Things are about to get spooky at Magic Kingdom! Villains Land is coming to Magic Kingdom! In this post, which we’ll update through the time the land opens, we’ll cover what we know about the land and our hopes and expectations for this generational expansion. Read on to learn all about the Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom!
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Villains Land Is Coming to Magic Kingdom (you are here)
Un-Updates From D23
Before we get into what you need to know about Villains Land, let’s talk a little bit about what didn’t happen at D23. Back in February there was a huge update to this post concerning rumors that Villains Land plans had been “supercharged”, with Imagineers being told to think bigger, bolder, and so on. This was accompanied by more specific reports about possibilities like a coaster themed to The Emperor’s New Groove and an Ursula-themed carousel.
I can’t say those reports were “wrong”, but they were certainly overblown, probably to the extent that it was silly for them to be reported on (including here) in the first place. Unsurprisingly, lots of ideas get thrown around in the development process, but, in the end, Villains Land looks like it’ll be mostly in line with what was originally announced.
Basics About Villains Land Coming to Magic Kingdom
We’ll start with when and where the land will debut. The “when” question is particularly important because, as you’ll see, it’s still a long time away. This means that while this project is very much real, the details are still subject to change. And you don’t need to stress over planning a trip to see it yet—plenty of time to just enjoy the ride (and years of concept art).
Where Will Disney World’s Villains Land Be Located?
Villains Land will be located in Magic Kingdom, more or less behind Haunted Mansion and “it’s a small world”, adjacent to the also-upcoming Piston Peak National Park land. Here’s one speculated map that looks pretty good to me, and which seems to accord with more recent permitting.
When Will Villains Land at Magic Kingdom Open?
Disney has not announced an opening date for Villains Land, so we’re left only to speculate as to an opening timeframe. Let’s start with a look at some recent land openings at Disney World:
Pandora - Announced September 2011, Work Began January 2014, Opened May 2017 (~3 years construction)
Galaxy's Edge - Announced August 2015, Work Began April 2016, Opened August 2019 (~3 years construction)
Toy Story Land - Announced August 2015, Work Began April 2016, Opened June 2018 (~2 years construction)
Tropical Americas - Announced September 2023, Work Began January 2025, Scheduled to Open 2027 (~2 years construction)
Monstropolis - Announced August 2024, Work Began in 2025, Scheduled to Partially Open in 2027
Probably the closest analogy we have here is the dual announcement of Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios. Magic Kingdom is getting two new lands. There’s the Cars Land (maybe smaller than a full “land”) that will mostly replace Rivers of America, and there’s the Villains Land that will mostly occupy new park land.
Cars Land Map, Concept Art, Copyright Disney, Fair Use Claimed
These lands were announced at the same time, just like Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land. If we assume the Cars area will be the first to open (a reasonable assumption for a lot of reasons), the August 2024 announcement would point to the Cars land opening Summer 2027 and the Villains Land opening Summer 2028. But that won’t happen, for a few reasons.
First, the “Beyond Big Thunder” project for Magic Kingdom, including these two lands, is no typical expansion. The project first required filling in the Rivers of America. To some extent, the comparison timelines can just be thrown out the window for that reason alone.
Second, we know Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom is set for a 2027 opening, and Monstropolis is now set for a partial 2027 opening, too. The partial Monstropolis opening means (1) the Monsters Inc. coaster will probably open in 2028 and (2) parts of Tropical Americas are probably going to be pushed into 2028, too. It looks pretty secure that Tropical Americas and Monstropolis will fill the 2027-2028 calendar.
This brings us to 2029 and the question of which will come first—Piston Peak or Villains Land. I’m not sure Disney has outright said it, but they’ve done everything other than say Piston Peak will be first. At D23 in August 2026, fans got to see a scale model of Piston Peak, and the names of both rides were revealed. By contrast, Villains Land got only a land name (“Villains Land”) and some minor details about the rides.
Altogether now, we’re probably expecting the Cars area to open in 2029 or 2030, with the Villains Land to follow in 2030 or 2031.
Again, this is all guesswork at this point. The bottom line is that you aren’t planning trips to see these new lands yet. On the plus side, they aren’t just “blue sky” projects anymore. Villains Land will get built.
Villains Land Rides and Theming
Disney has confirmed there will be two rides in the new land. The first is a Maleficent Coaster, in which you’ll “race through enchanted briar surrounding her frightening mountaintop fortress.” The other is a Magic Mirror dark ride “featuring a whole array of your favorite Disney Villains.”
At D23 in August 2026, Disney revealed a bit about the story of the land:
If you dare enter the forest of Villains Land, you may soon come across a Wishing Well that’s been torn asunder. Under most circumstances, a Wishing Well would indicate pure and good energy at work, but something dark happened to this one. 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.
So far, nothing has been revealed about dining, shopping, or any other attractions in the land.
The other theming detail we have comes from the characters who appeared behind Josh D'Amaro during a previous announcement related to the land. This list included 13 villains: Chernabog, Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, Evil Queen, Gaston, Hades, Jafar, Lady Tremaine, Maleficent, Mother Gothel, Queen of Hearts, Ursula, and Yzma.
Of course, we have no information as to what this list actually meant. Maybe all these characters will feature. Maybe they’ll be roaming. Maybe someone just had to throw together a graphic of 13 (spooky number) villains. It’s always possible the list will be changed. Personally, I’d like to see Dr. Facilier, Oogie Boogie, and Intergenerational Trauma considered for feature roles.
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