More Disney Villains?

[unc23]

I would like to see Disney market its Villains much more. I think Disney is missing the boat pertaining to the Disney Villains, and the appeal that they would have. Think about it, Disney does a great job marketing everything toward the positive characters from each story or movie. But where would the movie or story be without its villain? One could argue that the bad guy/girl makes the story what it is.

Presently there is one store, Villains in Vogue, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios that caters to the villains, by selling merchandise of various bad guys. For some reason people have always liked the bad guys, maybe it is a way to rebel, I am not sure.

The Disney marketing merchandise machine seems geared like this- loveable characters such as Mickey, Pooh and friends to toddlers, classic characters such as Mickey, Donald, and the seven dwarfs to adults and Hannah Montana to the tweens. I am a middle school teacher and can attest that many tweens do not like the Hannah Montana type shows. They are too cool for the toddler characters, but don’t want to be walking around in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt like their dad. Kids of this age are beginning to try to rebel a bit and experience some independence and here is where the villain market is.

The Disney Villains provide a nice combination for certain tweens. They get to wear a cartoon character on their chest, but it is a “cool” character to them, not some childish one. You may not think this is true, but I can verify after asking quite a few of my tween age students who like Disney. They want something they can identify with. I think Pirates of the Caribbean was an option, but not necessarily for girls.

The good thing about marketing the villains is that there are both boy and girl villains that kids can associate with. Think about having a roller coaster for grown-ups featuring Jafar, Maleficent, and Ursula. What about a tame dark ride for youngsters featuring Cruella De Vil, Captain Hook, and Syndrome? They could have a character meal using various characters set in a darker dungeon type building, but still mild enough as to not scare the younger children.

Just think of all of the Disney movies and the villains for each movie. This is such an untapped resource that I think Disney is missing the boat. The options seem limitless to me, what are your thoughts?

[Serkazong]

Couldn't agree more.........A few years ago it seemed like there was a big push to bring the Villains to the forefront with dedicated merchandise, books, clothing, etc. but it looks to have tapered off. Along with "Villans In Vogue" there was an area of the Disney Megastore in DTD that was almost exclusively Villain themed. It now houses an extremely large selection of pins, but still retains the green/purple/black paint scheme. We (my family) love the Villains and enjoy watching them loose to the heroes every time.

[WenD2ndStar]

I think your idea of a Villian-themed roller coaster is genius! And it would definitely up the "cool" factor for a lot of the tweens, and older teens. I've always enjoyed watching the villians characters interact at the parks, too. They get away with a some funnier things, and I can really picture a teen or tween wanting to stand in line to get a picture with, say, Malificent. The Studios are an ideal setting for more Villians.

[DisneyGuy87]

Overall I think a villian themed ride would be cool in any form but a roller coaster could really be done up and made one of the best rides on property! The villians are great to interact with so the whole area surrounding the coaster could be really great!

[LockShockBarrel]

there's definitely huge untapped potential with the villains! they can be some of the best and funniest characters in the movies (hades anyone?)

if nothing else i'd love to see more walking around as meet and greets besides at halloween. i think the roller coaster or some kind of thrill ride is a great idea as is a restaurant. i think they'd have to do it at hollywood studios, it wouldn't really fit in the other parks except MK but something villain themed might be too dark to fit in well there.

maybe they could do something where the villains are trying to convince you to join their evil team during a ride, or you have to defeat them somehow. even a show would be cool, again the villains are trying to get us to be bad but the good guys come out and triumph in the end or something.

i don't quite know how they'd pull off a restaurant.. maybe different themed rooms? ursula's cave, yzma's lab, gantu's ship, um... jafar's lair, oogie boogie's basement.

[Mickey's#1Fan]

all these ideas sound great my dad would go nuts!! he loves the villians especially Scar and Sid Phillips he is constantly quoting them and always looking for Sid merchandize among the characters of Toy Story alsa hardly anything to be found

[TestSherpa]

When I was a kid, even a young kid, pre-tween, I always preferred to see the villains in the parades and in the park. The CMs who portrayed them always had a lot more personality, too. I can remember the Big Bad Wolf coming out of a parade and shadow boxing with one of my cousins. Or one time, Captain Hook actually touched my cheek threateningly with his hook. Of course, today, the CMs would be that bold, but the villains were always more fun.

[Meggersuit83]

I love love love the villians! I love the way they interact with each other in the parades and even the way they interact with people wanting to get a picture with them at a meet and greet. I remember the Queen of Hearts wouldn't let my nephew or I near her until we kissed her hand and Hook tormenting my nephew for making a tick tock sound at him. I would love a villian character meal (which my sister says there used to be one?) and I wish they had not gotten rid of the villian meet and greet section.
Even the store at Hollywood Studios that used to be villians is pretty much limited to one shelf for random villians and the rest of the store is Nightmare Before Christmas (which I do not consider villians) and Pirates (mostly Jack which again, not really a villian). I feel like somewhere along the line parents complained too much and said the villians scared their children, that is the only explanation I could even think would cause them to not be as prominent in the parks. That's probably just me assuming though but we need more villians!

[northegreat]

Of all the souvenirs I bought at WDW, my absolute favorite is the coffee mug I got from Villians in Vogue the whole cast of main villains (including Chernabog). I use it everyday and it's an office favorite.

It would be great to see more villian stuff in the parks. Does the Jedi Training Academy count?

We need a Nightmare Before Xmas attraction and I wish they would have some Kingdom Hearts merchandise in the parks.

[LockShockBarrel]

i have to say i find the villains in vogue store disappointing. its not a store, its an island and 4 shelves. i think they could take it so much further. although its not as bad as the pet themed store at downtown. its supposed to have all pet related product and its down to a tiny corner of one store, not even worth looking at because they have most of the same stuff at other large stores i.e. mousegear and even the hotel giftshops

[MJMcb]

I would like to see the Villians store go back to old days where it had less pirate stuff, but thats probably wishful thinking

I do like the old idea of creating new land at MK, Darkland, behind Fantasyland as a direct contrast. Would be nice

[Park Hopper Dad]

I see your point and I think it is a good one.A villian themed ride would be so cool.Even if they didn't decide on a coaster,I was thinking something on the lines of a Dr.Seuss ride like up at Islands of Adventure,but with a lot more special effects than DS.One other thought that comes to mind,is like a live action experience like the Poseidon show/experience,and like Twister at Universal.

[williams]

There are lot of Disney Villains Ever, Here’s my list:

Jafar: Jafar is unbelievable at deceiving people and brandishing magic.

Maleficiant: Maleficiant had capability to get down a kingdom.

Chernabog: The eventual evil.

Cruella Devil: The cruelest Disney bad character and one the most evil.

Best Regards,