Saturday 10th August 2024 will go down as a historic day in the Magic Kingdom history books. A transformation with a villainous invasion, a reimagining, and some pixie dust is happening. Let’s take a look at what park guests and Disney fans can expect from the news dropped during D23.
Villains Land
It may have been the last announcement of the night, but it definitely got the biggest cheer. Fans have been praying to the Disney Gods for a Villain Land for a long time. The question of what this means for UK guests and for Magic Kingdom has many unknowns, but here is what we know about the transformation so far.
Villains Land will be the 7th Land in Magic Kingdom. It will be a land unlike any on Disney property and will provide a much needed home for the villains we love to hate.
Where will Villains Land be?
On Saturday, Josh D’Amaro, Disney Experiences Chair, confirmed the land’s location, stating that it will stretch around to where Haunted Mansion is. Concept art from Disney suggests water will be a large part of the theming of the land. The location Beyond Big Thunder on the current park map has a lot of water and remains within the boundary of the Walt Disney World Railroad.
The back-drop of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad provides the perfect landscape to build from, creating a dark mountainous divide between villains and heroes.
It’s ‘twisted’
Malificent’s Tower appears to feature prominently in the concept art, contrasting Cinderella Castle. Announcing that the land will feature ‘fan-favourite’ villains and two new villain themed attractions, this land will alter the dynamic of Magic Kingdom.
Promising fans it will be ‘incredibly twisted on a grand scale’, the land is going to feature shopping and dining experiences. It will be interesting to see how Disney capture the story and atmosphere of such a dark land in the most magical theme park.
A New Night-time Parade
Moments from Peter Pan, Frozen and Encanto are going to be brought to life in a new parade coming to Magic Kingdom in Summer 2025. “Disney Starlight” will be using the latest technology to delight fans.
Magic Kingdom has not been home to a night time parade since the Main Street Electrical Parade which ended on 23 March 2003. For over 20 years, many Disney fans have felt the loss of this parade, until now.
From Summer 2025 guests will experience night time magic in the form of a parade once more. Many UK guests have already booked their holidays to make the most of the free Disney Dining Plan offer, so this news will bring more excitement to their planning. There is now extra magic to look forward to adding pixie dust to trip plans and reveals for next summer.
Cars Land
The Pixar animation film Cars is getting its own land in the Magic Kingdom. Building on the success and popularity of Radiator Springs in Disneyland, California, Cars is coming to transform Magic Kingdom.
Sharing the vision, Michael Hundgen, Walt Disney World Portfolio Executive Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering said:
“We are thrilled to create this original Cars adventure and put our guests in the driver’s seat as we—quite literally—explore a new frontier in Frontierland.”
This means that part of Frontierland is going to experience a reimagining, which part, we don’t yet know. We do know that there will be a racing style attraction along with an unknown second attraction.
The transformation is due to start soon, so it will be interesting to hear more about how this is going to change the shape of Frontierland. We sense that Disney may be about to ruffle some fan feathers.
Frontierland has 5 attractions. 2 of those rides have reopened in the last 6 weeks following reimagining. That means Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Country Bear Musical Jamboree will not be part of Frontierland’s transformation. That leaves only 3 rides:
- Walt Disney World Railroad
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Tom Sawyer Island
Reimagining any of these attractions will completely alter the dynamic of the area’s landscape. Therefore, we are waiting for updates before deciding whether we think the Cars transformation is a good for guests.
DVC Lounge at Pirates of the Caribbean
First announced in September 2023, the Pirates of the Caribbean DVC lounge is not new news. For many guests from the UK, this news will have little to no impact on your holiday. It will just be a place that you can’t go.
For UK guests who are lucky enough to be DVC members, the new lounge is being built between the entrance and exit to the ride. Opening in 2025, extending the ride experience for members.
Conclusion
Magic Kingdom is never going to be the same again. Sharing news and a vision that will transform one of the most iconic theme parks in the world, D23 did not disappoint fans. We currently await more Magic Kingdom details with excitement and dread.
We will keep you updated as more news unfolds.
