Disney Reveals First Look at ‘Maleficent’ Rollercoaster Coming to Magic Kingdom’s Villains Land

Walt Disney World has spent the past two years slowly building anticipation for one of its most ambitious upcoming projects, a full-scale land devoted entirely to Disney’s most iconic villains. First teased at D23 back in 2024, the project remained largely mysterious for months, with Imagineers offering little more than confirmation that a team had traveled to Europe for architectural inspiration during last year’s Destination D23 event, leaving fans to speculate about what shape the finished land might eventually take.

That mystery finally started lifting at this weekend’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where Disney officially confirmed the new area’s name, storyline, and its two headlining attractions for Magic Kingdom. The land centers on a corrupted Wishing Well hidden deep within a foreboding forest, where some of Disney’s most notorious villains have gathered to tap into its dark magic and construct their own elaborate lairs.

Disney confirmed the official name of the expansion as Villains Land, and unveiled fresh concept art for its first major attraction, a high-speed coaster built entirely around Maleficent. The ride sends guests racing through an enchanted briar surrounding the villain’s imposing mountaintop fortress, with black dragon-shaped ride vehicles featuring horns, scales, wings, and glowing green eyes.

According to Disney, the coaster will train past Maleficent herself as she stands atop crumbling battlements, with green flames burning from the towers around her.

Imagineers have described the attraction as an invitation from Maleficent, one guests can accept only if they’re brave enough. Disney has also confirmed the coaster will incorporate ride elements the studio has never attempted before, though specific technical details remain under wraps for now.

Villains Land’s second headline attraction takes a different approach entirely. Rather than another thrill ride, guests will step into an elaborate dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror from ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ found within the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace.

That attraction will feature a rotating cast of Disney villains beyond Maleficent, including Cruella de Vil from ‘101 Dalmatians’ and Dr. Facilier from ‘The Princess and the Frog.’ Disney has described these villains as powerful, sophisticated figures who have used the Wishing Well’s magic to construct their own elevated, elegant lairs reflecting their individual personalities and style, giving each character room to showcase their own distinctive aesthetic within the ride.

Despite this weekend’s reveal answering some of the biggest lingering questions about Villains Land, Disney has left several key details unconfirmed. The official names for both attractions haven’t been announced, and neither has information about the Maleficent coaster’s specific ride system, height requirements, restaurant and shop names, or an opening timeframe for the land as a whole.

Adding to the buzz, actress Glenn Close made an appearance during the D23 presentation reprising her role as Cruella de Vil from the live-action ‘101 Dalmatians’ films, further tying the new land’s villain roster to recognizable performances fans already associate with these characters. With construction still in its early stages and Disney continuing to release new details gradually, Villains Land is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious expansions currently planned for Walt Disney World, promising an entirely new kind of storytelling experience within Magic Kingdom.

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