Villains Land?

[Lynn-Marie]

A couple of years ago I read a rumor about a Villains Land to be added to DL or MK -- can't remember if it was one or both. Does anyone know what the link is to the full details of this rumor?

I know it's not likely to happen in this economic climate -- but I'd just like to share it with a friend.

Thanks!

 

[YoHo]

I don't have any links to that rumour, but it was aparently one of a number of ideas Imagineering had for the old 20K lagoon. As I understand it it was to be an MK project.

 

[papagooch]

That is something I would LOVE to see happen!

 

[antnee]

Bring on the VILLAINS!!!

Would love to see Ursula surfacing out of the the 20k lagoon. And Captain Hook sailing his ship there as well. How about seeing Scar far off on the rocks and the Dragon from Fantasmic as well

 

[OnWithTheShow]

There have been several different rumors floating around this board one for a Villians Land at MK, one for a Villians Ride at MK and one for a separate theme park dedicated to the villians. How this rumor actually got started im not sure but I havent really heard much of it from "official" sources. The feeling among cast members, managers and imagineers is that a Villians attraction would be quite out of place in Fantasyland, an attraction with a small scene of villians is much more likely. I was told several months ago that something was greenlighted for final design and construction (to replace 20K) and the timeline would have design completion and ground clearing starting soon, however I think it is fair to assume that this project has been put on hold. The villians land concept while appealing cannot be built in MK simply for lack of space. Im sure a villians park is an idea being tossed around for a 5th gate but that is MANY MANY years off. There was an "evil" castle originally planned for the centerpiece of beastly kingdom at animal kingdom. It was to be the home of a mythical dragon and a major thrill ride, so this may be the source of the villians rumor.

 

[d-r]

I think that some times when we talk about rumors panning out or prooving to be true or untrue, we miss the fact that it is a dynamic company and ideas are introduced, worked on, changed. I think that Jim Hill is really bad about that. One of his favorite topics always seems to be "so you like the new X (movie, attraction, show, etc.), well wait till you hear about what you missed, because all along it was supposed to be Y (an earlier idea for the movie, attraction, show).

I think that they were really playing with the idea of the villains land/ride, but I sort of doubt if a 5th gate for villains was seriously on the table for long. With the success of the merchandise at MGM, I think that they were probably really exploring it. I think plans followed two main paths, based on the little bits of info that have leaked out-

1. bald mountain, the idea that there would be a log flume sort of ride where the 20K lagoon is now, which would use technology similar to CAVE to tell a 3-D effect story where we stumble across a meeting of all the villains and they give chase to us. With a gift shop and a snack bar, this area becomes sort of mini-land like toon town, so that might be the source of the separate land rumor.

2. A replacement for the Great Movie Ride in MGM, also using cave or 3-D technology, Mickey stumbles on the villains and they give chase. Same idea, different location. This rumor posits that the studios are more of a suitable location for the attraction.

I bet that both of those ideas did get raised, pushed, discussed, revised, submitted, refined, shaved, focused, all those things that ideas do.

I also think that these ideas eventually wound up as.....Mickey's Philharmagic. Budgets get shaved, and new parks get opened in Hong Kong, and you need things that can be repackaged easily - so how about a 3-D movie, and instead of a log flume through a CAVE you get get special effects in a theatre -

Of course I could be wrong, but I really suspect that Mickey's Philharmagic is the off spring of Bald Mountain.

DR

 

[meeko_33785]

I know the Villains have many fans that would love to see a Villain atraction or land, but I'm not really one of them. I don't want it in MGM since I don't want to se Great Movie Ride go and I don't want it at Fantasyland because it might clash with the theming. I wouldn't want the Bald Mountain or whatever would go there to poke up behind the Castle like the Materhorn at Disneyland (or worse, since the Lagoon is right behind the Castle, more or less). The Villains have enough already. They have their own unit in both new parades, a whole shop at MGM, and even Fantasmic, SpectroMagic, and the new Cinderella show feature them prodominatly. I don't know, I think that's plenty.

 

[SpaceMountain_uk]

I thought there is plenty of room in Fantasyland for a villains ride. Between the 20k lagoon and the railroad track there is alot of space back there which could easily accommodate a NEW ride.I remember riding the railroad and behind Fantasyland there is lots of trees and a swamp.

 

[Safari Steve]

There is also a service road that provides the only access to the main backstage entrance of the park. The only space for additions is to the east of toontown across the railroad tracks and the area taken up by 20K.