Magic Mirror on the wall, which new Magic Kingdom land might be the most terrifying of them all?
Disney Villains are officially preparing to take over Magic Kingdom, and we just learned a LOT more about what happens when we venture beyond the happily ever after.
During Horizons: A Carousel of Progress at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Walt Disney Imagineering revealed major new details about the highly anticipated Villains Land coming to Walt Disney World—including the stories behind its two headlining attractions.
And they’re sounding considerably more ambitious than we originally knew.
One attraction will send guests racing through enchanted briars surrounding Maleficent’s mountaintop fortress, while another will take us beneath the Evil Queen’s palace before the Magic Mirror transports us into an entirely different realm filled with Disney Villains.
Oh, and Disney says Villains Land will be comparable in size and scale to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Yeah. We’re listening.
It’s Officially Called ‘Villains Land’
First things first: we finally have a name. And Disney isn’t overcomplicating it.
The new area coming to Magic Kingdom will officially be called Villains Land. Imagineers Bruce Vaughn and Caroline May explained that the straightforward name intentionally connects the new area with Magic Kingdom’s existing Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Frontierland.
But while the name fits comfortably alongside the rest of Magic Kingdom, what’s happening inside this particular land sounds considerably less comforting.
That’s because Imagineering isn’t simply putting a collection of villain attractions next to one another. Villains Land has its own original mythology tying everything together.
An Evil Wish Created Villains Land
This might be one of my favorite pieces of the announcement.
Villains Land will take the familiar fairytale idea of a Wishing Well and turn it completely upside down.
According to the land’s story, guests who stray from the safe path and venture into a foreboding forest will eventually discover a Wishing Well that has been torn apart.
Why? Someone once made a wish there. But it wasn’t exactly the kind of wish Cinderella would make.
Someone made an evil wish so powerful that it corrupted the Wishing Well, shattered its stone structure, and released poisoned magic throughout the surrounding forest.
And naturally, that kind of dark power attracted some pretty questionable characters.
The Disney Villains Have Come to Claim the Magic
One by one, Disney Villains began arriving in the forest, each hoping to claim what remained of the corrupted Wishing Well’s power.
Using that dark magic, the villains have created fortresses and palaces reflecting their individual personalities, establishing the sinister world we’ll eventually explore.
Imagineering says the land will draw from familiar Disney Animation villains while telling a brand-new overarching story, rather than recreating the plot of one particular movie.
And we’re apparently going to have plenty of room to explore.
Disney compared the size and scale of Villains Land to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which gives us our clearest indication yet of just how substantial this Magic Kingdom expansion is intended to be.
And hidden inside that landscape will be two major attractions.
Maleficent Is Getting a Roller Coaster!
Well, THIS escalated quickly.
The first headlining Villains Land attraction will be a roller coaster centered around Maleficent.
Guests will receive an invitation from the Mistress of All Evil herself before racing through the enchanted briars surrounding Maleficent’s frightening mountaintop fortress.
Disney also released new artwork showing Maleficent in her dragon form looming over riders as they race through the twisted landscape.
But perhaps the most interesting detail is what Imagineering isn’t telling us yet.
Disney says the attraction will include elements Imagineers have never attempted before on similar attractions, calling the coaster a groundbreaking project.
Exactly what that means remains a mystery. Ride system? Special effects? Something involving Maleficent herself? Disney isn’t saying yet. But “groundbreaking” and “Maleficent coaster” are two phrases we’re perfectly happy seeing in the same sentence.
The Magic Mirror Is Getting a Dark Ride
The second major attraction couldn’t be more different.
Instead of another thrill ride, Villains Land will feature a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
And this one could give Disney the opportunity to bring a LOT of villains together.
The adventure begins beneath the Evil Queen’s palace, where the Magic Mirror is being kept in the catacombs.
Guests will make their way down to the Mirror before something rather unusual happens.
We’re going THROUGH it.
Welcome to the Mirror Realm
The Magic Mirror will magically transport riders into his mysterious Mirror Realm, allowing us to see what’s waiting on the other side of the glass.
And apparently, there are villains. A lot of villains.
Disney says the Mirror will conjure countless Disney Villains throughout the attraction, with a combination of physical sets and special effects bringing both the characters and the ethereal Mirror Realm to life.
Disney hasn’t revealed the complete villain lineup yet, which means there’s still plenty to learn about this attraction.
But conceptually, this gives Imagineering a pretty brilliant excuse to bring villains from multiple Disney animated movies into one cohesive ride.
The Magic Mirror can show us practically anyone. And because we’re entering his realm, Imagineering isn’t necessarily limited to recreating environments directly from the movies. That’s a LOT of storytelling potential.
Villains Land Will Look Unlike Anything Else at Magic Kingdom
The attractions may be new, but Disney has been slowly giving us clues about what the surrounding land will look like.
At Destination D23 in 2025, Imagineers revealed that they had traveled to Paris and Barcelona while researching Villains Land, studying architectural styles including Art Nouveau and Modernisme.
The team focused on elements like swirling natural forms, dramatic proportions, rich colors, and architecture that almost appears to have been created through magic.
Imagineers eventually developed their own term for the style: “Conjured Architecture.” That design philosophy is now guiding the fortresses, palaces, and environments being created for Villains Land.
So don’t expect this to look like a collection of recreations from individual Disney movies. Disney is creating an original world that feels as though the villains themselves conjured it into existence.
Restaurants and Shopping Are Coming, Too
Disney hasn’t revealed the names or concepts for Villains Land’s dining and shopping locations yet, but both remain part of the project.
When the land was originally announced at D23 in 2024, Disney confirmed the multi-acre expansion would feature two major attractions along with dining and shopping.
The new Wishing Well storyline gives us a little more context for those spaces.
Disney says the villains’ palaces and fortresses will invite guests inside for treats, trinkets, and other temptations, suggesting the shops and restaurants will be integrated into the villains’ individual domains rather than feeling separate from the land’s story.
We’ll have to wait to find out which villains get their own locations. Ursula restaurant, anyone?
When Will Villains Land Open at Magic Kingdom?
Here’s the one big question Disney still hasn’t answered: Villains Land does not have an announced opening date yet.
Disney originally revealed the project at D23 in 2024, confirming that the area would be built Beyond Big Thunder Mountain as part of Magic Kingdom’s massive expansion.
But Horizons finally gave us our clearest idea yet of what we’re eventually walking into. Magic Kingdom’s happily ever after is about to get a LOT more complicated.
Keep checking back with Theme Park Scope for the latest Villains Land construction updates, attraction details, Magic Kingdom expansion news, D23 announcements, and everything new coming to Walt Disney World.
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