The Super Bowl for Disney park fans, the D23 Expo, concluded a couple of months ago in Anaheim, California. At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the company showcased many projects underway across several areas, including animation, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel, and, of course, the Disney theme parks.
As expected, Disney shared detailed updates on projects underway worldwide and, of course, added a few surprises along the way. During the experiences showcase, executives such as Thomas Mazlum, Disney Experiences Chairman, and Bruce Vaughn, president and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, among others, took the stage and discussed many of the exciting projects set to open before the end of the decade.
Guests learned the long-awaited names and details for the three attractions coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom‘s Tropical Americas expansion, including the first-ever attraction themed to Encanto, the opening date for the “front half” of Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and much information regarding the background and experiences coming to the long-awaited Villains land, the Magic Kingdom.
Additionally, several unexpected announcements stole the headlines, including the enhancements to the Yeti of Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain and the return of the Dreamfinder to EPCOT‘s Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Over the West Coast, Disneyland fans saw their near multi-decade wish come true as Disneyland’s Tomorrowland is set to receive an awesome overhaul ahead of the park’s 75th anniversary.
While I already did a deep dive on the potential experiences coming to Tomorrowland on the West Coast in a previous article published on the DIS, let’s now turn our attention to the most anticipated project on the East Coast, and potentially out of the entire massive list of projects, Villains Land.
Background of Villains Land
To see whether this land lives up to the lofty expectations, let’s look back at the land’s buildup and how Disney discussed the project in the early stages.
First, let’s go back to the 2022 D23 Expo, nearly four years before Disney gave the fans true context and information about the land. During the “A Boundless Future: Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products” showcase, former Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro (who is now the company’s CEO) tested many “blue sky” concepts on stage. While this method drew much criticism from the fandom at the time, it let Disney run a free survey of potential projects and let fans decide which direction the parks should go.
During the showcase, D’Amaro and his team teased a Zooptopia– and Moana-themed area coming to Animal Kingdom, along with possibilities “beyond” Big Thunder Mountain, including a land surrounded by the Disney Villains. As expected, this announcement drew the largest crowd reaction and gave a clear answer to what the fans wanted.
Fast-forward to 2024, when Disney put this blue-sky tease into action. During the conclusion of the experiences panel, D’Amaro announced what fans have been dreaming of: an official villains land was coming to the Magic Kingdom.
In the official press release, Disney teased that this land would be home to “two major attractions, dining, and shopping on an incredibly twisted grand scale.” Alongside this brief showcase, Disney released one piece of concept art hinting at a potential Maleficent-themed roller coaster and a major dark ride.
However, while many fans eagerly expected more detail at the smaller Destination D23 (in 2025), Disney instead opted for smaller announcements regarding the land. Instead of showcasing attraction plans, the Imagineers gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the land’s inspiration.
During a research trip, Imagineers took note of Art Nouveau architectural design, including the “unique form, scale, and color that define this style.” The Imagineers praised the importance of the Art Nouveau designs in Paris, especially how the “swirling designs” make the impression that the area has been “cursed.” Disney coined the term “Conjured Architecture,” which perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere the Imagineers are attempting to create.
While this announcement wasn’t the most “exciting,” it did show the level of care and detail going into the construction of this land.
As of writing, the last time Disney put this level of care into the atmosphere of a given land was Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland). Even though this land has many problems, including a lack of kinetic energy, the level of detail in each building and rockwork is clear, and seeing this level of attention put into Villains Land is a very positive sign that it will live up to lofty expectations.
Additionally, instead of mostly recreating areas from the films, such as Maleficent’s Castle (more on that later), Disney is expanding the world of the villains in an area that is designed to be entirely unique to the Magic Kingdom.
Expanding Villains Land at the 2026 D23 Expo
While this was a very positive announcement in 2025, despite the lack of fan excitement, the anticipated details were announced last month. Before getting into the concrete details, Vaughn and Executive Creative Director Caroline May announced the official name of the land, Villains Land. While Disney could have created a unique name, as it does with “Star Wars Land” (Galaxy’s Edge), it instead chose a straightforward approach, making the land instantly recognizable.
Like Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, Villains Land will follow a similar naming convention to many areas of the Magic Kingdom. However, the Disney Parks Blog stressed that while the names may be similar, the “vibe couldn’t be more different.”
In addition, Vaughn and May shared an elaborate backstory for the land that not many areas across the Disney Parks share. For example, while Galaxy’s Edge does have an elaborate backstory with deep storytelling, areas like Toy Story Land, Pixar Pier, and Avengers Campus often feel underwhelming in storytelling and design compared to Galaxy’s Edge.
According to the Disney Parks Blog, most wishing wells lead to a positive fortune for those with a dream. However, the opposite occurred outside of Villains Land. “Once upon a time, someone made an evil wish here – a wish so evil it corrupted the stone and broke open the structure, spreading the well’s poisoned magic throughout the forest.”
As a result, some of the most mischievous characters from the Disney library were tempted by the ruined magic and formed new lairs for themselves within the dark forest. In this noted Parks Blog release, Disney directly compared the size and scale of this land to Galaxy’s Edge and added, “There will be no shortage of space to explore and enjoy a bit of mischievous fun.”
This is critical information on the potential for this land. Unlike the two other major projects occurring at Hollywood Studios (Monstropolis) and Animal Kingdom (Tropical Americas), Villains Land will be built on a completely blank slate, allowing the Imagineers to create a truly innovative area without any restrictions.
While Monstropolis and Tropical Americas will look like entirely new areas when finished (in comparison to what was there), Villains Land has the largest “canvas” (in terms of projected area), allowing the Imagineers to create an area that could redefine the Magic Kingdom.
Attractions Coming to Villains Land
While the unique storyline of the land’s “creation” was promising, the fandom was more interested in further details about the land’s signature attractions. Leading up to the D23 Expo, rumors circulated about the land’s direction, with some suggesting Disney might avoid overly thrilling and scary experiences and instead create a more family-friendly atmosphere.
However, Vaughn and May addressed these rumors on stage and assured the audience this was not the direction the land will be going in.
The first headliner attraction will be a roller coaster themed to the Mistress of All Evil herself, Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty. As teased in the initial concept area of the land that was released back in 2024, guests will have the opportunity to soar through the enchanted briar that surrounds her fortress.
During the discussion, Vaughn and May noted that this roller coaster attraction will feature “elements” never attempted in similar attractions.
While this wording is remarkably vague and leaves room for interpretation, it suggests Disney isn’t settling for a simple themed roller coaster. Currently, the Walt Disney World resort does not feature a roller coaster that has a “drop-track” feature (that is found over at Universal’s Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure). Or this could potentially be Magic Kingdom’s first inversion roller coaster, which would join Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets as the only attractions at the resort that have this feature.
The second of the two major attractions drew the most speculation leading up to the expo, as the initial concept art offered no hints about the story or design.
According to the Disney Parks Blog, this second attraction will be a dark ride featuring a “whole array of your favorite Disney villains” and will be hosted by the Magic Mirror. If this plot sounds familiar, you are not wrong, as Disney was likely “play-testing” this concept for over a year.
Over at Hollywood Studios, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, the Magic Mirror serves as the host while many of your favorite villains break through the glass and perform on stage. This show has been very popular with guests, and Disney has taken notice, as the overarching story will anchor what could be the most anticipated attraction in Disney Parks history.
Deep in the catacombs under the Evil Queen’s castle, guests will enter his ethereal realm and come face-to-face with many of the iconic villains. The concept art teased Ursula, Scar, Dr. Facilier, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil. When discussing this attraction, Vaughn and May noted that the villains will interact with special effects and physical set pieces that will bring these characters to life.
Unlike the Maleficent roller coaster, not much else is known about this attraction. In fact, Disney has not revealed what type of attraction this second e-ticket will be. In the concept art, guests can make out a three-row vehicle with a lap bar, similar to what could be coming to Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure in Avengers Infinify Defense. However, to a different eye, the art suggests this could be a boat ride, since there appears to be a body of water.
Even though we may not have an answer until the next D23 Expo (in 2028) or Destination D23 in 2027, both attractions appear to be designed with utmost detail, and the budget appears to be a second thought.
While this land is being compared to the scale of Galaxy’s Edge from the Parks Blog, the creation of two major e-ticks (and the vulture dining and shopping that have yet to be revealed) suggests the finished project may be far more impressive.
While Rise of the Resistance is an incredible experience widely regarded as one of Disney’s greatest attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is quite underwhelming, especially in comparison.
However, Disney is directly addressing this complaint by saying that both e-tickets will truly live up to the title of an “e-ticket.”
The other concern of this land that was directly addressed is that this land may not be truly “scary.” While guests should not expect a Halloween Horror Nights equivalent, there is room for this land to be more adult-centered.
During the panel, the executives repeatedly stressed that nearly every attraction in development is for all ages, with many not having a height requirement.
Next door to Villains Land will be Piston Peak, which will offer a more family-friendly environment for the guests who may be too young to experience the more intense attractions. Additionally, Piston Peak will include a secondary attraction designed for little ones: Ms. Frtiter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
With many new attractions across Walt Disney World set to open without a height requirement, Imagineers will have far more freedom to lean into the thrilling and frightening side of the villains.
Guests should not expect the most frightening attraction to the likes of the former ExtraTerrorestrial Encounter, as Disney simply does not make attractions like that anymore, but do not be surprised if there are some intense moments.
Conclusion
Details for this land will continue to be uncovered as we approach the projected opening date of 2030 (as Disney stated during the 2024 D23 Expo). However, based on what we know and can analyze, Disney is showing that they are listening to fans and aiming to create an area that could become the crown jewel of themed lands across the park’s portfolio.
