Villains Land at Magic Kingdom

[PerceptiveCoot]

Yeah, to be clear here, I think the ideal scenario is you still have a dozen high-quality animatronics of the heavy hitters. The screens let you radically expand the cast.

Would totally be fine with what is effectively Monsters Unchained. I mean, two years ago, I thought this was something they'd do in 2040, if at all.

 

[UPSguy]

We'll definitely get more information on this during D23 this year. But I'm curious if the TDS Peter Pan is as high capacity as a boat ride, like ISAW or the Shanghai POTC. The only flat ride coming to this expansion is going in the Piston Peak section.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

We'll definitely get more information on this during D23 this year. But I'm curious if the TDS Peter Pan is as high capacity as a boat ride, like ISAW or the Shanghai POTC. The only flat ride coming to this expansion is going in the Piston Peak section.

It's basically a SCOOP, so 1800-2000 guests an hour.

 

[kingcooger]

We'll definitely get more information on this during D23 this year. But I'm curious if the TDS Peter Pan is as high capacity as a boat ride, like ISAW or the Shanghai POTC. The only flat ride coming to this expansion is going in the Piston Peak section.

When I went the line was outside the main queue and almost all the way down to the Fantasy Springs entrance and it only took 45 minutes from the point we entered until we boarded the ride.

It certainly FEELS efficient, if nothing else.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

We'll definitely get more information on this during D23 this year. But I'm curious if the TDS Peter Pan is as high capacity as a boat ride, like ISAW or the Shanghai POTC. The only flat ride coming to this expansion is going in the Piston Peak section.

Too early to know, but at the very least MK is getting an overall capacity boost.

• Cars E-Ticket (1,300-1,600) -> this one concerns me as it's a relatively new ride system and completely outdoor and open to the elements.
• Cars C-Ticket Flat Ride (600-800)
• Villains E-Ticket Coaster (1,400 - 1,850)
• Villains E-Ticket Dark Ride (1,800-2,000) -> as Joe mentions above. Once Avengers open, we can get a good idea of how it'll all work out.

Overall, it's roughly about 5,100-6,250 add'l hourly capacity.

Pair that with some of the other smaller improvements (Buzz, CoP w/ Walt), it should help MK overall tremendously. Especially if Villains gets the dual fireworks show concept like SWGE at DL, I think that's where the land will help the most.

---
Edit to Add: Disney isn't wasting time on getting other MK-related projects started. They submitted a permit to expand the queue for the ferry, and I'd imagine that's part of an overall improvement package for the transportation network between TTC & MK. Could imagine that the ferry queue expansion would be required if they expected more use out of the ferry and less stress on the monorail system?

One issue Disney needs to resolve regarding MK is how they can better manage guests arriving for special events (Not So Scary, etc.) as they get more increasingly popular. MK's entrance becomes a bottleneck during events.

 

[Mad Dog]

Too early to know, but at the very least MK is getting an overall capacity boost.

• Cars E-Ticket (1,300-1,600) -> this one concerns me as it's a relatively new ride system and completely outdoor and open to the elements.
• Cars C-Ticket Flat Ride (600-800)
• Villains E-Ticket Coaster (1,400 - 1,850)
• Villains E-Ticket Dark Ride (1,800-2,000) -> as Joe mentions above. Once Avengers open, we can get a good idea of how it'll all work out.

Overall, it's roughly about 5,100-6,250 add'l hourly capacity.

Pair that with some of the other smaller improvements (Buzz, CoP w/ Walt), it should help MK overall tremendously. Especially if Villains gets the dual fireworks show concept like SWGE at DL, I think that's where the land will help the most.

---
Edit to Add: Disney isn't wasting time on getting other MK-related projects started. They submitted a permit to expand the queue for the ferry, and I'd imagine that's part of an overall improvement package for the transportation network between TTC & MK. Could imagine that the ferry queue expansion would be required if they expected more use out of the ferry and less stress on the monorail system?

One issue Disney needs to resolve regarding MK is how they can better manage guests arriving for special events (Not So Scary, etc.) as they get more increasingly popular. MK's entrance becomes a bottleneck during events.

With attendance mostly flat, and still not equaling pre covid MK numbers, plus fixing the previous fraud riddled Disability system, MK has become so much more comfortable to tour. Stand by, except for the Holidays, isn't bad for the most part, with only a couple exceptions. So these expansions are going to make touring even better...overall. I don't think the Tom Sawyer Island/Rafts and Paddlewheel boat consumed much capacity in the past decade, so Cars and Villains will be a heavy capacity plus.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

With attendance mostly flat, and still not equaling pre covid MK numbers, plus fixing the previous fraud riddled Disability system, MK has become so much more comfortable to tour. Stand by, except for the Holidays, isn't bad for the most part, with only a couple exceptions. So these expansions are going to make touring even better...overall. I don't think the Tom Sawyer Island/Rafts and Paddlewheel boat consumed much capacity in the past decade, so Cars and Villains will be a heavy capacity plus.

100%

My only gripe with the removal of TSI and Liberty Belle is purely from an aesthetic point of view.

 

[HHN Maddux]

Are we expecting the main dark ride to use the SCOOP equivalent?

 

[belloq87]

My only gripe with the removal of TSI and Liberty Belle is purely from an aesthetic point of view.

It's an aesthetic loss, certainly, but I also think the Liberty Belle offered a great value in terms of:

• Providing a substantial ride length that guests could (usually) access without any wait.
• Allowing guests to slow down, relax, and enjoy atmosphere for 15 minutes away from crowds... while still actually on a ride.
• Honoring Walt's love of American history, which is something the castle parks should strive to hang onto.

Villains and Cars will certainly absorb more guests, but all those experiences will end up having (probably) hour+ waits at minimum, which you will spend crammed in with a thousand other visitors.

The WDW Railroad will become much more important in this scenario (as will the theater shows, but those obviously aren't rides), and I hope Villains gives the chance to really add an actual show scene to the full loop once it reopens.

Bottom line, theme parks still need slower-paced, more relaxed spaces that are still providing an experience for the guest. Some might argue that those don't generate revenue, but that's one-dimensional thinking: a more refreshed/recharged guest is a happier guest, and a happier guest will spend money.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Bottom line, theme parks still need slower-paced, more relaxed spaces that are still providing an experience for the guest. Some might argue that those don't generate revenue, but that's one-dimensional thinking: a more refreshed/recharged guest is a happier guest, and a happier guest will spend money.

I 100% agree... but MK does have a good amount of options that offer this.

Carousel of Progress, PeopleMover, Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, and Tiki Room will still be at this park, so I'm not too worried on the front. Combined, that's roughly 1.5-2 hours of just continuous "no wait" experiences.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Villains E-Ticket Dark Ride (1,800-2,000) -> as Joe mentions above. Once Avengers open, we can get a good idea of how it'll all work out.

If it's an Omnimover or a boat ride, it could possibly be more (although they probably wouldn't put an Omnimover so close to the Haunted Mansion)

 

[AB2020]

Villains and Cars will certainly absorb more guests, but all those experiences will end up having (probably) hour+ waits at minimum, which you will spend crammed in with a thousand other visitors.

I think this is what people forget. From a true experience standpoint, going in 2026 doesn't make that much sense if you have recently been. What's really new? I feel like most of the "new" stuff for 2026 is just updated existing attractions. So overall crowds will be lower. But starting probably mid/late 2027 WDW will get a few insane upgrades that will certainly bring in massive crowds: Tropical Americas, Monsters Inc., Cars, Villains in short succession. Unless there is an economic downturn in the coming years I expect very high attendance in the parks starting 2027.

 

[belloq87]

RUMOR: Initial Villains Land Plans "Scrapped", Imagineers Told to Dream Bigger

Walt Disney World has reportedly scrapped the initial plans for Villains Land as Imagineers were tasked to dream bigger

blogmickey.com

 

[Mad Dog]

RUMOR: Initial Villains Land Plans "Scrapped", Imagineers Told to Dream Bigger

Walt Disney World has reportedly scrapped the initial plans for Villains Land as Imagineers were tasked to dream bigger

blogmickey.com

Sounds like after the Disney Board of Directors visited Diagon and told the Imagineers to come up with something significantly better than the area around Echo Lake they were planning for Star Wars. Instead, they greatly expanded the concept to what became GESWL. ....With the Villains, I'm guessing they're thinking an outdoor coaster concept would be too lazy for Villains land. Disney Imagineers can do better.

 

[Jake S]

Sounds like after the Disney Board of Directors visited Diagon and told the Imagineers to come up with something significantly better than the area around Echo Lake they were planning for Star Wars. Instead, they greatly expanded the concept to what became GESWL. ....With the Villains, I'm guessing they're thinking an outdoor coaster concept would be too lazy for Villains land. Disney Imagineers can do better.

I do not know that this is the case here but I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to work for a company that constantly see-saws between how bold and grand it wants its creative products. Imagine getting that feedback on the proposed Star Wars land to then come up with something very ambitious (a Star Wars land not set on one of the three planets everyone can name) only to have the same corporate dweebs come back in and cut all the "superfluous" stuff that would give the concept its only chance of working.

Obviously I've got plenty of criticism to hand out to modern Imagineering but goodness I can understand if trying to thread this needle on every project is aggravating.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I have to imagine this is a delayed statement and has already been executed. Best case scenario, the statement comes from greenlighting an additional attraction and/or adding more ambitious experiences/technology into the land.


With the way the recent permits have been filed, it appears that they've designed the layout in a way to allow MK to expand beyond the railroad.

 

[Mad Dog]

I do not know that this is the case here but I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to work for a company that constantly see-saws between how bold and grand it wants its creative products. Imagine getting that feedback on the proposed Star Wars land to then come up with something very ambitious (a Star Wars land not set on one of the three planets everyone can name) only to have the same corporate dweebs come back in and cut all the "superfluous" stuff that would give the concept its only chance of working.

Obviously I've got plenty of criticism to hand out to modern Imagineering but goodness I can understand if trying to thread this needle on every project is aggravating.

Yes....and then there was the wild card, Chapek, who didn't understand what it takes to equal a Diagon, namely all the little stuff that made it so special, and still elevates Diagon above Potter Paris, which is largely bereft of that extra special stuff.