For Disney movie fanatics, nothing is more exciting than riding an attraction that’s themed after a beloved movie. From “Ratatouille” to “Star Wars,” it is easy to immerse yourself in your favorite fictional film.
But have some of Disney’s theme park attractions inspired cinematic universes of their own? Your favorite ride might have a film to accompany it and you don’t even know it.
Here’s a look at which Disney World attractions inspired their own films, perfect for binging ahead of your next theme park trip.
The Tower of Terror
For Disney’s first film based on an existing attraction, we’ll have to journey to the Twilight Zone.
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The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a vertical dark ride located at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, taking guests on a haunted elevator ride to the fifth dimension. Narrated by the Twilight Zone’s Rod Serling, he details that it was a “gloomy Halloween night in 1939” where a few hotel patrons were riding the elevator when a violent storm struck the building and was never seen again.
The TV movie follows a similar plotline to the ride; however, it expands the lore of the hotel guests who disappeared in the elevator. The 1997 film is centered around a tabloid journalist (Steve Guttenberg) who pursues a story about the haunted hotel and what actually caused the elevator to collapse.
The movie also stars Kirsten Dunst, Melora Hardin, Alastair Duncan, John Franklin, and Nia Peeples.
Where to watch, stream ‘The Tower of Terror’
As of 2024, the “Tower of Terror” is not available to stream on any platform, even Disney+.
Mission to Mars
Longtime Disney World patrons will remember Magic Kingdom’s “Mission to Mars” attraction.
Originally named “Flight to the Moon,” it opened on Christmas Eve 1971 and simulated taking guests on a space trip to the Moon or Mars. Disney Wiki details guests boarding a “circular theater with stadium-like seating with circular flat screens on the ceiling and floor.”
It officially closed in October 1993 to make way for newer rides.
Eight years later, a film inspired by the attraction was released. Starring Gary Sinise, Don Cheadle, and Tim Robbins, it follows a rescue mission to Mars after the first mission ended in disaster.
Where to watch, stream ‘Mission to Mars’
You can find it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and Fandango at Home for $3.99.
The Country Bears Jamboree
The Country Bears Jamboree has been in the news quite a bit this year. The iconic show, one of the last attractions Walt Disney personally helped develop, reopened this summer with a modern refresh and updated songs.
But have you ever seen “The Country Bears” movie? The 2002 film is set in a universe where humans and anthropomorphic bears coexist. It follows teenager Beary Barrington who tries to convince the bitter ex-members of his favorite rock band, the Country Bears, to put aside their differences and perform a benefit concert to save Country Bear Hall.
Where to watch, stream ‘The Country Bears’
You can stream the movie on Disney+ or rent it on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime for $3.99.
The Pirates of the Caribbean
One of Disney’s most successful franchises, grossing over $4 billion across five movies. The films follow Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his adventures as one of the most infamous pirates to sail the seas.
While the first movie premiered in 2003, the Magic Kingdom ride was already a major at the park. It opened in 1973 and was originally solely based on pirate legends, folklore, and novels. In 2006, the ride was updated to tie in characters and references from the film.
Where to watch, stream ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies
You can stream all five Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Disney+ and Hulu or rent them on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
The Haunted Mansion
Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” has inspired two movies over the years.
The Magic Kingdom ride is exactly what the name says, with guests taking a trip on a “doom buggy” through a haunted house. You’ll slowly travel through several rooms of the mansion, from Madame Leota’s chilling séance room to a crowded graveyard packed with singing spirits.
The first Haunted Mansion movie was released in 2003, starring Eddie Murphy as a realtor who is trapped inside the house with his family and must find a way to escape. Twenty years later, Disney rebooted the film with Lakeith Standfield, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, and Danny Devito.
Where to watch, stream ‘The Haunted Mansion’
You can stream both movies on Disney+ or rent them on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
Tomorrowland
Magic Kingdom’s “Tomorrowland” isn’t exactly an attraction; it is a themed region of the park.
“Tomorrowland” is a 2015 sci-fi film starring Academy Award winner George Clooney as an inventor who travels with a girl, actress Britt Robertson, into an alternate universe. It was filmed on Florida’s east coast, from the Kennedy Space Center to Volusia County’s New Smyrna Beach.
It was not only by the land with the same name but also by the Space Age and Walt Disney’s original vision for EPCOT.
Where to watch, stream ‘Tomorrowland’
You can stream the movie on Disney+ or rent it on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
Jungle Cruise
Magic Kingdom’s “Jungle Cruise” is the most recent movie to join the list of iconic rides turned into a movie.
Set in 1917 during World War I, the 2021 movie stars Emily Blunt as Lily Houghton, a British botanist in search of a legendary ancient tree that has petals with amazing healing properties and the potential to change medicine forever. She joins forces with Frank Wolff (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), a financially strapped riverboat captain who gives tourists jungle rides full of groan-worthy jokes, to find the treasure.
The movie features familiar references to the ride, including Trader Sam, Jungle Navigation Company, and the “backside of water” joke.
Where to watch, stream ‘Jungle Cruise’
You can stream the movie on Disney+ or rent it on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
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