The Disney Villains led the way down Main Street USA at this week’s ABC holiday parade taping at Magic Kingdom. The Queen of Hearts, Cruella, Ursula, Gaston, and a long list of other baddies marched ahead of a villains float, where Maleficent and the Evil Queen closed out the segment. It’s the second year in a row the villains have had their own section of the Christmas Day broadcast from Magic Kingdom, and it comes as Villains Land moves forward in the park’s northwest corner.
Disney Villains Open Magic Kingdom’s ABC Christmas Day Parade Taping for the Second Straight Year
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Which villains appeared in the parade, from the Queen of Hearts to Maleficent’s float.
- How this year follows the villains’ Christmas parade debut at Magic Kingdom last year.
- Where Villains Land stands at Magic Kingdom.
Magic Kingdom hosted two daytime Christmas parades tied to the ABC taping this week, on November 10th and 11th. The villains stepped off first, which gives the parade a much darker start than the garland and bows hanging along Main Street USA would suggest. ABC airs the finished special on Christmas morning at 10:00am Eastern as Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade.
The Queen of Hearts, Cruella and Ursula Lead the Villains Down Main Street USA
Two performers kicked things off with a red “Happy Holidays” banner. A monitor behind them displayed a line for host Robert Irwin: “Who is your favorite Disney villain?” Robert Irwin co-hosts this year’s special with Malia Baker.
The Queen of Hearts came right behind the banner, dancing down the street in a red, black, and yellow gown. Card soldiers carrying heart, diamond, club, and spade standards flanked her, while camera crews and other production staff lined the sidewalk. We shouldn’t see them at all this year. A swinging arm camera was positioned further down Main Street USA. It’ll all look busy and festive as the crew is magically hidden from view.
Cruella de Vil rode in a white vintage-style open car with gold lamps and tufted seats, wrapped in her white fur coat. Horace and Jasper, her two henchmen, wore flat caps. A teleprompter monitor along the route listed “Horace (driving), Jasper, Cruella.”
Ursula followed close behind. At one point, she held a golden scroll out toward guests along the curb, a nod to the contracts she offers in The Little Mermaid.
Gaston flexed his arms for the crowd next, and the same teleprompter listed Jafar alongside him although he was out of frame in the photo below. Captain Hook walked with the group too, along with his sidekick Smee.
Cinderella’s stepfamily brought the most comedy, with in-story fighting for literal facetime – this time with ABCs cameras instead of a prince. Dr. Facilier grinned behind them in his feathered top hat. We’ll see Dr. Facilier in Villains Land when it opens.
Maleficent and the Evil Queen Close Out the Segment
A teal villains float brought up the rear. Its stone arches and shelves hold old books, including one labeled “Black Magic,” while a giant pair of dark, clawed hands reaches over the top. Mother Gothel from Tangled, who was added Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade last year, joined the more traditional villains.
Zooming out, we can see the float in front of the Emporium. Chernabog reaches up over the top of the float while Christmas garland and bows hang on the buildings behind him. That contrast is quite striking, especially when candy canes and sugarplums follow.
Maleficent stood in the middle of the float with her arms raised, wearing black robes with lime-green accents and her horned headdress. The Evil Queen had her own moment with the Magic Mirror. She posed beside an ornate gold-and-purple frame revealing the mirror’s teal face, wearing her gold crown and a wide red-and-cream cape. The mirror is a fitting inclusion, since a Magic Mirror dark ride is one of Villains Land’s two headliners.
A Christmas Push Toward Villains Land
The villains made their Christmas Day parade taping debut at Magic Kingdom last year. Ahead of the 2025 broadcast, Disney said, “for the first time at Magic Kingdom Park, the Disney Villains we love to loathe are taking over on Christmas morning with their own section of the parade.” This week’s taping makes it two years in a row.
Several of the villains on Main Street USA this week have homes waiting for them in Villains Land. At D23 in August, Disney confirmed a Maleficent roller coaster and a Magic Mirror dark ride for Villains Land. Coaster riders will race through an enchanted briar patch around Maleficent’s mountaintop fortress. Imagineers said the ride will include elements they have never used on a roller coaster. The dark ride starts in the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace, where the Magic Mirror sends guests into its Mirror Realm. A Disney patent revealed earlier this month even shows a face that looks a lot like the Magic Mirror rising out of projected flames.
The land’s story centers on a Wishing Well that someone corrupted with an evil wish. That dark magic has drawn villains from across Disney’s animated films, and Disney named Cruella, the Evil Queen, and Dr. Facilier among those who have used it to conjure lairs for themselves. Each lair doubles as a place to shop or eat. Disney also compared the land’s scale to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Construction is still in its early stages on the site of the former Rivers of America. Crews have been grading show building pads and laying underground utilities, with the infrastructure work targeted for completion by 2028. Disney has not announced an opening date, and our best estimate remains 2030 or later.
Keep Reading
- Disney Previews What’s Next at Disney World During ABC Parade Taping: See the new Monsters, Inc. and Encanto segments that joined the villains in this year’s taping.
- Maleficent Roller Coaster and Magic Mirror Dark Ride Confirmed for Villains Land: Get the full rundown on both headliners and the Wishing Well story that ties the land together.
- Disney Patent Shows Magic Mirror Rising From Flames: Find out how a new fabric flame effect could summon the Magic Mirror inside Villains Land.
- ABC Sets 2026 Air Dates for Disney Parks Holiday Specials: Mark your calendar to catch the villains on Christmas morning.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!