(PCM) Were you aware that Disney had plans to open a theme park that paid homage to all their famous villains called “The Dark Kingdom”, however the idea was eventually scrapped? We think this is a total bummer because that definitely would have been something we would have loved to check out!
Most people associate Disney parks with with happy and magical, however there is definitely a demographic that prefers the darker side of Disney. Both Disney World in Orlando, FL and Disneyland in Anaheim, CA prominently feature Cinderella’s castle and focus on the heroine princesses stories such as Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast and more.
While both parks provide tons of family-friendly entertainment there were plans in the works for quite some time to create another Disney theme park that was dedicated to our favorite Disney villains, but it was never able to get off the ground.
The “Dark Kingdom” park was planned to open as part of Disney World in Orlando, FL and instead of Cinderella’s castle, it would be Maleficent’s castle that greeted visitors. The park would feature rides and attractions that showcased characters such as Captain Hook, Scar and of course Ursula the Sea Witch. We think this would have been amazing, especially considering everyone’s obsession with anti-hero characters these days.
Even if they didn’t open an entire theme park dedicated to villains Disney was also highly considering opening up another land within Disney World called “The Shadowlands” which would feature similar concepts to “The Dark Kingdom”.
They imagined an ride similar to Dumbo which would be Ursula the Sea Witch’s octopus like tentacles and another that would be similar to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that would be called “Villain Mountain” instead. There was also talks about having a “Magic Mirror” type of 3-D show that would be both comedy and horror (but not too scary, it is Disney after all) that would showcase the best Disney villains up close and personal.
The idea for “The Dark Kingdom” and “The Shadowlands” was put on the table back in 2010, but never received enough steam to get off the ground. It’s a pity because we truly think this would have been an excellent idea!