Fantasyland Reconstruction: Villians dark ride/Forest Lair

[RegionsBeyond]

As many on these boards will know, I have long advocated the idea of a dedicated Villians dark ride for the resort, but came up with a rather new idea of it's location and potential inclusive elements.

My proposal, however, would see the removal of the 1983 added Pinocchio dark ride, the Village Haus restaurant and the former Geppeto toy shop, with the Snow White ride remaining intact. Also used would be the area around the currently abandoned Skyway building and ODV location. Losing this much real estate would be controversial, certainly...but the Village Haus, frankly, doesn't have that good of food, and of the current lineup of 5 dark rides in the area, Pinocchio is apt to be the one missed least.

The dark ride, which would be roughly located on the same plot of land as the current Pinocchio building, would be themed to the Horned King's castle from Black Cauldron, with dead twisted trees on the outside, and a small scene a la the dungeon scene from Snow White, but with a animatronic Horned King standing over the black cauldron, reading from a spellbook to summon villians from the dark corners of the world to join him. Guests would board carved small carts with ghostly carved faces on front, and enter the castle to see a much more elaborate Horned King figure standing over a smoking cauldron, skeletal figures at his feet shaking as if about to rise, projections on the walls of spirits...and then the cart would venture on to see villians fitting the theme, Malificent and her goons as you exit the castle, followed by viewing the dragon shadowed in the distance via projection, then crossing a stone bridge only to have the full-sized head and partial neck of Malifcent in dragon form rear up, a la Monstro. From there, into the woods for a encounter with the Headless Horseman galloping at you, and into a rocky mountain type area, rising into a dark tunnel with projection effects of the Bald Mountain spectres all about you, and blasts of air and shrieks, the music, and then coming face to face with Chernabog leering down at you. The ride would end with a extended dungeon scene, like the old, scarier Snow White ride, with creaking chains, skeletons, and the old hag popping out fast and screaming, bats, her pet raven...the whole nine yards.

Continuing on from the exit of this ride, you'd enter a area that was heavily "wooded" with skeletal, dead trees and the start of a path for a villians meeting area...props around, like skeletons, the black cauldron, The Magic Mirror from Snow White, discared armor and the like and tooth-like fake jagged rockwork. They could rotate characters out here like the Old Hag and Evil Queen, Malificent, Jafar, Gideon and Foulfellow, Queen of Hearts, Captain Hook...along with some new faces, like a Horned King character, or Jack and Sally might find a home here for permenent meet and greets. Across the path, where the current ODV location is, would be a twisted wood and metal, dark painted stand selling the usual cold drinks, "Poison" apples, perhaps skull-shaped rice crispy treats, and cookies and such, and a Villians merchandise location. With this plan, the villians would get a portion of Fantasyland where they would belong, and the wooded nature of the far end could blend into the trail to Big Thunder with a little work, plus giving permenent places to meet the characters and have a shop for merchandise dedicated to them. Your thoughts?

[MysticalSkye]

I think that would be really neat. I'm always up for Villain rides, hehe.
I, personally, would love to see more villains in the park.
That and because I'd love to play Maleficent someday, haha.

[Arilvdc]

this sounds scary...

But I love village haus fries, and it's one of the only places that had a cast member window where you could eat on your break.

[disneylandfan95]

If that was built, I would never take my kids on it. Disneyland is supposed to be a place where adults and kids can have fun together. That idea is GREAT thinking, but I think it is just a little too scary for younger kids who spend a lot of their time in Fantasyland. Also if families wanted to go on Big Thunder Trail, they would have to pas thriugh the scary meet-and-Greet.

[Mojave]

That's not a bad idea. Even if I doubt it will be done, I love these types of thought processes.

As always, I'm more interested in the structural/engineering issues than theme. The forest could be nicely blended in with the trees that already exists behind BTMRR and those up in the Skyway station. I'm not sure of the backstage requirements west of the Castle and if they need to be able to bring in heavy equipment (those gates on the trail to BT are pretty big), but they might be able to use that for a larger dark ride. In addition, I wonder if they could realign the path from BT to gain more land, probably having to cut into the Skyway hill.

Re: disneylandfan95's post - maybe the outside of the Villain's ride would be the beautiful fun place that the HM exterior is, but the inside would be darker. That way the path to BT is less ominous.

[disneylandfan95]

Nobody agrees with me that this idea is waaaayyyy too scary for the little ones visiting the park??? Event though the Pinocchio is outdated, instead they could just update it and create a GREAT dark ride!

[RegionsBeyond]

Nobody agrees with me that this idea is waaaayyyy too scary for the little ones visiting the park??? Event though the Pinocchio is outdated, instead they could just update it and create a GREAT dark ride!

I am not at all proposing anything on the score of having anything different in vein from the other area dark rides, or Haunted Mansion for that matter...the characters would be cartoony in style, like the films they inhabit, and nothing like the Mansion hanging man from the ceiling at all. The dragon effect would basically be the equal of the Monstro pop-up that currently exists. Sure, tone would be darker than the rest of the rides mainly..not Snow White, but the others. But I have seen kids get scared myself in Tiki Room and Honey I Shrunk The Audience. No gore or things really jumping out at you super fast would happen, it would be darker in tone is all. It might scare some kids...but lots of the things at the park already do, and there is certainly a audience that loves the Villian characters every bit as much as the princesses or Mickey and the gang.

[RegionsBeyond]

Re: disneylandfan95's post - maybe the outside of the Villain's ride would be the beautiful fun place that the HM exterior is, but the inside would be darker. That way the path to BT is less ominous.

To address this, I perhaps wasn't clear in the OP....I pictured this as being like equivilent to Pixie Hollow, where you wait in a path decorated with the trees and darker things, from the outside you'd just walk by a wooded area.

[Sambo]

No. Just no. Too much emphasis on the Villians as it is.

[RegionsBeyond]

No. Just no. Too much emphasis on the Villians as it is.

I accept your opinion, though I don't see them having much of a presence currently that I detect...but by all means, you are welcome to not liking my proposal of it. I'd be happy if they upgraded the ride somehow, as long as it was a improvement.

[Uncle Bob]

I understand what Sambo is saying. All the orginal dark rides have some scary elements and appearances by their villains, Walt was not afraid of going scary as long as it was tasteful and not gory. I'm not oppsed to a Villain ride though, I just don't love the placement and think the storyline needs work, but there are some good ideas you have too. I also don't think that would be enough space, it would eliminate a needed restaurant, and a ride that's actually quite well done even though it's not quite as popular as the others.

[amanda.collishaw]

I don't think the villains show up enough in the park, yeah they show up in the rides from the movies they are in but that's about it. I hardly see any villains in the park when I'm there, I like the idea of the ride as long as it's not too scary, can't be scarier than Snow White. I really like the idea of the meet and greet place, that would be really cool!

[Aladdin]

Combining the space of Pinnoc and the Village Haus is an interesting idea. I agree that the Village Haus restaurant needs major improvement, and they might be better off creating a new pirate ship restaurant back in the old motorboat cruise area, to replace the Village Haus.

However some of the elements are a little repetitive, we already have the forrest and trees in Snow White, and we are getting the Sleeping Beauty story back in the castle, so I wouldn't use those elements for a new dark ride. Quite honestly pinnochio has quite a few dark and scarey moments, with some great effects. Not so sure the proposed version would be adding something much better. Let's face it, moving out Pinnoch, Jiminy, and Monstro, with the great music that Pinnoch is noted for, in favor of the relatively unknown Horned King?? Don't think so.

Besides, for a Villain Dark ride, to be done right, it would need to be done on a larger scale, to make room for some extremeley elaborate effects, along the lines of Pirates, HM, or Indy, kind of a combination. Something where you are in the Villains Lair. As much I love the close quarters of the Fantasyland dark Ride, the Lair needs to have some Indy sized traps, awaiting us.

A water/coaster combo based ride, start in more of a Jungle type area, with Shere Khan conning us into the villains lair, Kaa "hypnotises us into sailing further into the lair with his soothing song, then you hear and see Scar trapping us, while the hyenas are lauging, and down we drop into darkness, Yzma Maleficent as the fire breathing Dragon, Chernabog awakens above us on a mountaintop, Giant Ursula drops one of her tentacles just behind us, creating a splash and "huge wave" that we ride on (NOT a water drenching ride), Hades appears and hurls fire balls at us, . . . . it would need more work, and an escape, but gives you little idea of what I'd like to see.

[disneylandfan95]

I like Aladdin's idea. That would be really cool, but I still think that it would be WAY too scary for the little kids. Sorry if I sound stubborn, but I think Disney can have better ideas for attractions than Villians. But all of the ideas that were posted here are all GREAT thinking on everyone's part!!!

[Uncle Bob]

I like Aladdin's idea. That would be really cool, but I still think that it would be WAY too scary for the little kids. Sorry if I sound stubborn, but I think Disney can have better ideas for attractions than Villians. But all of the ideas that were posted here are all GREAT thinking on everyone's part!!!

So what? Perhaps it's not ideal for FL, but Aladdin's proposal would probably have around a 48" height limit anyway, so little kids aren't a problem. You can't make every ride for everyone. I have adult friends who are scared of the drop on Pirates.