At Long Last, A Villains Land Is In The Works At Magic Kingdom

Ursula the sea witch, the evil queen with her poison apple, Scar and his band of hyenas — some of Disney’s most iconic characters (with the catchiest musical numbers) are the bad guys. And if you’ve always had a soft spot for the dark side, you’re going to love this announcement made at Disney’s D23 convention over the weekend: a dedicated Villains Land is coming to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

Disney unveiled tons of new plans for Magic Kingdom, which will undergo its largest expansion ever at the start of next year. One big chunk — as in multiple acres of space — will become the gloomy, mystical Villains Land inspired by the wicked characters from your favorite Disney films.

According to Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, Villains Land will be home to two major attractions, plus a new selection of stores and dining options. "This land will be home to the villains that you know and those that you loathe, which means happily-ever-after might feel like a distant dream," D’Amaro teased, adding, “This is storytelling on a grand scale that only Disney can deliver, so, be prepared, you poor unfortunate souls. It's going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be."

Disney has not announced an opening date for this nightmarish new territory, but says construction will begin early next year. However, Disney shared a sizzle reel on Instagram to get fans excited, featuring clips of so many classic villains: Maleficent, Jafar, Hades, Yzma, the Queen of Hearts... the list goes on.

And the concept art includes lots of touches from your favorite villains’ big scenes, like those thorny thickets from Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent’s green fire-breathing dragon form. If you look closely, you will see a rollercoaster zipping by near her. So, while no official ride themes or character appearances have been confirmed, perhaps that’s a clue as to what one of those “major attractions” will be.

Villains Land is one of the largest elements of Disney’s expansion acreage-wise, but other announcements at D23 are just as exciting. A New Monsters, Inc. land is also coming and will include Disney’s first-ever suspended roller coaster themed after the door moving system inside Monsters, Inc. headquarters. Frontierland is also being redesigned into the world of Radiator Springs, complete with a road rally coaster and attractions fit for even the youngest members of the family, according to the parks. So, in the not-too-distant future, guests in Orlando will be able to stroll straight from Villains Land into Monstropolis (no word yet on whether they’ll have a Harryhausen's) and down Main Street in Radiator Springs.

Aside from entire sections of the park being built or reworked, some rides are getting a facelift, too. A new Indiana Jones attraction and an Encanto ride are slated to replace the Dinosaur and DinoLand U.S.A. attractions at Animal Kingdom. So, which announcement from D23 has you most excited?