Disney has finally given Villains Land, Magic Kingdom’s biggest expansion since opening day, a proper reveal: an official name, two named attractions and a story built around a corrupted Wishing Well.
Walt Disney Imagineering president Bruce Vaughn and executive creative director Caroline May shared the details at the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase during D23 in Anaheim on August 15. The name is simply Villains Land, chosen to sit alongside Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland. WDWMagic reports the land will be comparable in size to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
What is Villains Land Magic Kingdom?
The land is set in a foreboding forest where an evil wish cracked a Wishing Well and spread its magic through the trees. The villains have each claimed a corner and built lairs there — the Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil and Dr. Facilier are all named, per the Orange County Register’s live coverage.
What rides is Disney building?
Two headliners were confirmed:
- A Maleficent coaster — riders race through enchanted briars around her mountaintop fortress. Imagineering says it includes elements never attempted before on a Disney coaster, which earlier reporting suggested could include an inversion, a first for Magic Kingdom.
- A Mirror Realm dark ride — the Magic Mirror from Snow White hosts, guiding riders through the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace into the Mirror Realm itself, where villains are conjured with effects and physical sets.
A themed restaurant and shops round out the land, which is part of the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom’s history alongside the Cars-themed Piston Peak National Park.
When will Villains Land open?
No opening date has been announced. Disney has said construction continues beyond Big Thunder Mountain, in the northwest corner of the park, where grading and utility work on the show buildings began this summer. The Disney Parks Blog has been drip-feeding design details, including the Art Nouveau architecture and the Dark Forest trees inspired by Snow White.
For UAE readers planning a Florida trip: Villains Land joins Monstropolis (2027) and the Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom in the queue of new Walt Disney World openings, with no dates yet attached to most of them. Disney’s other big resort project, Disneyland Abu Dhabi, remains under construction on Yas Island with no opening date.
What is Villains Land Magic Kingdom?
Villains Land is the official name of the new villains-themed land at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It is set in a foreboding forest where a corrupted Wishing Well spread dark magic, and it will be comparable in size to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
What rides are coming to Villains Land?
Two headliner attractions were confirmed at D23: a Maleficent coaster through enchanted briars and a Mirror Realm dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror from Snow White. A themed restaurant and shops round out the land.
When will Villains Land open?
No opening date has been announced. Disney confirmed construction continues beyond Big Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom, where the land will be built.
