Villains Land is officially coming to Magic Kingdom, with two major attractions, dining, shopping, and an original story bringing some of Disney’s most infamous characters together. Here’s everything we know.

Something wicked is coming to Magic Kingdom. First announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2024, Villains Land will bring an entirely new dark fairytale setting to Walt Disney World, inspired by some of the most iconic villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

And thanks to D23 2026, we now know significantly more about what’s coming. Disney has officially confirmed the land’s name, revealed its original backstory, and shared the first major details about its two headlining attractions: a Maleficent coaster and a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror.

Disney has even given us a better idea of the project’s scale, comparing Villains Land to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Here’s everything we know about Villains Land at Magic Kingdom.

Villains Land Disney World Overview

Disney has officially confirmed that the new area will simply be called Villains Land, following Magic Kingdom’s tradition of names like Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Frontierland.

But while its name fits right in with the rest of the park, its atmosphere will be unlike anything else currently found at Magic Kingdom.

Villains Land will be a dark fairytale world shaped by Disney Villains who have been drawn together by a mysterious source of corrupted magic. Rather than recreating a single Disney movie or location, Imagineers are creating an original story that brings villains from different Disney Animation films into the same world.

The land will feature two major attractions, along with dining, shopping, and expansive environments to explore. Disney has compared the size and scale of Villains Land to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, suggesting this will be a substantial addition to Magic Kingdom rather than a small themed area.

What Is the Story of Villains Land?

Villains Land will have an entirely original backstory inspired by the structure of classic fairytales. As Disney explains it, fairytale adventures often begin when someone leaves the safety of the path and ventures into a dark, foreboding forest. That’s exactly where guests will find themselves as they enter Villains Land.

Deep within the forest is a Wishing Well — but something has gone terribly wrong with it. Once a source of pure and good magic, the Wishing Well was corrupted when someone made an evil wish. The wish was so powerful that it shattered the well, allowing its poisoned magic to spread throughout the surrounding forest.

Naturally, that kind of power began attracting some of Disney’s most infamous villains. One by one, villains arrived in the land hoping to claim the remaining magic for themselves. They’ve used that dark power to conjure their own fortresses, palaces, and lairs, transforming the landscape around them.

These structures will reflect the personalities of the villains who created them while housing the attractions, restaurants, shops, and other experiences guests will discover throughout Villains Land.

Which Disney Villains Will Be in Villains Land?

Disney has previously revealed a collection of classic Disney Animation villains serving as inspiration for the project.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

Characters represented in concept art and development materials have included:

• Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty
• The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Hades from Hercules
• Ursula from The Little Mermaid
• Jafar from Aladdin
• Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians
• Captain Hook from Peter Pan
• Gaston from Beauty and the Beast
• Mother Gothel from Tangled
• Yzma from The Emperor’s New Groove
• The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland
• Lady Tremaine from Cinderella
• Chernabog from Fantasia

The latest announcements specifically put Maleficent and the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror at the center of the two major attractions.

However, the Mirror Realm attraction will feature numerous Disney Villains, giving Imagineers a way to bring characters from different films together within the land’s original story.

Villains Land Rides

Disney has always said Villains Land would feature two major attractions. At D23 2026, we finally learned what those experiences will be. One will be a thrilling coaster centered around Maleficent, while the other will be an elaborate dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror.

Maleficent Coaster

The first major attraction will bring guests face-to-face with the Mistress of All Evil herself. The Maleficent coaster will send riders racing through enchanted briars surrounding Maleficent’s imposing mountaintop fortress. Disney describes the adventure as an invitation from Maleficent — assuming you’re brave enough to accept it.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

While Imagineers haven’t revealed the coaster’s complete ride system or storyline yet, they have teased that it will incorporate elements Disney has never attempted before on similar attractions.

That suggests this won’t simply be a traditional roller coaster with a Maleficent theme layered on top. Disney is developing new elements specifically for the experience, though we’ll have to wait to learn exactly what those innovations entail.

Magic Mirror Realm Dark Ride

The second headlining attraction will be a dark ride featuring a collection of Disney Villains, all brought together by one particularly familiar character: the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Guests will first encounter the Magic Mirror in the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace, where she keeps him hidden away. From there, the Mirror will magically transport riders into his mysterious Mirror Realm, allowing guests to cross to the other side of the glass.

Photo Courtesy of Disney

Inside this ethereal world, riders will encounter numerous Disney Villains conjured by the Magic Mirror. Disney says the attraction will combine physical sets with special effects to bring the Mirror Realm and its villains to life.

The premise also gives Imagineers a storytelling reason for villains from numerous Disney films and worlds to appear together within a single attraction.

Villains Land’s Wishing Well

The corrupted Wishing Well will be one of the most important pieces of Villains Land’s larger story. Rather than simply serving as scenery, the Wishing Well explains why all of these villains have gathered in the same place and how they’ve created their elaborate homes.

Someone once made an evil wish at the well, corrupting its magic and breaking apart the structure. That poisoned magic spread into the surrounding forest, attracting villains who hoped to harness its remaining power.

Those villains then used the magic to conjure the palaces, fortresses, and other environments that make up the land. It essentially serves as the connective tissue between Villains Land’s different characters and stories, allowing villains who normally inhabit completely different worlds to coexist within one new fairytale setting.

What Will Villains Land Look Like?

Disney Imagineers are creating a distinctive architectural style specifically for the land called “Conjured Architecture.”

The approach is inspired by the idea that the buildings weren’t constructed in a traditional way. Instead, they look as though the villains magically conjured their palaces and fortresses into existence.

Imagineers traveled to Paris, France, and Barcelona, Spain, researching architectural styles including Art Nouveau and Modernisme. The team studied details like rich colors, swirling patterns inspired by nature, dramatic shapes, and unusual proportions — elements that could make a building feel as though it was created through magic rather than conventional construction.

Those influences will be combined with visual cues taken directly from classic Disney Animation villains. Disney Legend and animator Andreas Deja has also consulted on the project. Deja helped bring several famous Disney villains to life onscreen during his animation career, including Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Jafar in Aladdin, and Scar in The Lion King.

How Big Will Villains Land Be?

Disney gave us a significant new clue about the scale of the project at D23 2026. Imagineers compared Villains Land to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in terms of size and scale.

While Disney hasn’t released an official acreage for the land, the comparison suggests guests should expect a substantial environment with plenty to explore beyond its two major rides.

The elaborate palaces and fortresses created by the villains will house attractions, shopping, dining, and other experiences, with the surrounding dark forest and corrupted Wishing Well tying everything together.

Villains Land Location

Villains Land will be built beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as part of the massive expansion of the western side of Magic Kingdom.

The nearby former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island area is currently being transformed into Piston Peak National Park, the new Cars-inspired addition to Frontierland.

Villains Land will extend the park even farther beyond that existing footprint, creating an entirely new area of Magic Kingdom. Together, Piston Peak and Villains Land make up what Disney has described as the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history.

Villains Land Dining

Disney has confirmed that Villains Land will include dining, but specific restaurants and menus have not yet been revealed.

The new storyline does give us a little more context about what those locations might look like. Disney says villains have used the Wishing Well’s corrupted magic to create palaces and fortresses that contain “treats” and other temptations for guests.

Exactly which villains will inspire the land’s restaurants — and whether any dining experiences will be located inside their lairs — remains to be seen.

Villains Land Shopping

Villains Land will also include shopping, although Disney hasn’t announced any specific stores yet.

As with the dining locations, shops will be incorporated into the elaborate environments conjured by the villains, giving guests opportunities to explore their lairs while picking up some appropriately wicked souvenirs.

When Will Villains Land Open at Disney World?

Disney has not announced an opening date or opening year for Villains Land.

Planning and development are actively underway, but Disney hasn’t shared a construction timeline comparable to some of its other current Walt Disney World projects.

With Tropical Americas scheduled for 2027 and portions of Monstropolis also opening in 2027, Villains Land remains one of the major Walt Disney World projects without an announced debut timeframe.

For now, any specific opening-year predictions would be speculation.

What We Still Don’t Know About Villains Land

D23 2026 answered some of our biggest questions about Villains Land, but there’s still plenty left for Disney to reveal.

We don’t yet know the official names of either attraction, details about the Maleficent coaster’s innovative ride system, which villains will appear in the Mirror Realm, restaurant and shop names, character experiences, height requirements, or an opening timeframe.

What we do know is that Villains Land is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious additions ever created for Magic Kingdom. With a corrupted Wishing Well, Maleficent’s mountaintop fortress, the Evil Queen’s palace, an otherworldly Mirror Realm, and a collection of Disney’s most notorious characters, happily ever after definitely isn’t guaranteed in this corner of the park.