Seems to be the case. Kind of crazy how big villians land could be. Personally I'm not that big of a fan
News Magic Kingdom Project 2030 (?): Villains Land
- Thread starter Zachary
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Rumor is with Josh taking over as CEO he has ordered changes-- supposedly bigger and better version of the land.
There's a 0% chance that that rumor is accurate. Maybe changes to the individual ride, or facades, but land layout and stuff are locked in. They've had years and years of development and the land is actively into land clearing. Building permits and wastewater permits have already been filed. The odds of someone who's not gonna be in charge for over a month ordering changes to a land that's had years of work, already been greenlit, and is in the middle of being built feel slim.
If anything, he ordered improvements to the rides (more feasible since we don't have concept art, permits, or anything for that and its still a few months away from vertical construction) but there's just no way that the land as a whole could be changed this late
Working in corporate America, I think you underestimate the ability of executive leadership to completely halt and/or change scope of projects. Not saying this is a true rumor, but nothing is truly "locked in."
I mean, permits are already filed and the freaking thing is under construction. I mean, someone could start a rumor that Dinoland is actually coming back and that Josh wants to put the Wild Mice back where they were and bring back the boneyard, but they're in pieces on the ground. That rumor would be just as true as this one. Villains Land itself isn't changing. Just the e-ticket dark ride. Like, he couldn't change the coaster if he wanted to because AFAIK the manufacturer is already starting to work on it.
Yes, permits have been filed, but they have not broken ground yet. The only thing currently under construction is Cars-- there is land clearing for Villains Land but the land itself has not started actual construction. My guess is this is more a case of plussing the current plans. So many times they have pie in the sky ideas and plans that are scaled back when it comes time to build. My guess is this could be a plussing with an additional attraction and area that had been cut when it was approved by Iger.
This same kind of thing happened with the announcement of New Fantasyland compplete with concept art which was then changed last minute by Iger when he took over. Villains Land never had any "real" concept art out there, just some vagues ideas. Permits can easily be re-filed.
This same kind of thing happened with the announcement of New Fantasyland compplete with concept art which was then changed last minute by Iger when he took over. Villains Land never had any "real" concept art out there, just some vagues ideas. Permits can easily be re-filed.
Many bombshells from the Wrap, here's the hot tips;
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OG Article and Non Paywalled Version
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OG Article and Non Paywalled Version
For the LOVE OF PETE, can they STOP with the DUMBO TYPE RIDES?! There is FOUR OF THEM in that park ALONE! 2 with dumbo, 1 with Astro orbiter, and another in Aladdin. Give us an ACTUALLY INTERESTING flatride for once, sheesh.
On the other hand it would be really really cool if this were a Polyp. I'm not led to believe that will be the case though;
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I’d rather this than a dumbo ride. There’s so many manufacturers and a huge array of flatrides they could choose. Hell, give me a music express. Literally anything with more thrill than a dumbo.
Wow, I’m not getting the hate for this at all. A gloomier, Dark Universe-inspired Villains Land would have been nice, but it feels like the obvious creative direction. It also may have felt a bit derivative of, or at least redundant with, Dark Universe. If any of us were tasked with designing a villains land, a dismal gothic setting is probably how all of us would’ve imagined it.
A brighter, cheerier take on a villains land feels like a more unexpected and potentially richer creative approach. It almost seems to be setting the land up for a sort of anti-hero view into the villains’ lives — a way of experiencing and appreciating their world in a way that the stories we know haven’t told. It just sounds more intriguing and novel.
It also sets the stage for a wry, humorous tone and visual gags, something that defined the early Disney parks (with Marc Davis famously integrating humor into classic attractions like Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates) but that I feel has been missing in the Iger-era projects. If done right, this land could be a one-of-a-kind vibe and a return to creative form for Disney.
I'm definitely on the other side of this one.
The fandom has been begging for "a Villains land/park" for literally decades now and the community consensus has always been that it should be dark, spooky, and gloomy. All of this LONG predates UEU's Dark Universe. Disney got up on stage at D23 and told fans that they were finally building what everyone has been asking for—that dark, spooky villains land. Turning around and building not that will rightly feel like a betrayal for many.
The article basically states to me in no uncertain terms that Disney doesn't want "a Villains land" as the community has long dreamt of experiencing, Disney wants an entirely different land that features villains. I would much rather Disney build that other land they want to rather than trying to pretend this is the Villains land people have always imagined. A kiddie coaster themed to Emperor's New Groove? That's fun, but it's an anchor for the South American "Beyond Big Thunder" concept from years ago, not an anchor for "a Villains land."
The Maleficent boat ride sounds amazing, but it's impossible for me to imagine how a flagship-level, Battle for the Sunken Treasure-style, Maleficent-centered, Sleeping Beauty darkride will cleanly mesh with the vibe of a fun, light, silly, The Emperor's New Groove-anchored "land with Villains." To me it sounds doomed to feel like a leftover from a previous, far more interesting, version of the land it sounds like we're unlikely to get.
The fandom has been begging for "a Villains land/park" for literally decades now and the community consensus has always been that it should be dark, spooky, and gloomy. All of this LONG predates UEU's Dark Universe. Disney got up on stage at D23 and told fans that they were finally building what everyone has been asking for—that dark, spooky villains land. Turning around and building not that will rightly feel like a betrayal for many.
The article basically states to me in no uncertain terms that Disney doesn't want "a Villains land" as the community has long dreamt of experiencing, Disney wants an entirely different land that features villains. I would much rather Disney build that other land they want to rather than trying to pretend this is the Villains land people have always imagined. A kiddie coaster themed to Emperor's New Groove? That's fun, but it's an anchor for the South American "Beyond Big Thunder" concept from years ago, not an anchor for "a Villains land."
The Maleficent boat ride sounds amazing, but it's impossible for me to imagine how a flagship-level, Battle for the Sunken Treasure-style, Maleficent-centered, Sleeping Beauty darkride will cleanly mesh with the vibe of a fun, light, silly, The Emperor's New Groove-anchored "land with Villains." To me it sounds doomed to feel like a leftover from a previous, far more interesting, version of the land it sounds like we're unlikely to get.
IMO many of Disneys classic villains (basically straight from fairy tails) are dark and brooding in nature. Their issues tended to be they fell too much into their pride than any sort of slap stick that later Disney villains have become.
I’ve felt for a long time that a Villans park should have been its own gate because what they are don’t fit with any of their current parks. This feels like they are trying to shoehorn in a dark feeling to match the upbeat mood of the park and are going to take away what made them memorable.
paintervision
Coasters: 653 🎢
Not really a fan of Lighting Lane revenue being the driver of all creative decisions, at the busiest theme park on Earth.
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I could see Villains Land taking a cue from Mickey Avenue at Shanghai Disneyland or even Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris where architectural styles of real-world regions like Italy, Germany, etc. are married with the style of each villain to varying degrees of whimsical cartoonish-ness.
When they mentioned the coaster being along the lines of Slinky Dog Dash, I really hope they don’t mean the intensity level will be the same as that IMO. I get wanting it to be accessible for younger guests, though I wouldn’t mind something like Big Bear Mountain (whose height requirement is just one inch taller than SDD) that’s both indoor and outdoor.
I wouldn't have thought Emperor's New Groove was a big enough hit for the second largest ride in the area. There are so many more prominent villains.
There seems to be a fair amount of cult classic nostalgia around the movie but I'm not sure if translates to the public at large.