Those of us Disney fans who aren’t lucky enough to live near Disneyland have to get our dose of theme park magic in other ways: YouTube, memorabilia, photos, etc. The Imagineering Story offered such an opportunity, but now that the series has wrapped up, where will Disney Parks enthusiasts feed their Magic Kingdom needs? You can craft your own mini-film festival of features that helped inspire—or, in some cases, were inspired by—Disneyland attractions. Here’s a “Grand Circle Tour” by way of Disney+ content, with a stop in each land.
Main Street U.S.A.: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Here’s the perfect place to start your cinematic visit-by-proxy, since it’s one of the few movies ever filmed at Disneyland itself. This fictionalized story, set in 1961 and based on Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) wooing author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to try to get the rights to her Mary Poppins books, includes a scene where Disney entertains the prickly Travers at his park. Skip ahead to the 1-hour 19-minute mark if you want to enter through the main gate and stroll down Main Street with Hanks and Travers.
Frontierland: Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (1955)
The Disneyland TV series helped finance the park itself, and the serialized adventures of frontiersman Davy Crockett were among the most popular segments. This feature collects several episodes from the TV show, starring coonskin-cap-wearing Fess Parker (who was there on Disneyland’s opening day to help add star power to Frontierland).
New Orleans Square: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Basing a movie around a theme park ride seemed like a terrible idea, but Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow became enough of a sensation to inspire (so far) four sequels, and have the character added to the attraction. And this is certainly a better choice than the other feature inspired by a New Orleans Square attraction: the Eddie Murphy-starring Haunted Mansion. Or you could cheat and go with The Nightmare Before Christmas (but only if you’re watching from September through early January).
Critter Country: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
With Song of the South not available to offer a taste of Splash Mountain’s story, it’s left to this charming animated feature to carry the torch for Critter Country. Then again, if you want to get nostalgic for what was once on the spot where Disneyland’s Pooh ride now sits, there’s 2002’s The Country Bears, an odd get-the-band-back-together musical road trip like The Blues Brothers, with great songs by John Hiatt.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
All of the Star Wars films are available (except for Episode VII – The Last Jedi, which is on Netflix and will make the jump to Disney+ on December 26), so you could theoretically take your pick. This one, however, did launch the timeline in which the new land is set, featuring Rey and Kylo Ren as walk-around characters. And it’s a reminder of the emotional feeling inspired by seeing the Millennium Falcon—both on-screen again and in the theme park land.
Adventureland: Tarzan (1999)
Until the Dwayne Johnson Jungle Book feature arrives in 2020, you can imagine yourself climbing up Tarzan’s Treehouse while watching Disney’s animated version of the Edgar Rice Burroughs story. Or you can go old-school with the treehouse, and try 1960’s The Swiss Family Robinson instead.
Fantasyland: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
There are, of course, multiple options with all the classic animated features that became Fantasyland classics: Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo and more. But the castle remains the icon of the park, and the company as a whole, so it only seems fitting to visit with the fairy tale that inspired a million photo-ops—and that was before Instagram.
Mickey’s Toontown: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Just like the land itself, it’s all about humans walking into the world of cartoons. As you experience the movie that inspired the land’s Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin, remember the terrific performance by Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant, who pioneered a kind of on-screen acting with animated characters that is common now, but was revolutionary at the time.
Tomorrowland: Toy Story 2 (1999)
With the Tomorrowland feature itself not yet available on the service, we can fill that spot with the film that most directly connects to the Buzz Lightyear attraction’s video-game-like quest to vanquish the evil emperor Zurg. It’s also a movie with the kind of emotion that so many of us feel at Disneyland—to infinity and beyond.
It’s Disney Vacation Time!
We’ve got some great news for you. Our partners at Get Away Today are helping you save money on Disney theme park tickets and travel packages. AND, through Christmas, they’ve got some great ways for you to gift Disney trips for a reduced deposit:
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- Layaway Plans must be booked by December 25, 2019 to get the $99 reduced deposit.
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Just imagine giving the gift of a Disneyland vacation to someone special in your life:
And if a Disney vacation sounds like the perfect Christmas gift, here are some GREAT ideas on how to do it (we even have things you can download to make gifting easy) – HERE
Let’s Hear From You
What do you think of my Disney+ Grand Circle Tour? Do you think that this is an accurate depiction of Disneyland’s magic through iconic Disney films? Do you have any changes or suggestions? I’m all ears, so let me know in the comments.