One of the best parts of having an upcoming Disney trip is watching Disney movies to "prepare" for your trip. So many of the rides and lands of Disney World are based off of Disney movies, while some of the older Disney World rides have inspired movies to be created based on them. It is fun to watch these Disney movies prior to a Disney trip and then pick up on little details from the movies while in the parks. It also helps build the excitement and hold you over until you are back in the happiest place on earth.
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is the most ride dense park in Disney World. A lot of those rides are based on existing Disney movies. Also, some of the more recent Disney movies released were inspired by original rides that have been in Magic Kingdom since the park first opened. Here are the movies that I recommend watching before visiting Magic Kingdom.
1) Jungle Cruise
This is one of the newest live action Disney movies that has come out. It was inspired by the Jungle Cruise ride in Adventureland. The movie features The Rock and Emily Blunt and is really fantastic. This movie has really sparked a new love and revived interest in the original Disney World ride Jungle Cruise. After the movie was released in theaters, the ride Jungle Cruise had a rebirth and now has one of the longest waits in all of Magic Kingdom. The ride has not changed much since the premier of the movie, but the movie features some funny one-liners that you will definitely hear your skipper say on the ride. "It's the backside of water!"
2) Haunted Mansion
This is another movie that was created in inspiration of an iconic original Disney World ride. This movie features Eddie Murphy and is not as good as other Disney movies, but can be fun to watch to put you in the mood to ride the Haunted Mansion ride in Liberty Square. The movie features the popular singing ghost busts, the hitchhiking ghosts, and Madame Leota.
3) Peter Pan
Peter's Pan's flight is directly based on the movie Peter Pan, which came out years before the ride was imagined. The same characters, storyline, and London skyline from the movie were incorporated into the ride. This ride maintains as one of the most popular rides in Magic Kingdom, with a consistently long line throughout the entire day.
4) Beauty and the Beast
While there is no Beauty and the Beast ride, in more recent years, the Beast's castle was added to Fantasyland, hidden behind Cinderella's Castle. Beast's castle is home to the popular restaurant Be Our Guest. The interior of this Table Service restaurant looks like it was taken straight out of the movie set, particularly the ballroom where Belle and the Beast danced together. You are only allowed inside the castle if you have a dining reservation, and it is worth it to eat at this restaurant just to admire the theming. You should watch the original Beauty and the Beast movie before visiting Be Our Guest and you are sure to be awed by how well the Imagineers nailed the decor.
5) Little Mermaid
Another ride that is directly based off an original Disney movie is Journey of the Little Mermaid in Fantasyland. Just like Peter Pan's flight, the movie Little Mermaid was out well before the ride Journey of the Little Mermaid opened. The ride takes the characters, songs, and storyline from the movie and incorporates them into the ride. Watching the movie before going on this ride will help you appreciate all of the details Imagineers put into it.
Hollywood Studios
While there may be less attractions in Hollywood Studios than Magic Kingdom, almost every attraction in this park is based on a Disney movie. The name of the park- Hollywood Studios- implies that a lot of the park's inspiration comes from Disney's presence in Hollywood.
1) Star Wars
In 2019, Galaxy's Edge opened in Hollywood Studios. This is an entire land based on and themed after Star Wars. I am not a Star Wars fan, but even I loved taking in the theming of Galaxy's Edge. Everything in this land, from the rides to the food, to the ambiance, are based off the Star Wars movies. If you watch any of the more recent Star Wars movies (produced by Disney) in preparation of visiting Galaxy's Edge, you will be in awe of how well the Imagineers transferred the movie into physical existence. There are 2 rides and a Quick Service restaurant in Galaxy's Edge, which draw from themes in the Star Wars movies.
2) Toy Story
In 2018, another new land opened in Hollywood Studios- Toy Story Land. For Toy Story fans, it is so fun to walk through this area and see little pieces of the movies sprinkled throughout the park. If you watch at least Toy Story 1 (the best one in my opinion) before visiting Toy Story Land, you will be sure to pick up on little things that you may not even notice otherwise. There are 2 Toy Story rides and 1 Quick Service Toy Story restaurant and a Table Service Toy Story restaurant in this land.
If you were to watch one Disney movie in preparation of your trip to Disney World, Toy Story would probably be at the top of that list, just because there is so much to see and do in this land. Toy Story movies are pure nostalgia for me, as they came out when I was a kid and really make me reminisce on that time of my life. Plus, the Toy Story movies feature some great songs, so they are fun watches.
3) Tower of Terror
Oh boy this movie is cheesy and not very good. I recently watched it as an adult and was shocked at how bad it way, especially since I remembered loving it as a kid. The Tower of Terror ride was the first big attraction incorporated in Hollywood Studios (MGM Studios at the time) when the park first opened. After the ride's immense success and popularity, the Tower of Terror movie was created for TV. It showcases the back story behind the ghosts seen on the ride and portions of the movie were even filmed at the ride location. It is a good watch to get you in the mood for your ride at the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
4) Frozen
There is a Frozen sing-a-long show in Hollywood Studios. Brush up on the songs from the 1st Frozen movie (they are some pretty good jams) so that you can fully appreciate the show and sing-a-long properly.
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom celebrates nature and animals in their natural habitat. This is the park that is least about Disney movies/characters. There are a few references to Disney movies, as they fit within the nature aspect of that section of Animal Kingdom.
1) Avatar
In 2017, a new land opened in Animal Kingdom called Pandora- The World of Avatar. This land is completely based off the imagery of the Avatar movies. The theming is extremely impressive, and you truly feel like you have walked right into Pandora from the films. If you have never seen Avatar, or haven't seen it in a while, I highly recommend watching the film before visiting Animal Kingdom. You will be amazed at how much detail the Imagineers were able to capture in the ambiance of the land.
There are 2 rides and a Quick Services Restaurant in Pandora based off the movie Avatar. Watching the movie prior to visiting this land will allow you to understand the characters, storyline, creatures, and plant life of Pandora that are featured on the rides. James Cameron (director of Avatar) was very involved with the creation of Pandora, so the details of the movie were very well transferred to the park.
2) Lion King
Animal Kingdom's center hub features the Tree of Life from the movie Lion King. The film had been out for about 4 years before Animal Kingdom opened to the public. There is nothing cooler than taking a close look at the Tree of Life, engraved with all of the animals of Africa. It is especially meaningful seeing this important Tree translated into real life, after viewing the movie Lion King.
Also, there is a show in Animal Kingdom called Festival of the Lion King. This show features the characters from the movie as life size puppet animatronics. The show also includes songs from the movie and is not to be missed.
Epcot
Epcot is mostly an educational park. The experience in this park is more focused on innovation and exploring the World showcase. However, there are some references to Disney movies in this park as well.
1) Ratatouille
The ride Remy's Ratatouille Adventure in the France pavilion of Epcot is based on the movie Ratatouille. The ride came out well after the movie but features the characters from the movie. This is one of the most popular rides in Epcot, and the line stays consistently long all day. Watching the movie before boarding this ride will give you some more appreciation of details of the movie encompassed in both the ride and the queue for the ride.
2) Frozen
This is proof that the movie Frozen is a must watch before your next Disney World visit. While there is a Frozen show in Hollywood Studios, Epcot also features a ride based on the extremely popular Disney movie called Frozen Ever After. This ride is located in the Norway pavilion. Frozen Ever After is considered by most, to be the most popular ride in Epcot and typically has the longest line out of any attraction in Epcot. The ride takes the characters from the movie and directly inserts them as animatronics on this ride. Watching the movie Frozen before riding Frozen Ever After will get you excited to see these characters on the ride and to feel as though you are actually riding on a boat through Arendelle.
Obviously, Disney movies are incorporated into Disney World in more ways than just the rides. You will see characters from the movies in the parks for meet and greets, parades, and in shows. Also, there are Disney songs from the movies piped through the parks/shops, there is merchandise based off Disney movies, restaurants feature scenes and characters from different movies, and some resorts like Art of Animation and All-Star Movies feature references to classic Disney movies. You don't have to limit your pre-visit movie watching to just those I have listed above. But this is a good list to get you started on your Disney trip preparation!
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