Disney Confirms Long Awaited Villains Land Plus NEW Look at Villains Expected

Disney fans have been asking for a Villains Land for years and this is something that many of us always thought was just a far fetched dream, something that would never really come true.

Even when the idea of a Villains land was teased at the last D23 Disney fan convention, many of us were still skeptical of the reality of it even though it was teased as one of the possible “Blue Sky” ideas for a Magic Kingdom expansion behind Big Thunder Mountain.

Now we have the confirmation that the “Beyond Big Thunder” expansion will indeed be a Disney Villains Land making it the first ever Villains themed area in a Disney Park! Plus confirmation of the villains coming to the land!

Disney Villains Land Coming to Magic Kingdom

We have been dreaming of this possibility for years and it is now a reality! Josh D'Amaro, Disney Experiences Chairman, revealed at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event that Villains Land is coming to Magic Kingdom. The new Villains Land will be home to the Disney Villains from favorite Walt Disney Animation Studios classic films. D'Amaro shared, “Which means happily ever after may feel like just a distant dream.”

The Disney Parks Blog post shared that the possibilities are “endless” for all these villains and the multitude of stories that can be told. Visitors that come to the “dark and thorny land” should be prepared for “whatever chaos might come their way.” Villains Land will be home to two major attractions, dining, and shopping on a “twisted grand scale.” According to D'Amaro, “It’s going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be.”

Disney Shares NEW Look at Villains Coming

Josh D'Amaro recently presented a new look at what villains are going to inspire Villains Land at Magic Kingdom at the recent D23 Brazil Convention saying, “Their evil ambitions give us endless possibilities to tell new stories. This new land will be home to the villains you know and loathe.”

As he spoke an imagine of villains appeared on the screen including Queen of Hearts, Jafar, the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, Yzma, Cruella, Captain Hook, Maleficent, Gaston, Mother Gothel, Ursula, Hades, and Chernabog. But the images shown weren't the visuals from the films but the art of these villains shown on the Lorcana trading card game.

This might hint that the artists that work with Lorcana might be called in to help work on the land but this is purely speculation. The artwork on the Lorcana cards is incredibly impressive so this would be a good move on Disney's part and it was an interesting move to use this artwork to discuss the villains that will be a part of the land.

D'Amaro also hinted at the storyline for the land sharing, “In our story, a mysterious spell has been cast, summoning villains from every realm. In this land, heroes don't come to save the day and there may not be a happily ever after!”

And what's even more exciting is that work has already begun at Magic Kingdom for the new land which means shovels are indeed in the ground as promised.

Villains Land Concept Art Reveals Details

The concept art shows a dark and visually stunning space that is a huge contrast from the other lands in Magic Kingdom. If we zoom into the far left corner of the concept art, we see what appears to be a rollercoaster track made out of thorns. The thorns are a reference to the Forest of Thorns created by Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty.

We also see the iconic dragon Maleficent transformed into directly to the right of the thorns breathing green fire. Does this mean we will see a dragon as part of the land? Disneyland Paris already has a Maleficent dragon underneath their Sleeping Beauty castle and the Maleficent dragon is an iconic villain visual that's been featured in Fantasmic and Disney parades.

Is Maleficent The Queen of Villains Land?

Maleficent's presence is all over this concept art, not only do we see reference to the Forest of Thorns, we also see her signature raven (Diablo) featured in the bottom left corner of the concept art. The color scheme of the concept art also points to her signature colors of green and purple hues. Add this to the presence of the dragon, it seems that she is the main inspiration for this land. Which is honestly the best move Disney can make as she's easily the most iconic Disney villain associated with the Disney animated films.

Villains Land Features Two Castles

The concept art also features two castles on the left and right of the image. The castle on the left that's centered above the land is likely Maleficent's, especially since I think she is the main focal point of the land. But in the bottom right hand corner, it's a mystery as to which castle or building this is from. Other notable villains that have castles are the Evil Queen, the Horned King (1985 Black Cauldron, so lesser known) and the Queen of Hearts.

In fact, there are so many notable villain lairs that could divide this land up. Some that also come to mind are Scar's Elephant Graveyard, Hade's Underworld, Yzma's secret lab, Ursula's Lair, and Cruella's Hell Hall. The possibilities are endless!

This is one of the biggest expansions we've ever seen from Disney and I am absolutely thrilled to see them pick Disney Villains as the choice for the Beyond Big Thunder expansion. I can't wait to learn more.

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