Ok, Disney World, we have to admit, we’re a bit confused…
Magic Kingdom
At this year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event it was revealed that new lands, rides, and experiences are coming to Disney World. At Magic Kingdom, a new Villains Land has been promised in addition to the Cars franchise making its way to Frontierland. However, these plans have only created confusion, especially with recent announcements.
What’s confusing us is that the Disney Parks plan to mix and match IPs that should probably be relegated to one park. Let us explain…
Villains Land Concept Art ©Disney
Let’s start with the Villains Land. This new land is slated to come to Magic Kingdom and bring with it a ton of Disney Villains-themed aesthetic, entertainment, and attractions. Makes sense right? So why is a Villains-themed show coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
©Disney
It’s possible that this is a test run to see how certain Villains are received by the park-going public. Figuring out which characters are more in demand is an important task for Disney Parks brass, so it makes sense that Disney wants to roll out the Villains theming early. Still, we’d like to know why this initial rollout is happening at Hollywood Studios and not the park that’s destined to be the main hub of Disney Villains.
The show will feature the “mysterious, reflective realm of the Magic Mirror” and classic Villains like Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent as they “break through the glass” to perform live. The show is slated to premiere in the summer of 2025.
©Disney
This new show will be held at the Sunset Showcase, where the Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy currently performs. That’s right, an already established Cars attraction.
So to keep score, Cars already has a footprint at Hollywood Studios, but is now coming to Magic Kingdom but not before being erased from Hollywood Studios by a Villains attraction from an IP that is slated to be a another major player at Magic Kingdom. Can you blame us for being a little confused?
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
The final Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy performance will take place on October 7th, 2024.
Sunset Showcase
Are we overthinking things? Probably. There is no timeline yet for the Villains Land and the Cars addition to Frontierland will begin construction in early 2025, so it’s possible the move is to simply tease fans about the Villains Land in a space that could hold a Villains show while getting to work on the new Cars attractions. However, it’s also possible that this is a sign of the times to come and IPs will be duplicated at multiple parks.
Still, this is purely speculative and, in reality, we don’t know why Disney is mixing it up so soon after these announcements. Like you, we’re simply along for the ride and sometimes a map is appreciated, so Disney, if you want to give us a little insight as to why these changes are happening, we won’t complain!
©Disney
Why do you think Disney is moving these IPs around the parks? Let us know and continue to follow us here at DFB for all the latest Disney World expansion updates!
Magic Kingdom Expansion in Disney World — Everything You Need to Know
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Do you mind Cars and Disney Villains switching and mixing parks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
I took the car’s replacement to be giving fans something fresher. And since it’s going to be along time before the villains land is ready something to give fans a taste in the meantime. I’m looking forward to the villains show and feel like it fits in fine by the creepy and glorious tower of terror. Honestly I really never saw the point of a cars show there anyway. It was just like one random cars themed attraction.
I kind of understand where Disney is coming from. The animatronics in Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy can be repurposed in Cars Land. And last time I was at Disney the Lightning McQueen show was half empty. We just went there to sit in the AC for awhile. I wasn’t really impressed by the show. Considering the clamor for all things Villains ( which I don’t understand), the new show will probably be more popular.
I like the idea of having villains in more than one park. Beauty and the Beast’s Restaurant is at Magic Kingdom, Sing Along is at EPCOT, and Live on Stage is at Hollywood Studios!
Frozen is at Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and probably at MK too in some place that I’m not remembering or that is going to be made eventually. The Cars show at HS was not done to a caliber that it ever looked like it was permanent, and in spite of all the lamenting that has happened, it was rarely anywhere close to capacity. My theory is that the Villains show will also be temporary (there is also overlap in this theme with Fantasmic, which will be right next door), and there’s a possibility that Monsters land won’t go in the Animation or Muppets courtyard, but take up this space and take over Rock ‘N Roller Coaster. Monsters land won’t really fit in with the theming in that general area, but Disney doesn’t seem to care about that as much as they used to. Additionally, if the entrance to Monsters land isn’t off of Sunset, it could totally go in that area without impacting the Sunset Blvd theming at all. Monsters land could spread from Animation Courtyard to the RNR and the current Cars attraction (granted that would be huge), and take over both areas. I don’t think Anumation or Muppets courtyard either one is big enough on their own for everything they have planned for Monsters land. It makes more sense to target Muppets/Grand Avenue as ‘expansion’ space for Galaxy’s Edge or other Star Wars IP. It’s only a tiny little foot print between Star Tours and GE as it is. It wouldn’t make sense to sandwich yet something else other than SW in there if they changed it.
Not that I want anything to happen to the Muppets area, I don’t, just acknowledging that popular theories are that it could be replaced.