From Rare to Reigning: Will Disney Villains Define a New Era of Character Encounters at Disney World?
Mirror, Mirror on the wall–who is the worst of them all? That’s not exactly how the saying goes but with a villains-themed land coming to Magic Kingdom in the (hopefully) foreseeable future and a new stage show featuring villains opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this summer, I’ve come to a realization. Unless you’re paying out of pocket to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you’re going to have a difficult time finding “the bad guys.”
Think about it. If you were to visit Magic Kingdom Park today, where would you have the opportunity to meet a Disney villain? Other than Anastasia and Drizella, the evil stepsisters from Cinderella, you’re out of luck. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can meet Darth Vader and Kylo Ren from Star Wars, and that’s it. Oh, and you can meet the Evil Queen from Snow White if you have reservations for Storybook Dining at Artist Point, a character meal at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
As far as seeing villains in the parks, Maleficent’s Dragon and Captain Hook with his sidekick Mr. Smee are part of the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom. Gaston appears in Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You’ll also see a few select villains during Fantasmic!, the primary evening entertainment at Hollywood Studios. Am I missing anyone?
When I think of villains, many others come to mind like the Queen of Hearts, Cruella de Vil, Ursula, Hades, Lady Tremaine, Jafar, and Dr. Facilier! You’ll have a hard time finding any of these characters outside of Mickey’s Halloween Party. But things are about to change.
We’ll start with Villains: Unfairly Ever After a new stage show coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this summer. So far we know this performance will feature three live, on-stage villains: Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent. The show also promises a wicked finale featuring dozens of the most infamous evildoers of all time!
If you asked them, our villains would probably try to convince you that they’ve been treated pretty unfairly over the years. In this show, the Magic Mirror has summoned us to hear them out. Never one to let a dramatic performance pass them by, fiendish foes Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent will break through the glass and take the stage to prove once and for all why they are the most misunderstood. In the end, it will be on you to make the final call in a delightfully wicked finale filled with dozens of the most infamous evildoers awaiting your decision from within the Mirror’s realm.
Secondly, last year Disney announced that a new villain’s themed land would be built at Magic Kingdom. So far little is known about the new land other than it will be home to two major attractions, dining, and shopping on an incredibly twisted grand scale. I don’t know about you but I’ve put some thought into it and am hoping for some spectacular attraction themed to the Cave of Wonder from Aladdin where you ride a magic carpet to escape.
Of course, that’s just some poor unfortunate soul’s dream. Realistically, however, I think we can expect a location to meet at least one or two villains regularly. Imagine a dark, creepy land where villains lurk and you never know who you might see!
We can only hope that these upcoming additions will mean a new era of character opportunities in the parks. Maybe, just maybe, a few of these rare villains will soon have a place to reign! Who would you like to meet? Let us know in the comments below!
