New Villains Land announced for Magic Kingdom at D23

At this year’s D23, Disney answered fans’ dark desires by announcing a villains-themed expansion to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. This new Villains Land will take parkgoers off the beaten path of castles and fairytales, and into the deep dark woods far away from happily ever after.

The imagineering team has gone back to basics and delivered a mythology for the new land straight out of a fairytale. An evil wish was made at a wishing well, cracking its foundation and allowing its now poisoned magic to transform the ordinary forest around the well into haunted woods that it is now. The well’s corruption attracted Disney’s most iconic villains to make new lairs where guests can dine, shop, and explore.

Imagineers have taken inspiration for the land from Disney’s classic animation era and the art that informed them. Art Noveau and Modernisme are being used to create a “conjured architecture” that emphasizes how this is a land created by magic.

The first of two attractions announced at D23 was a Maleficent themed roller coaster that takes guests through Maleficent’s castle from “Sleeping Beauty.” Guests will race through the castle’s enchanted briars at Maleficent’s invitation, eventually coming face to face with the sorceress herself. Though the story and ride system have not been revealed, Imagineers suggest that it will be on the cutting edge of Disney’s park technology.

The second attraction teased is a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” After finding him in the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s castle, he will transport riders to the mirror dimension where he’ll conjure Disney villains in special effects and physical set pieces.

An opening date has not been announced yet.