Visiting a Disney Park and enjoying the thrilling rides is a feeling like no other. For many, it's a pleasurable ritual to take a day out and immerse themselves in the magical world of Disney, but the pandemic may have disrupted many fans' recent plans. Luckily, it's easy to feel some of that wonder right at home, just by watching some of the vibrant movies streaming on Disney+.
Disney Park rides are often based on a movie or vice versa — several masterpieces have an existing ride to credit as their source material. Watch these popular movies to enter the world of Disney right from your couch, if going to an actual theme park seems very far away.
Alice In Wonderland (1951 & 2010)
If the vibrant and surreal dark ride from Fantasyland is what you miss, then both Disney Alice in Wonderland movies are a must-watch. Book a back-to-back screening, starting with the 1951 animated classic, which depicts in amazing color and detail the bubbling inner world of Alice and her anthropomorphic friends, off of which the eponymous Disney ride and the Mad Tea Party ride is based.
For a dose of live-action Alice, Tim Burton's darker 2010 reimagining of the classic is a great second watch, especially for the stellar acting by Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Mia Wasikowska, and for those who want a more grown-up iteration of the cult favorite and updated visuals.
The Country Bears (2002)
A world where animatronic bears and humans coexist, The Country Bears is inspired by The Country Bear Jamboree musical act seen at Disney World. It follows the fate of the disbanded country-rock bear band, whose legendary concert hall faces closure at the hands of nefarious banker Reed Thimple.
One of the of the musical group and their young fan, Beary Barrington, set out to reunite with the other and put on one last fundraising gig to keep their home intact. The movie also features many exciting A-list celebrities, like Sir Elton John, Queen Latifah, and Willie Nelson.
The Princess And The Frog (2009)
In anticipation of the New Adventures with Princess Tiana ride, which has been in the works for a few years now, it's imperative to watch Tiana's New Orleans adventure, which begins with her as a waitress and becomes her hunt for the voodoo priestess to lift the frog curse from herself and her prince.
Based on E.D Baker's novel, which was further based on the beautiful Brother Grimm fairytale, The Princess And The Frog ushered in a new age of Splash Mountain.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Another movie that takes direct inspiration from a Disney attraction, The Haunted Mansion blends humor and horror in Jim and Sara Evers' story, which takes the plucky realtors to the spooky Gracey Mansion in Louisiana, where they discover that they aren't the only ones in the mansion.
The Singing Busts in the mansion are performed by Disney's Dapper Dans, so fans of the real-life experience get a taste of it in the movie too. The horror-comedy is slated for a reboot, so this is good prep for the movie.
Frozen (2013) & Frozen 2 (2019)
The world of Arendelle, one of the best fictional countries in a movie, is enchanting to kids and adults alike, and the Epcot Frozen Ever After ride gives guests the rare experience of being in the Frozen movie. Both Frozen and Frozen 2 are inspired by the Hans Christen Andersen fairytale, The Snow Queen, and the gorgeous animation of Elsa's icy world is worth delving into more than once.
The attraction has plenty of adventurous scenes with Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and Kristoff, as do the movies. Idina Menzel's soaring vocals in Frozen and its sequel should satisfy the need to visit the log flume ride for sure.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) & Sequels
Perhaps one of the most successful Disney franchises, a movie directly influenced by the wildly popular Disney theme park ride in of both visuals and plot. The dark ride depicts 17th and 18th-century pirates of the West Indies islands in the Caribbean Sea and their thrilling exploits at sea.
The first movie is absolutely fantastic, with perfect action scenes, nuanced performances, and it features the theme song of the ride three times! For the sake of the story, continue by watching the next four parts (and counting) of the feel-good, goofy movie series.
Jungle Cruise (2021)
The latest Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson-starring movie borrows tons from the actual Jungle Cruise attraction, but updates the archaic references found in the ride. Lily Houghton embarks on a fantastic adventure across the Amazon with her brother in the search for life-saving flowers from a legendary tree — Johnson's Frank plays captain to the boat and supplies lame but cute jokes through the length of the film.
The movie turned Trader Sam's character on its head, erasing the stereotypes it had been coded with and the gender too. The new Trader Sam is savvy and smart, and one of Jungle Cruise's best characters.
Avatar (2009)
Disney Parks recreated James Cameron's phantasmagorical world to a tee in Pandora – The World of Avatar, and the 2009 science fiction movie can also take you on the scenic Na'vi River Journey and the Flight of age, just like the ride.
After the depletion of Earth's resources, humans train their eyes on a verdant moon and its native species, using James Sully, a former marine, to infiltrate the region by using an avatar that matches the Na'vi. His epic adventure through stunning Pandora is as good as going to Disney Land.
Tomorrowland (2015)
Like Avatar, Tomorrowland is also a part of Disney's roster of sci-fi movies, and Epcot's Space Mountain and Spaceship Earth can be seen in several scenes of the movie. Frank Walker, played by George Clooney, goes on a legendary adventure with teenager Casey Newton, played by Britt Robinson.
Together, the science-fanatics uncover an interdimensional world that had been created by the foremost minds of science, including Nikola Tesla, Gustave Eiffel, Thomas Edison, and Jules Verne. Endlessly optimistic about the future, this movie is a wholesome Disney watch.
Dinosaur (2000)
Disney's Countdown to Extinction ride launched in 1998, but it underwent a name change to Dinosaur to promote the movie of the same name. Both the movie and the attraction focus on the Iguanodon and Carnotaurus species — Aladar is a young Iguanodon whose egg lands up on an island of lemurs while his entire family perished, and he and his adopted family are chased by vicious Carnotaurus.
The film features meteor crashes, high stakes animal chases, and the struggle to survive, and ends on a hopeful note, where Aladar gives birth to a new generation of dinosaurs.
