The Happiest Place on Earth is famous for its warm, family-centered entertainment that never fails to put a smile on our faces. Characters like Snow White, Peter Pan, and Frozen’s Olaf scattered throughout the parks are all reminders that joy and happiness are a pivotal part of the magical world.
But imagine if a Disney park were dark, dreary, and full of the evil villains that inhabit the various animated films. Imagine having someone like the cruel Maleficent or the conniving Captain Hook greet you instead of the effervescent Mickey Mouse. Disney almost turned that concept into a reality.
Concept Art for The Dark Kingdom
With Maleficent’s foreboding castle looming at its center, The Dark Kingdom would have served as a dark antithesis to the widely popular Magic Kingdom. Surrounding it was the briar patch forest that the villainess creates in Sleeping Beauty, while the Shadowlands housing The Lion King’s Scar would have resided elsewhere.
An Ursula the Sea Witch ride similar to Dumbo would have been among the featured attractions, while a Splash Mountain-like ride called “Villain Mountain” was among the more heavily discussed designs.
When Disney opened up the idea to fans in 2010, many were delighted at the concept and offered ideas of their own. There were some, however, who were opposed to the thought.
“I think it would be a fantastic addition to a park….this idea of ‘Shadowland’ or ‘Dark Kingdom’ in Magic Kingdom,” said one avid park-goer. “I don’t think a whole other park could be created from that idea, but I’ve always thought the villains got short shrift and deserved more.”
These plans came about as villain-centered films have become increasingly popular in the last decade, with Disney even putting their own positive spin on the classic baddie in Maleficent. Like Beastly Kingdom – a dragons and fantasy-inspired land in Animal Kingdom – this idea was ultimately scrapped for other plans.
If you’re looking for something new in a Disney park, however, Pandora: The World of Avatar is currently open to the public in Animal Kingdom!
Does this sound like something you would have wanted to see? COMMENT below and let us know, and make sure to SHARE this article to let your friends know about the Disney park that never came to be!
Link-to-the-Pastiche on August 27th, 2017 at 22:26 UTC »
The interest is definitely there. A couple times a year Disney does a special event at the Hollywood Studios park (formerly called MGM), called Club Villain. It costs around $120 in addition to what you pay to get into the park already, and it's basically free food and drink while you hang out with the villains. Its not a huge run of tickets, but it almost always sells out.
They've also done Villain nights at Hollywood Studios. The first time they did it, it was included with admission, and so many people wanted to go that it created a gridlocked nightmare on all the roads anywhere near the park. It was a damned disaster. The next time they made a separate event like the Halloween and Christmas nights, and that also sold out or came extremely close to it from what i remember.
Shippoyasha on August 27th, 2017 at 19:41 UTC »
I wish Disney did pay more attention to the villains in general, including in Marvel films and Star Wars. They are so averse to featuring them front and center, the villains tends to be shallow most of the time.
SaintVanilla on August 27th, 2017 at 19:39 UTC »
"Do you have churros here?"
"No"
"Damn this place is dark."