet-and-greet spaces? Will they be scenes in the Magic Mirror dark ride? Disney hasn’t specified this yet.
Regardless of the medium, the Villains might be seen in the lairs with stylish new looks. During the D23 presentation, Vaughn revealed “character studies,” pictured above, “that helped define a new vision for our Villains and establish an elevated, elegant tone for the land.”
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