Disney Legend Andreas Deja has revealed that he is helping with the Villains Land that is being created and built at Magic Kingdom. The new Walt Disney World Resort land was revealed at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024. It was teased two years before in a segment called “What If” that asked what could potentially be “Beyond Big Thunder”. During a panel at San Diego Comic-Con this last weekend, Dejas shared about his involvement. The panel was looking at 30 Years of Disney Villains.
Deja responded to a question from Laughing Place asking his thoughts on the Villains Land, saying, “It’s funny you mention that because I’ve been advising on that team. I’ve been a part of that team since… last year? They invited me to chip in, and it’s been absolutely fascinating. I never thought I would work with Imagineering. It’s been a blast. Of course, I can’t say much about it because I’m a part of that team, but it’s going to be absolutely spectacular. As soon as it was announced at D23 that they were doing this, I thought, ‘Well, that’s an idea whose time has come.’ They’ve got the Disney princesses. They are still rolling. And now a whole thing about Disney villains. It can only be great, right? It can’t fail. It’s going to be spectacular.”
The reveal that Deja is a part of the team working on the Villains Land makes a lot of sense. He is behind some of the greatest Disney villains during the Disney Renaissance of the 90s. This includes Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar from Aladdin, and Scar from The Lion King.
Andreas Deja has also been behind other favorite Disney characters through the years. This includes Roger Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, King Triton from The Little Mermaid, Lilo from Lilo & Stitch, and Mickey Mouse in Runaway Brain, to name a few. He has also worked with The Walt Disney Family Museum, where he has curated and co-curated several exhibits. One of these was The Jungle Book: Making of a Masterpiece. Daps Magic was invited to the Museum to experience this exhibit and chat with Dejas about it. See the interview here:
What do you think about Andreas Deja working on Villains Land at Walt Disney World Resort? Are you excited about this new land at the Magic Kingdom? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
