I LOVE the happiest place on Earth! Disney World is one of my favorite places in the world. Walt Disney was obviously an epic visionary, and his passion for theme parks and movies overlapped. Over the years, the movies have heavily inspired the theme parks, and the theme parks have heavily inspired the movies.
If you take your kids, or if you're like me and you go as an adult, it's fun and valuable to watch certain movies in preparation for your visit to the parks. Some of the movie references in the parks are from the 1960's, or even older. If you're 30 or younger, some of the symbolism, shows, and even rides might not make sense. This makes watching them before a visit extremely fun and valuable. But, even if you've seen these movies in the past, it's still a blast to watch them right before you visit the parks.
There are probably hundreds of Disney shows and movies you could watch before your epic journey to the parks, but I've narrowed it down to the most important ones.
When the first Pirates movie came out in 2003, it was the same year Disney released Eddie Murphy's The Haunted Mansion. Both of these movies are based on rides in the Magic Kingdom. For some reason, the Pirates movie captured the imagination of the public, and the rest is history. If you've been living under a rock, or just haven't seen any of the Pirates movies, I recommend the latest one from 2011, On Stranger Tides. The Pirates of the Caribbean series is one of those incredible examples of how the ride inspired the movie, but now the movies inspire the ride. Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow was added as a character to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in two separate scenes. In fall 2015, many new characters and elements from On Stranger Tides were added to the ride, including mermaids. Seeing the movie will certainly help to refresh your appreciation for this classic ride!
7. Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Growing up, my family watched Swiss Family Robinson many times. It's a beautiful and wonderful fantasy story about a family getting shipwrecked on an island. They must survive, and they build the most incredible tree fort. It has all the comforts of home, and is sure to appeal to many children's treehouse and tree fort fantasies! I know it did for me when I was a kid. And, it's an extremely "clean" and family-friendly movie. The Magic Kingdom in Orlando features a replica of the Robinson tree fort that you can walk through. It's a pure joy to walk through if you've recently seen the movie and can remember little details that are a thrill to see in person.
Even if you're not planning a Disney trip any time soon, I recommend this family movie.
The Magic Kingdom features a show called Story Times with Belle in which kids get to interact with Belle and be part of a show. There is the Be Our Guest restaurant which, after opening in late 2012, is still a super hot ticket. Reservations fill up months in advance and immerse the diner in the Beast's castle in fantastic fashion. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and a table service dinner. There's also a small courtyard with a hilarious statue of Gaston, and Gaston's tavern with various snacks.
There's also a Beauty and the Beast live show in Hollywood Studios (which is rumored to be closing soon to make way for the aforementioned Toy Story land). There are other countless references to Beauty and the Beast throughout The Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
If you take your kids, or if you're like me and you go as an adult, it's fun and valuable to watch certain movies in preparation for your visit to the parks. Some of the movie references in the parks are from the 1960's, or even older. If you're 30 or younger, some of the symbolism, shows, and even rides might not make sense. This makes watching them before a visit extremely fun and valuable. But, even if you've seen these movies in the past, it's still a blast to watch them right before you visit the parks.
There are probably hundreds of Disney shows and movies you could watch before your epic journey to the parks, but I've narrowed it down to the most important ones.
8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
When the first Pirates movie came out in 2003, it was the same year Disney released Eddie Murphy's The Haunted Mansion. Both of these movies are based on rides in the Magic Kingdom. For some reason, the Pirates movie captured the imagination of the public, and the rest is history. If you've been living under a rock, or just haven't seen any of the Pirates movies, I recommend the latest one from 2011, On Stranger Tides. The Pirates of the Caribbean series is one of those incredible examples of how the ride inspired the movie, but now the movies inspire the ride. Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow was added as a character to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in two separate scenes. In fall 2015, many new characters and elements from On Stranger Tides were added to the ride, including mermaids. Seeing the movie will certainly help to refresh your appreciation for this classic ride!7. Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Growing up, my family watched Swiss Family Robinson many times. It's a beautiful and wonderful fantasy story about a family getting shipwrecked on an island. They must survive, and they build the most incredible tree fort. It has all the comforts of home, and is sure to appeal to many children's treehouse and tree fort fantasies! I know it did for me when I was a kid. And, it's an extremely "clean" and family-friendly movie. The Magic Kingdom in Orlando features a replica of the Robinson tree fort that you can walk through. It's a pure joy to walk through if you've recently seen the movie and can remember little details that are a thrill to see in person.
Even if you're not planning a Disney trip any time soon, I recommend this family movie.
6. Peter Pan (1953)
Peter Pan references are fast and furious throughout the Magic Kingdom, and many kids may not have had the pleasure of seeing the Disney original. From the Peter Pan's Flight ride to meeting Tinker Bell, Peter, and Captain Hook in the park, to seeing Tinker Bell fly through the sky from Cinderella Castle during the nighttime fireworks, AND seeing all the above characters in the parade, Peter Pan is one children's movie that has stood the test of time. There are countless subtle and not-so-subtle references to Peter Pan throughout Disney World. If you, or your kids, haven't seen this original, please do! Especially if you ever plan on visiting Disney World.
5. The Jungle Book (1967)
Disney's The Animal Kingdom park is a lush tropical environment filled with fun, fascinating animals. Since The Animal Kingdom heavily resembles the setting(s) in The Jungle Book, the characters are available for meet-and-greet. Seeing the movie again will refresh your sense of being part of the action in the Animal Kingdom.
Also, I recommend this one since Disney is releasing a brand new live-action version of The Jungle Book later this year! Before you see the new one, though, watch the original again!
4. Finding Nemo (2003)
There is a Dory movie just over the horizon, and Finding Nemo has a very large footprint in the parks. In The Animal Kingdom, there is a full-blown Broadway quality live stage production of Finding Nemo that is quite mind-blowing, even for adults. Kids and adults alike will certainly understand and enjoy this production more if they've seen the movie. Also, EPCOT has a ride called The Seas with Nemo and Friends that features many characters from the movie. Right next door to this ride is a show called Turtle Talk with Crush in which the character Crush interacts with kids. All of these elaborate attractions and shows are meaningless if you haven't seen Finding Nemo, which is a wonderful movie on its own!
3. Toy Story 1, 2, 3 (1997, 1999, 2010)
Currently, Hollywood Studios theme park is undergoing major rebuilding. Part of the rebuild is a brand new section dedicated to Toy Story. This new section is currently planned to take up about one third of Hollywood Studios park! If you haven't seen all three Toy Story movies, and you ever plan on traveling to Disney World or Land, they are a must-see. There's already the Toy Story Midway Mania, and several characters you can meet in Hollywood Studios today, even if you plan on visiting before the new section is open.
2. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
There's also a Beauty and the Beast live show in Hollywood Studios (which is rumored to be closing soon to make way for the aforementioned Toy Story land). There are other countless references to Beauty and the Beast throughout The Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
1. Cinderella (1950)
When you gaze down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom and see the beautiful castle in the distance, it will surely hold fond memories for you and your family. This classic movie was a deep source of inspiration for Walt Disney, and continues to inspire today. If you or your kid(s) haven't seen it, it's worth a watch.
I love your connection to the rides at Disney, and I love that this is a doable list. I don't need "100 movies to watch before going to Disney". That is crazy sauce. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :) I wanted it to be a practical list. It was very fun to compile it, too, of course!
DeleteI love your connection to the rides at Disney, and I love that this is a doable list. I don't need "100 movies to watch before going to Disney". That is crazy sauce. Great post!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Very concise. My compliments for being able to narrow it down to ten like this. You've compiled what seems to me to be the ten films with the most presence in the parks, and I don't think I could have done any better myself. There may be a few that are represented more than Swiss Family, but to me that one is canon and non-negotiable. The only one I might have decided differently on is the Jungle Book. I think it could be easily interchanged with The Lion King for elements represented at Animal Kingdom, but then again I actually prefer Jungle Book as a film, and the Maharajah trail's ancient ruins are pretty much straight out of that movie, so there you go.
ReplyDeleteWow, Thanks, Jessie! It was a tough list to make. I was a bit on the fence about adding Swiss Family Robinson at first, but I always felt it's under appreciated. That Swiss Family Tree in the magic kingdom is so much better appreciated if you've seen the movie, and I feel like so many people, especially kids, tour it having no idea what inspired it.
DeleteThe Jungle Book was tough, too. I was trying to decide one that represented the Animal Kingdom, and it was a bit of a toss up. I think what put it over the top is what you mentioned, the beautiful Maharajah trail. And last time I was there, we got to meet King Louie and Baloo. I also chose it because there's a chance less kids have seen it since it's old.
Thank you so much for continuing to read my blog!! I'm trying to keep it going. A few posts have gone viral, and the view numbers are crazy now.
I'd like to nominate Snow White as an add on, because it was the first Disney movie and because of the new ride. :)
ReplyDelete