Magic Kingdom® Park Prep: Your Guide to Seeing the Movies that Inspire the Magic

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Headed to Magic Kingdom® Park soon? Be sure to check out this comprehensive list of Disney films that either inspired the attractions or were inspired by the attractions at Magic Kingdom® Park! Keep in mind most titles you can find on Amazon, but some may be in the "Disney Vault" so you may have to do a little digging. Also I have only listed primary features to watch, not sequels or other shorts where characters may appear.  

Films/animated features/cartoons are listed first, with the attraction or restaurant listed below and the location in parenthesis. I encourage families with small children to focus on the animated classics first then move on to the live-action films if you have time.

BY NO MEANS do you need to watch ANY of these to have a phenomenal day in Magic Kingdom® Park... this just helps to enhance the experience and get you excited about your upcoming trip!

So what are you waiting for?  Grab some popcorn and enjoy!!

  • Classic Mickey Mouse Cartoons or the New Mickey Mouse Cartoons (like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or these Mickey Cartoons)

    • Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater (Main Street, U.S.A.® Area)

    • Mickey's PhilharMagic® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Pete's Silly Sideshow (Fantasyland® Area)

    • The Barnstormer (Fantasyland® Area)

      • This is a goofy-themed rollercoaster but is very much reminiscent of the the classic Goofy cartoons so many of us watched as children.

  • Peter Pan

    • Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater (Main Street, U.S.A.® Area)

    • Peter Pan's Flight® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Mickey's PhilharMagic® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

  • Fantasia

    • Mickey's PhilharMagic® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

  • The Lion King

    • Mickey's PhilharMagic® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

  • Lady and the Tramp

    • Tony's Town Square Restaurant (while the food at this restaurant leaves a lot to be desired, it's fun to see the Lady and the Tramp decor here. If you're a big fan of the movie be sure to peek your head in). (Main Street, U.S.A.® Area)

  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

    • The Crystal Palace, A Buffet with Character Restaurant (Main Street, U.S.A.® Area)

    • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Fantasyland® Area)

  • Swiss Family Robinson

    • Swiss Family Treehouse (Adventureland® Area)

  • Aladdin

    • The Magic Carpets of Aladdin Attraction (Adventureland® Area)

    • Mickey's PhilharMagic® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

  • Pirates of the Caribbean® Movies

    • Pirates of the Caribbean® Attraction (Adventureland® Area)

    • A Pirate's Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven Seas (Adventureland® Area) - this is an interactive game where you collect Treasure Finder Cards and unlock special effects in the Adventureland® Area - lots of fun for boys and girls (and adults!) alike!

    • The Pirates League (Adventureland® Area) - you can transform into a pirate here for ages 3 through adult.  Extra fee required.

  • Song of the South

    • Splash Mountain® Attraction (Frontierland® Area)

      • This film will be VERY hard to find as the Walt Disney Company has removed it from circulation due to controversy surrounding the it.  I have seen it, and love the animated portions of the film depicting the stories of Uncle Remus, Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear.  At the very least, if you can't see the film be sure to check out YouTube videos of the animated portions by doing a simple search for Br'er Rabbit within YouTube.  And of course, you must watch this clip of the classic song Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.

  • The Country Bears

    • Country Bear Jamboree Show (Frontierland® Area).  

      • This film is not a favorite of mine - I'd make it last on your watch list!  This is a case where the film was inspired by the attraction (and the film leaves a lot to be desired).

  • The Haunted Mansion

    • Haunted Mansion® Attraction (Liberty Square Area)

      • This is another case where the film was inspired by the attraction, and is a live-action movie starring Eddie Murphey.  The house in the movie actually looks more like the Haunted Mansion® Attraction out in Disneyland® Park but much of the theming is exactly the same.  If you go into this movie expecting it to be cheesy and corny, you won't be disappointed in the feature, and it does have some really cool ties back to the attraction.  I'm still holding out for one that Guillermo del Toro is supposed to be making.  HOLY COW that would be amazing!!  Check out an article on that here.

Attractions or Lands that inspired movies, starting at top left and going clockwise: Country Bear Jamboree, Haunted Mansion® Attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean® Attraction, and the themed Tomorrowland® Area (Tomorrowland® Area photo courtesy of Jennifer Sebby)

  •  Cinderella (animated classic) and Cinderella (live-action feature film)

    • Cinderella Castle (Fantasyland® Area and "the hub" where all "lands" meet)

    • Prince Charming Regal Carrousel (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Meet Cinderella at Princess Fairytale Hall  (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Cinderella's Royal Table Restaurant in Cinderella Castle (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Fantasyland® Area in Cinderella Castle) - transform into a Disney Princess or a Valiant night for ages 3-12 only.  Extra fee required.

    • **BONUS** while not in Magic Kingdom® Park, you can have dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming over at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at 1900 Park Fare. It's a short monorail ride from Magic Kingdom® Park!

  • Elena of Avalor (Disney Junior TV Show)

    • Meet Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall (Fantasyland® Area)

  • The Princess and the Frog

    • Meet Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Tiana's Riverboat Party - Ice Cream Social & Viewing Party (Liberty Square Area) - this is an additionally priced experience on the Liberty Square Riverboat where you can meet Princess Tiana and Price Naveen during an Ice Cream Social and then have VIP viewing for the Festival of Fantasy Parade.

    • **BONUS** while not in Magic Kingdom® Park, you can stay in a Royal Guest Room at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside, all decked out by Tiana for her princess friends.  And the entire feel of the Magnolia Bend portion of Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside is classic New Orleans plantation-style.  Love!

  • Tangled

    • Meet Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall (Fantasyland® Area)

    • While not an attraction, if you walk from the Fantasyland® Area to the Liberty Square Area, you will go through a part of the park that is very much dedicated to Rapunzel and you can even spot her tower.  While here, be sure to check out the restrooms - they're the prettiest ones in the Magic Kingdom and there are hints of Rapunzel throughout.

  • Beauty and the Beast (animated classic) and Beauty and the Beast (live-action feature film)

    • Enchanted Tales with Belle (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Be Our Guest Restaurant (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Gaston's Tavern (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Mickey's PhilharMagic® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

Gaston's Tavern WDW Shutterbug.jpg

Above, the interior of Gaston's Tavern (photo courtesy of WDW Shutterbug).  The cinnamon rolls here are delicious and you can use a snack credit to buy them on the Disney Dining Plan!

  • The Little Mermaid

    • Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Ariel's Grotto (meet Ariel in her mermaid form) (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Prince Eric's Village Market (snack stand) (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Mickey's PhilharMagic® Attraction (Fantasyland® Area)

    • **BONUS** while not in Magic Kingdom® Park, you can stay in a Little Mermaid room at Disney's Art of Animation Resort.  These rooms are super cute and loved by aspiring little mermaids everywhere. :-) Even if you're not staying there, if you have a Little Mermaid fan in your family it's totally worth stopping by to check out this section of the resort.

  • Alice in Wonderland (animated classic) and Alice in Wonderland (live-action feature film)

    • Mad Tea Party (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Cheshire Cafe (snack stand) (Fantasyland® Area)

    • **BONUS** while not in Magic Kingdom® Park, you can have breakfast with Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter (among others) over at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at 1900 Park Fare.  It's just a short monorail away from Magic Kingdom® Park.

  • Dumbo

    • Dumbo the Flying Elephant® (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station (Fantasyland® Area)

    • Big Top Souvenirs (Fantasyland® Area)

  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Fantasyland® Area)

  • Pinocchio

    • Pinochio's Village Haus (quick-service restaurant) (Fantasyland® Area)

  • Tomorrowland (live-action feature film)

    • Tomorrowland® Area

      • This live-action feature film was partly inspired by the themed land of Tomorrowland® in Magic Kingdom® Park.

  • Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University

    • Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor® Attraction (Tomorrowland® Area)

  • Lilo and Stitch

    • Stitch's Great Escape!™ (Tomorrowland® Area)

  • Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3

    • Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin® (Tomorrowland® Area)

Bonus! Fireworks & Parade

Magic Kingdom® Park's fireworks spectacular, Happily Ever After, is FULL of references to Disney movies from the past and today!  I've listed as many as I have caught below but quite possibly could have missed a few! These include:

**Note: I only provided links to films that were not outlined already above.

 

Happily Ever After Fireworks.jpg

Above, Happily Ever After lights up the night sky and turns Cinderella Castle into an amazing projection screen during Magic Kingdom® Park's not-to-be-missed nighttime spectacular! How many Disney characters do you recognize from this picture?

Finally, Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade also features spectacular floats, catchy music and amazing performances that highlight characters from the following Disney movies:

  • Beauty and the Beast

  • Cinderella

  • The Princess and the Frog

  • Frozen

  • Tangled

  • The Little Mermaid

  • Peter Pan

  • Brave

  • Sleeping Beauty

  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

  • Alice in Wonderland

  • Pinocchio

  • Dumbo

  • Fantasia

  • Classic Cartoons featuring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Chip & Dale

Above, images of some of the Festival of Fantasy parade in Magic Kingdom® Park.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock... When is the best time to BOOK your Walt Disney World® Resort Vacation?

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"Tiiiiiiime is on my side... yes it is!"  The infamous song by the Rolling Stones is running through my head as I write this post.  I know that many people ask me when the best time to visit Walt Disney World® is, and that's subject for another post, but here I'm going to talk about when the best time is to BOOK your Disney vacation.  And in this case, when you have a lot of time, it IS on your side.  Yes it is!

So let's get right to it.  In my professional opinion, the best time to BOOK your vacation is at least 7 months out from the day you want to check in.  Now don't look at me like I'm crazy... it's true!  And here's why:

  • Dining reservations can be made 180 days in advance, so booking 7-months out gives us time to come up with a preliminary park plan and secure those must-have dining reservations for you.  Trust me.  I know you have no idea what you'll be in the mood for 6 months ahead of time.  But let me tell you - the most popular restaurants at Walt Disney World® book up at 6 a.m. on your 180 day-out date.  Why?  Because they are excellent... either excellent food, atmosphere, service, or all three.  Restaurants like the California Grill at the top of the Contemporary Resort where you can see the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom... Be Our Guest restaurant in the Magic Kingdom which is modeled after the ballroom & the west wing from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom where you can eat in Cinderella Castle and dine with the princesses, Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort where you can eat with Mickey & his pals, Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot where you can feast on some of the most delicious steaks you've ever tasted, and the Sci-Fi Dine-in Theater at Hollywood Studios where you eat in cars while watching old 1950s Sci-Fi clips on the big-screen in a drive-in setting... all these places and many others - especially character and princess dining experiences - are just a handful of examples that book up quicker than you can say "Mickey Mouse." 

Booked closer to your check-in time than 180-days out?  Unfortunately many times these popular places to eat are completely booked when we look for reservations.  The good news is that many times I've seen reservations come open for these places at random times, but it does make it all the more difficult to snag what you want.  If you book 7 months out, we can discuss your wishes and where you would like to eat so that at 6 a.m. on your 180-day-dining reservation date, I'm up and at 'em with my phone, iPad & computer searching for your dining reservations.  The likelihood of you getting EXACTLY what you want, when you want it is much greater if we have a plan and can be johnny-on-the-spot at your 180 day mark.

Images above are from Be Our Guest Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom.  One of the hardest reservations to secure, oftentimes if you don't reserve exactly at the 180 day mark, your likelihood of eating here (especially for dinner) can be slim.

  • You have many more options for on-property hotels if you book way ahead in advance. This one isn't quite as critical as your 180-day dining date, but if you've always wanted to stay at the Contemporary Resort in a room with a view of the Magic Kingdom, or your little girl would simply be in heaven if she had a room fit for a princess at Port Orleans Riverside, again, the best bet of getting exactly what you want is to book as far in advance as possible.  You don't get to Disney that often and it can be (doesn't HAVE to be, but can be) quite expensive... why shouldn't it be what you've always dreamed of?
  • Related to your resort, booking ahead of time (before a promotion or discount comes out) gives you a greater change of securing a discount or promotion if and when a promo DOES come out for your dates.  When you book with me, I always will look for the lowest price for you.  If a promotion has not come out for your dates yet, never fear.  Part of my complimentary services to you include price-watching.  If a promotion does come out for your timeframe that is applicable and available for your package, I will automatically adjust the price down for you.  Not applicable to your package?  If you like, I can look at other resorts or different time frames that may work and we can adjust your package accordingly.
  • Fastpasses can be booked 60 days in advance of your check-in date.  Again, not as critical as the dining date or your hotel, but I've seen many a popular ride (think: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Frozen Ever After) have zero fastpass times available for a certain date when going back in and looking on a client's 58-day out mark (thankfully I had already gotten them what they wanted... phew!).  If there were still fastpasses available then they typically weren't until late in the afternoon, which isn't exactly ideal for your park plans (which I explain when you book your vacation with me!).

Your Fastpass+ experiences can be booked up to 60 days prior to your check-in date.

  • Get the party dates you want.  During the Halloween & Christmas seasons, two separately-ticketed events take place: Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  Both are highly-anticipated events that can have a tendency to sell out quickly, especially as you get close to the actual holidays.  Advantages to going to these parties include lower wait times at some of at the more popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom, special character meet-&-greets, special parades & shows, and even snowfall on Main Street USA for the Christmas Party.  If you've booked well in advance, I can be watching for the dates those go on sale and get you the exact day you want.  

Special parties during the Halloween & Christmas seasons can fill up quickly. Seeing beautiful decorations throughout the parks like the ones shown above are just one of the many reasons visiting during Holiday Seasons require planning and booking ahead!

  • It only takes $200 down to hold your package, with the remainder due 45 days prior*.  So why not book in advance?  The $200 is fully refundable until about 45 days prior to your trip.  Going ahead and booking gives us the ability to secure those dining reservations and fastpasses for you.  
  • When you book early, you have more time to save for your trip.  This one's kind of a no-brainer.  The earlier you plan and know how much the trip will cost, the earlier you can start saving.  OR - the earlier you can apply for a Disney Visa Credit Card from Chase.  While I'm not condoning credit card debt, this is a GREAT way to earn FREE money for your Disney trip (yes, you read that right!).  It's a no-annual-fee credit card that allows you to earn 1 Disney Dream Reward Dollar for every $100 you put on the card.  Another perk of the card is that many times discounts and promotions for resort hotels come out to Disney Visa Cardholders before they come out to the general public.

What have I been doing lately?  Paying all my bills with my Disney Visa then paying them off right away to earn Disney Dream Rewards Dollars.  I also upgraded to the Premier Disney Visa card ($49 annual fee) so that I can earn points faster, earning 2% at places like Disney locations, restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores.  They also will give you points for referring friends and family.  What does that mean for me & my family?  Next time we head to Walt Disney World® we have over $400 in Disney Dream Reward Dollars to spend however we like in the parks (restaurants, merchandise, etc.).  Woo hoo! 

  • More time to research, read, and get excited!  While there is fun in a spur-of-the-moment, last-minute trip, if you are going to Walt Disney World® for the first time you may want to read up a little bit about all there is to see and do in the parks.  Part of my services to you is to let you know as much as possible about Walt Disney World® as I can, but the place is so huge and there is SO much to do that you may want to check out a book or two from the library or download some on your kindle.  Some of my favorites include The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness, The Complete Walt Disney World Fun Finds & Hidden Mickeys by Julie & Mike Neal, and The Imagineering Field Guides to the parks.  You can find all these on Amazon.  Also you can watch Disney movies to start getting your kids excited too.  Part of the fun of a Disney Trip is discovering all there is to see & do!

What did I leave out?  What advantages have YOU discovered when you booked early?  How about the other way around - why is planning a last-minute trip better?  I'd love to hear from you! 

*45 days prior to check-in date is when Ears of Experience® requires final payment due on your package.  If you book directly with Disney, the date is 30 days prior to check-in date.  The reason why Ears of Experience® requires 45 days out is to give us as agents enough time to secure your documents and ship you your package full of park tips & tricks, your personalized itineraries, etc.  If you have a special circumstance and you need to wait to pay only 30 days prior, please let me know up front and we will work something out!