Maleficent greets the crowd at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
Some of my favorite Disney characters are the Villains and it was years before I could finally hunt down my favorite villains in order to get a snapshot. Yes. I wanted a picture with The Evil Queen and Maleficent. Sue me.
It's understandable why so many people want to find the Villains once they get to Walt Disney World. They're the epitome of cool. Here are a few ways to find your favorite villain so you too can take a photo with your favorite.
- Obviously, the best time to find the villains is during the Halloween season and particularly during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. They even have their own show, The Villains Mix and Mingle, which takes place on the stage in front of Cinderella's Castle. After the show, the villains come down to mingle with the crowd and take photos.
- Disney Hollywood Studios is a hotspot for the villains. During the day, you're very likely to see them hanging out in the courtyard in front of the Chinese Theatre. Um, that's where the big Mickey's Sorcerer's hat resides.
- Cruella can sometimes be found hanging out near Tony's Restaurant just near the entrance at the Magic Kingdom. There are *always* characters around this area and, if you can catch a Character Assistant (they'll be the cast member in the yellow, red and black shirt assisting the character), ask them if they know when Cruella, or any of the other villains, will be making her next appearance.
- The really "hot" villains seem to make random appearances near the Castle. I've heard of impromptu appearances taking place in Fantasyland, near the castle, during nightly Extra Magic Hours.
- Captain Hook is the easiest villain to find. He and Mr. Smee make scheduled appearances near Pirates of the Caribbean throughout the day.
- If you simply want to see the villains, you can find them in a number of shows. Currently, Maleficent and her ilk can be see in the Dream Along With Mickey show at Cinderella Castle's forecourt. You can also see them:
- During the Magic Kingdom's Disney Dreams Come True parade.
- The Evil Queen, Captain Hook and even Ursula make appearances during the nightly Spectromagic parade. This parade doesn't take place all nights, so check the daily schedule. Also, this parade *will* be canceled if weather is inclement.
- Fantasmic at Disney Hollywood Studios is a show centered around the villains and the havoc they can cause within Mickey's dreams.
- The Boo To You parade during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom is a villains fan's dream come true. You'll even see a couple of villains you don't normally see such as Captain Barbossa from The Pirates of the Caribbean.
Unfortunately, one of the best parades in which to see the villains was Disney Hollywood Studios now retired Disney Stars and Motorcar Parade. It was replaced by Pixar's Block Party Bash (grumble). Rumor has it that the parade will resume its "route" at Disneyland Paris (weep!).
Good luck with your villains hunt! Feel free to send me links to your photos.
And if you've had any great villains experiences, post them in the comments below.
