Today at Destination D23, Imagineering took the stage during a Disney Villains presentation to give an update on Magic Kingdom’s upcoming Villains Land. The quick presentation centered around the architectural research trips that Imagineers have taken as they prepare to build the land. In this post, we share that update before adding our own brief commentary.

This weekend at Destination D23, Imagineer Caroline May and Wyatt Winter got a chance to share some insights on the hard work happening on the new villains-themed land coming to Magic Kingdom park. The land was first announced by Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, last year at the D23 Expo. The new land will include two major attractions, dining, and shopping – all with a touch of dark, devious flair. Here’s what you might have missed:  

New Details About the Villains-Themed Land at Magic Kingdom 

During a video message in the panel, Disney Legend and former animator Andreas Deja, best known for his work in bringing some of the most evil Disney Villains to life onscreen, such as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Jafar in Aladdin, and Scar in The Lion King, announced that he was officially consulting on the project. The video is entertaining and shares some great anecdotes.  

Deja shared that these characters are the best source materials for Imagineers to utilize and reference when conceptualizing the land. With big personalities, bold visuals, and rich backgrounds, the materials should inform Imagineers on the overall ambiance and the experience that guests will have while visiting. 

What Inspired the Villains-Themed Land? 

May and Winter confirmed that their journey to developing the land began with the animation source material and the Walt Disney Animation Studios artists responsible for it. These conversations made us realize that it was critical to reflect the look and feel of the characters’ animation in the land’s physical structures and appearance. With that in mind, they set off to Paris, France and Barcelona, Spain to learn about each city’s architecture and its unique attributes.  

The research trip was truly transformative and completely immersive. The Imagineering team specifically studied Art Nouveau architecture design and the unique form, scale, and color that define this style, which flourished in the late 1800s. Through partnerships with local professors, along with art and architectural historians, Imagineers received an intimate look at the architectural aesthetics that will serve as the overall design inspiration for the land. 

The Influence of Art Nouveau Architecture on the Villains-Themed Land 

Paris is a city full of classic Art Nouveau examples – the team highlighted the way natural motifs and swirling designs there make nature appear to be “cursed” like magic has frozen it into place. On the other hand, Barcelona’s art style is Modernisme, which has less natural patterns but gives the architecture an otherworldly, unnerving appearance.

Another fascinating discovery that they made in both places was how many of the architectural elements had a wonderful color palette, full of rich tones. Seeing details like colorful stained-glass windows and painted metals helped them understand how they might bring the beautiful, deep jewel tones of the animated villains to life in the land’s buildings. 

After identifying the similarities between the magical, fluid, and organic appearance of both the animated villains and the Art Nouveau style of construction, the team coined the term “Conjured Architecture.” This refers to the blend of historical components and fantastical worlds that have merged to ultimately create something wicked that will be able to be experienced firsthand – a villains-inspired land.  

Commentary

There’s not much to add to this bit of news so I’ll keep my commentary short. The big takeaway is that Villains Land will feature Art Nouveau architecture. This is a minor upset, as Gothic architecture was the favorite. That’s not to say that Villains Land won’t feature Gothic style but Imagineering does seem locked in on Art Nouveau.

I’m excited to see what that will look like! A European influence for Villains Land makes a lot of sense, especially considering the setting for a many of the classic Disney animated films. Whether Imagineering will be able to pull of the Art Nouveau project is another question but I’m optimistic.

The other bits of info, whether it’s Imagineering taking an elaborate research trip or adding Andreas Deja as a consultant, are encouraging. I think the company knows that they need to nail this one and they’ll likely be taking their time to make sure they get it right. Villains Land probably won’t debut until the end of this decade or the start of the next one. I expect a much bigger update on the project at next year’s D23 Expo.

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