Today at Destination D23, the “Disney Villains: Icons of Evil” panel was every bit as wonderfully wicked as its name promised. The presentation, hosted by YouTube mega-creator Michelle Khare, was packed with plenty of frightfully fun moments and announcements.
Featuring a mischievous musical medley provided by Disney Concert Group, along with stage and screen stars Michael James Scott and Jodi Benson, this presentation gave a sneak peek into some upcoming villains-focused projects and products – including the new villains-themed land at Walt Disney World, showing that these devilish divas never go out of style.
Let’s recap everything Michelle and the team revealed, if we dare…
Villains Take the Stage at Walt Disney World
The most anticipated news of the panel came out of Walt Disney World, where the new show “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” recently premiered and construction for the previously revealed villains-themed land is on the horizon.
To kick off the presentation, Executive Creative Director Caroline May and Executive Producer Wyatt Winter from Walt Disney Imagineering shared some eagerly awaited updates about the villains-themed land coming to Magic Kingdom.
Since it was first announced last year at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, our Imagineers have been busy working to bring this villainous vision to life, and the panel provided some incredible insights into the extensive research that went into the land before construction even began. It was a treat for the audience to hear about the vibe and vision, which was largely influenced by the Art Nouveau style of architecture in Europe, from the Imagineers themselves.
Check out this blog post to learn more about the people, projects, and places that inspired the team at Walt Disney Imagineering responsible for developing the land.
Disney Live Entertainment Show Director Mark Renfrow then gave fans a behind-the-screams look at how Disney Live Entertainment developed the new spellbinding show, which can be seen at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and features Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent alongside other iconic villains as fans are invited to engage with these characters in an exciting new way. He did a deep dive into Cruella specifically, focusing on her wonderfully wacky fashion sense and the different looks she dons throughout the show.
Villains Assemble at Disneyland Resort
Mark Renfrow soon switched gears to talk about all things Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure park, including the debut of this year’s newest character – Syndrome. Guests can encounter this scheming, snarky super-villain for the first time as they explore his dedicated treat trail near Pixar Pier during the party, in addition to other exclusive, eerie experiences like the Frightfully Fun Parade and Villains Grove.
Villains Set Sail on Disney Cruise Line
We’ve been sharing lots of updates from the Disney Destiny here on the Disney Parks Blog as the ship prepares to set sail this November, and Entertainment Creative Director for Disney Signature Experiences Live Entertainment Denise Case just revealed even more details.
Artwork shown for the announcement revealed a new “meet and play” character encounter with the playfully sinister practitioner of the macabre, Dr. Facilier. This cunningly charming illusionist may be lurking around the upper levels of the Grand Hall or in his own makeshift parlor, inviting guests in for a card trick or sleight of hand – he’s just here to make new friends…
Villains Join the Party at Hong Kong Disneyland
Mark Renfrow then shared another exciting announcement from Disney Live Entertainment – a brand-new entertainment offering will be debuting at Hong Kong Disneyland on September 19 as the park kicks off their Halloween season!
“Uninvited! A Villains Takeover Party” will include elements of a cavalcade, street show, and musical spectacle, showcasing various Disney Villains including Maleficent, the mistress of evil. After being uninvited from yet another royal gathering, Maleficent decides to stir up some fun of her own and goads the invited guests to call forth her uninvited counterparts. Spells fly, fire flashes, and music soars as the glittering assemblage of Disney Villains and their underlings arrive for a most sinister street party.
Villains Invade Disney Consumer Products
We know that fans love to show off their villains pride, and Director of Graphic Design for Disney Consumer Products Stacey Aoyama showed the audience what mysterious merchandise they can expect in the coming months.
The Bath & Body Works collection, inspired by some of the most beloved Disney Villains, dropped online this week, and ahead of the in-store release on September 3, Stacey shared some secrets about the development of these products and Disney’s recent collaborations with Bath & Body Works, which have been fan-favorite items.
So much thought went into the careful crafting and creation of the villains line, with a particular focus on the fragrance notes and characteristics as they relate to the personalities of Maleficent and the Evil Queen. The scents being ideal for fall was also a very intentional goal that the team had, and we know these will be the perfect addition to your spooky season shopping cart.
A new Mattel product was also announced – an Ursula doll will be joining a longstanding lineup of other Disney dolls loved by collectors. The doll is specifically part of the Disney Collector Darkness Descends Series and highlights Ursula’s powerful, theatrical look, complete with iridescent neon tentacles. Fans can find this item online at MattelCreations.com starting September 7, and you can dive into more details here.
More Dark Delights From Destination D23 Await
This panel was the perfect way to help us all get ready to enter our villain eras this fall, and we can’t wait to keep watching these projects come to life. Don’t forget to continue checking back on the Disney Parks Blog for more news from Destination D23, and stay tuned for additional updates about the villains-inspired land as it is developed.
