Villains Day is an unofficial annual event held at Disneyland Park where guests come dressed up as their favorite Disney villains to celebrate everything wicked. Though not an official Disney-sponsored event, it has become a popular tradition for villain fans and Disneybounders alike.
History of Villains Day
The first Villains Day was organized in 2013 by fans as a counterpart to the Dapper Day, events focused on dressing up classy and vintage. A group called “Villains Day – Stalk Around the Park” started organizing annual meetups at Disneyland for villain lovers to dress up, take group photos around the parks, and enjoy the rides. What started as a small group has grown over the years into hundreds of villainous guests descending on Disneyland each year. It has become one of the largest unofficial fan events held annually at the parks. The group even holds villain trivia, contests for best costumes, and villain-themed activities.
When is Villains Day Held?
Villains Day is traditionally held early each year, usually in January or February. The 10th annual Villains Day has been announced for Sunday, February 4th 2024 at Disneyland Park in Anaheim. Guests meet up as early as park opening and will be celebrating their favorite baddies all day long. It’s the perfect opportunity to show off elaborate villain costumes and makeup while enjoying the park attractions.
Does it Cost Extra?
No. There is no extra cost to attend Villains day, as it is not linked to Disney directly. So feel free to come spend the day with some of the biggest baddies in the Disney universe!
Villain Events & Entertainment
Though Villains Day itself isn’t an official Disney event, the park often joins in the wicked fun by having rare villain character meet and greets out, special villain-themed food and merchandise, and even incorporating villains into shows and entertainment:
- Character Meet & Greets: Guests may have the opportunity to meet lesser-seen villains like the Evil Queen from Snow White, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, and more. In the past, special pop-up meet & greets just for the event have included Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog, Shan Yu from Mulan, and Bowler Hat Guy from Meet the Robinsons.
- Villains on Parade: Disneyland’s daytime and nighttime parades often feature the villains during Villains Day, riding floats and showing off their sinister side. Fan favorites like Hades and Frollo have made special parade appearances on previous Villains Days.
- Villain Skits: Improv groups and roaming musicians around the park have been known to incorporate unscheduled villain moments and songs into their performances in honor of the event.
- Special Food & Merchandise: Limited edition event merchandise and themed food and beverages are typically released on Villains Day. Past years have seen black-colored foods, villain-inspired collectibles, artwork, apparel, pins, and more.
Costume Contests & Photo Ops
Two of the highlights of Villains Day are the costume contests and photo opportunities. Hundreds of elaborate villain costumes descend on the park, making for perfect group photos all day long. Here are some of the top things to check out:
- Villain Costume Contest: The organizers hold an official costume contest in the afternoon, usually in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, where contestants show off their amazing villain looks to compete for prizes like gift cards and swag bags.
- Group Photos: The steps of the castle, the Fantasmic stage, and Snow White’s wishing well are popular spots for large group photos of all the villains together. Smaller groups will photo shoot all around the parks at villain-centric spots like the Evil Queen’s castle or Cruella’s car.
- Magic Shots: Disney PhotoPass photographers will capture special “magic shot” photos of guests throughout the day with visual villain effects added later, like the Evil Queen’s spell book.
- Backdrops: Photo backdrops and step-and-repeats featuring villain movie posters, poison apples, and other sinister elements provide perfect posing spots.
The creativity of Villains Day costumes and makeup looks continues to impress year after year. It’s the one-day being bad never looked so good!
Dining
While you can likely find exclusive food, desserts, and villain meet and greets on Villains Day, there are no specific villain-themed dining events or packages – just fun spontaneous additions to the existing dining lineup throughout the resort. Character dining and Fantasmic dining packages are good options for increasing your chances of villain encounters.
- Special themed food and beverages are typically released on Villains Day. Past years have seen black-colored foods, villain-inspired snacks, desserts, and drinks make appearances. However, no specific details on 2024 offerings are available yet.
- Character dining experiences in the Disneyland hotels often feature villains during Villains Day. For example, Storytellers Café and Goofy’s Kitchen have had villain characters make appearances for meet and greets on past Villains Days alongside the usual characters.
- There are no dining packages specifically tied to Villains Day events or entertainment. However, the general Fantasmic dining packages allow you to reserve a spot for the nighttime Fantasmic show, which sometimes incorporates villains during Villains Day.
- The Plaza Inn and other quick service locations in the parks likely offer themed treats and snacks on event days like Villains Day, but do not have special dining packages or prix fixe villain-themed meals.
Merchandise
While Disney doesn’t specifically announce special merchandise for this fan held event, they do usually offer villain themed merchandise through-out the Park. If you’re wanting to pick up some great villain gear, checkout the Disney Villains After Hours events at Disney World! They offer specialized merchandise only found in the Park during the event. While it does cost extra to attend, we think it’s definitely worth the price if you’re a huge villains fan!
Limited edition merchandise has included:
- Event-exclusive t-shirts, tanks, baseball caps
- Customizable phone cases
- Tervis tumblers
- Villain-themed headbands and other accessories
- Mugs and ornaments
- Collectible pins and other small souvenirs
Where to Purchase Villain Themed Clothes
- Etsy has a wide selection of unique handmade villain clothes like graphic tees, dresses, and accessories. Many sellers offer customization and personalization options.
- Five Below, Walmart, and Amazon have very affordable basic villain tees and sweatshirts in the $5-$25 range. Brands carried include Disney, Star Wars, and more.
- Hot Topic and Box Lunch carry officially licensed villain apparel with edgier graphic styles. Expect to pay $25-$50 for items like Disney villain hoodies and tops here.
- For high quality, premium villain clothing and accessories, HeroesVillains.com has options like Marvel apparel and more. Prices are higher, around $35 and up per piece.
Etsy and Five Below are great budget options under $25, while Hot Topic and HeroesVillains provide officially licensed villain styles perfect for Disney events, though at higher price points.
Conclusion
Villains Day has become a highlight for villain fans each year at the Disneyland Resort. Though not an official Disney event, the fan-organized day has been widely embraced by Magic Key holders and park guests who love the darker side of Disney magic. Hundreds of elaborately costumed guests, rare character meet and greets, themed food and merchandise, group photos, contests, and more make Villains Day a wickedly fun tradition at Disneyland Park. So sharpen your horns and practice your evil laugh – you won’t want to miss Villains Day 2024 on February 4th!
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