7 of Our Favorite Villain Appearances in the Parks

With Halloween fast approaching, and the ominous promise of the upcoming Villains Land in the air, we thought this would be a great time to make our list of our favorite villain appearances that you can see in the parks today. Just be sure to watch your step, these creepy creeps are no doubt up to something sinister. Ready? Then let’s begin with a journey to Disney’s Animal Kingdom…

1. Hopper (It’s Tough To Be a Bug!)

Did you know that the attraction “It’s Tough To Be a Bug” opened six months before the film A Bug’s Life was released? That means that Hopper (along with Flik) actually made his first public appearance at Walt Disney World (not on the silver screen!) The Audio-Animatronic figure created for Hopper was one of the most complex ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering at that time. But…should he even be there, given the events of the film? Well yes, it is true that Hopper appears in the attraction despite his demise in the movie. It IS tough to be a bug.
Movie buffs may be curious to know that the movie clips shown during Hopper’s scene include the giant grasshoppers from Beginning of the End (1947) and Empire of the Ants (1977), though the latter’s footage was shown in black and white.

2. The Evil Queen (Seven Dwarfs Mine Train)

Disney’s original villain certainly set the stage for evil characters when she frightened audiences young and old back in 1937! Guests could once find the Queen in the opening day Fantasyland attraction, Snow White’s Scary Adventures. Curiously, while the Queen was there to put the “scary” in Scary, Snow White herself initially didn’t appear at all! Why? The idea was that Guests would play the role of Snow White, so everything in the attraction was seen from her “point of view.” A noble thought, but unfortunately, it confused many Guests. Snow White was eventually added to the attraction during later refurbishments in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. Today you can spot the Evil Queen in the cottage scene in the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. If some of the figures inside the cottage look familiar, that’s because some were repurposed from the original attraction. However, the figures of Snow White, Dopey, and Sneezy are new.

3. Kylo Ren (Rise of the Resistance)

If you were to pick the ultimate villain from Star Wars, who would it be? Darth Vader? The Emperor? General Grievous? Excellent choices, but we’ll go with Kylo Ren. And for purposes of this list, he easily has the most “face time” of any Star Wars baddie as he menacingly appears throughout Rise of the Resistance. Bringing Kylo Ren to life involved several techniques, some old and some new. For instance, in the interrogation scene, the images of Kylo Ren (and General Hux) make use of the Pepper’s Ghost effect, which you can also see in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion. Projectors are also used to create shadows, giving the scene an added degree of realism. State of the art Animatronics are used in other scenes. (Did you know there are 65 Animatronic figures throughout the attraction? Though we think an Animatronic droid should just be called, well, a droid!)

4. Ursula (Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid)

Ursula is certainly one of the most frightening villains ever to appear in a Disney film, and her Animatronic counterpart in Journey of the Little Mermaid is no different! Ursula is one of the largest Audio-Animatronic figures ever created by Disney’s Imagineers, standing a staggering 7 ½-feet tall and 12-feet wide! She has special flexibility built into her torso so that she can move freely. A new skin technology had to be used for all the Audio-Animatronics to make them look more realistic, since they show more skin than usual. Look closely and you’ll even see Ariel’s hair moving as if it were being pushed by the ocean currents. (Remember, you’re under the sea!)

5. Captain Hook (Peter Pan’s Flight)

Captain Hook is one of the most beloved (feared?) Disney villains of all, and you can see him several times on Peter Pan’s Flight in Fantasyland: in the final battle between Peter Pan and Captain Hook, and the humorous encounter between Hook and his nemesis, the crocodile. Surprisingly, Imagineers had plans for other scenes. In August 1954, while working on the attraction, Imagineers wanted to build other scenes such as a giant rainbow, Hangman’s Tree, and Crocodile Creek (and home of Tick-Tock the Crocodile). They also wanted the boats to be flying in a clockwise-direction at Skull Rock, which is the opposite of how it turned out.

6. Emperor Zurg (Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin)

As the Darth Vader to Buzz Lightyear’s Luke Skywalker, Zurg has the odd distinction of being a fictional villain in a fictional movie. Nevertheless, it’s still a blast to take aim at him and his band of baddies in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. (For big points, aim for the Z target right underneath Zurg in one of the final rooms!). If you want any other scoring tips, you should check with Rex. And if you ever wondered, yes, the laser blasters do actually shoot real laser beams! They are completely harmless however, as they pack about the same punch as a barcode scanner.

7. Pete (Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway)

Disney’s original villain was also the most elusive, until his arrival in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Pete never had a headliner attraction of his own (though he did have a garage in Mickey’s Toontown Fair), which may not be a surprise. But as incredible as it may seem, neither had Mickey and Minnie! This is the first time the pair have headlined their own ride-through attraction. How is this possible? One reason is that Mickey and Minnie have never starred in their own feature-length film, as opposed to other characters like Dumbo and Winnie the Pooh, and hence had no real back story to draw from. But the new attraction fixes all that! The premise is that you will be watching the premiere of a new Mickey Mouse cartoon, “Perfect Picnic” (which features Pete in his familiar villainous role). As you enter the theater, you’ll see Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto set off for Runnamuck Park. They pass Goofy, who is serving as the conductor of a train. Goofy inadvertently allows the train to go off on its own…and mayhem ensues.

BONUS: Chef Skinner (Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure)

OK, he’s not exactly a villain on the level of Scar, Jafar, or Maleficent, but Chef Skinner isn’t the first person I’d invite to dinner (no matter what the Little Chef whipped up). We never find out the extent of Skinner’s culinary skills, but members of the animation team took cooking classes to learn the finer techniques of the culinary arts, including the types of utensils, pots, and pans used by trained chefs, as well as the interpersonal dynamics of a restaurant kitchen. Incidentally, once you exit Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, you’ll find Skinner’s red scooter, next to Colette’s black cycle (a delicious photo opp!).

Discover Even More Magic With the New Fall Issue of Celebrations Disney Magazine!

Immerse yourself in the magic of Disney with features and pictorials on:
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
• The Tower of Terror: 30 Years of Frights
• Disney and the 1964 New York World’s Fair
• Finding Princesses in the Parks
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Inside Out 2
• and Much More!!

Subscribe Now!