Villainous Handouts at World of Disney

In Downtown Disney, the villain-themed room at the massive World of Disney store gets the most attention from true-blue Disney fans; Not only does it contain the best art collectibles, but it features some wildly inspired fixtures, including these creepy, wonderful...er...sconce-like things.

Each villain's personality is brilliantly summed up with a single hand holding a signature film prop.

These just might be the coolest retail wall fixtures on the planet.

The Evil Queen is Watching You

Fantasyland isn't all flying elephants and glass slippers. There's a layer of darkness and shadow lurking about, and thank goodness; without it, the heroes and heroines would have nothing to test themselves against!

Above the entry  to Snow White's Scary Adventures, a pair of red curtains opens every minute or so as the Evil Queen glares out in contempt at the happy crowd below, as she's been doing since the land's remodeling in 1983.

She hates popcorn, mouse ears, California Girls and -- probably most of all -- the dozens of strollers parked on her property.

Shrunken Ned's Fifty Cent Advice

The next time you're in Adventureland, be sure to drop in for an appointment with Shrunken Ned, "The Jungle's Only Self-Service Witch Doctor." The disembodied physician looks a bit gruesome hanging there in the South Sea Traders shop, but for fifty cents he'll cheerfully--or grumpily, depending on his mood--give you a quick diagnosis and some questionable advice....plus a souvenir prescription card!

Into the Witch's Lair

When the Imagineers remodeled Fantasyland in the early 1980's, they had a clear goal in mind for the new entry to Snow White's Scary Adventures: they made it quite clear to all guests that the ride was not about cheeping birdies and gooseberry pie.

The queue immediately plunges you into the dark depths of the Evil Queen's dungeon at the exact moment she's planning Snow's demise. Her words and evil laughter echo from just around a corner through that stone arch. One gets the creepy feeling she could lunge out at any second. Love that gargoyle; he looks like he's planning to clobber anyone who gets too close.

Below, you can glimpse the book containing the spell for Sleeping Death. Judging by all the strollers parked outside, many parents still think this is a swell ride for toddlers. Go figure.

I was saddened when Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom recently closed its Snow White dark ride. I rode the terrific, original really scary version of that one (two solid minutes of the witch trying to kill riders) before it was remodeled. Florida fans are in for a real treat, however, when the Seven Dwarfs Mine Car roller coaster opens in 2014!