Movies aren’t the only thing Disney is known for; The company also has a huge hold in the theme park industry, operating six resorts across the world including its most visited property: Disney World. Located in Orlando, Florida, Disney World is home to four different theme parks including the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
While many of the attractions in these parks are based on animated films like Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, there are also many live-action films with their own rides and shows. That’s what we’re here to dive into now. Its time to combine the magic of the movies with the fun of theme parks; Here are 10 live-action movies with their own attractions at Walt Disney World Resort.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
The Indiana Jones film franchise follows the adventures of the daring archeologist for which it was named. Indy’s first adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark, debuted in 1981. In it, he attempts to beat a group of Nazis while on a trek to track down the Ark of the Covenant.
If you loved the first film, you’ll love the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! attraction at Hollywood Studios just as much. This show has a series of stuntpeople reenacting famous scenes from the movie and explaining the movie magic behind each one.
The Haunted Mansion
This supernatural horror comedy film hit theaters in 2003. It tells of a real estate agent who attempts to take his family on a relaxing vacation, only to instead stumble into a haunted mansion with a curse in need of breaking.
Before The Haunted Mansion was a movie, it was an Omnimover ride located at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and the Magic Kingdom. The attraction takes guests on a journey through a manor filled with 999 happy haunts. Turns out, there’s room for one more: you.
Avatar
James Cameron’s epic sci-fi film known as Avatar tells the story of a mythical alien world known as Pandora, home to a race of blue creatures known as Na’vi. Humans are able to enter this world by linking up to human/Na’vi hybrids known as Avatars, and so when a paralyzed man learns this will help him move again, he ventures to the far off land. The problem? Pandora is at risk.
The 2009 film was given an entire land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2017. Here, guests can dine, eat, and ride attractions that are themed after the film. The biggest attraction, a 3D flight simulator known as Flight of Passage, lets guests cruise over the Na’vi’s homeland via the back of a Banshee. Na’vi River Journey, on the other hand, lets guests slowly cruise the luminescent Kapsavan River.
Pirates Of The Caribbean
Though Disney’s Pirates franchise has earned itself a series of swashbuckling films, it all started with a ride. The Magic Kingdom is home to the second Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, at which guests board a boat and journey through a seaside town filled with ships, fire, treasure, and of course, pirates. The ride was modified after the release of The Curse of the Black Pearl to include the star of the film, Captain Jack Sparrow.
This original movie followed Sparrow’s journey to kidnap the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swan, who has a coin that can transform pirates into the undead.
Song Of The South
This is one of the rare films Disney would rather forget, due to its racist stereotypes and troubled past. In fact, this 1946 musical didn’t join the extensive lineup of movies that made a home for themselves on Disney+. Despite this, the less controversial part of the film — the animated characters — remains a part of one of the Magic Kingdom’s most popular attractions: Splash Mountain.
This log flume ride takes guests on a cruise through the story of Br’er Rabbit. Though the indoor portion is filled with cheery animatronics, the finale outdoor contains one giant 50-ft. drop toward the briar patch.
Jungle Cruise
Yes, this movie isn’t out yet. However, being that the film will premiere in 2020 and the ride has been a Magic Kingdom staple since its opening, we thought it was worth including.
The Jungle Cruise ride takes guests on a journey through the rivers of Asia, Africa, and South America. The adventure is narrated by a guide who knows how to pack in their dialogue with cheesy jokes. The film, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, tells of a group who race against a German expedition to harness the healing powers of the Tree of Life.
Tron: Legacy
Tron has the opposite problem of the Jungle Cruise; While its sequel film came out in 2010, its ride isn’t set to debut in the Magic Kingdom until 2021. Nevertheless, it’s going to be good if the already-released copy of this coaster in Shanghai Disneyland serves as an indication.
Tron: Legacytells the story of a boy who gets sucked into a cyberworld created by his video-game-developer father, who disappeared years ago. The inspired theme park attraction, TRON Lightcycle Run, has guests boarding the motorbikes from the movie and embarking on a high-speed journey.
The Country Bears
Though this 2002 musical comedy flopped at the box office, it remains a beloved attraction at Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom. The movie tells the story of a group of rock ’n’ roll bears who break up and the young fan who works to bring them back together.
The Country Bear Jamboree attraction, which came alongside the Magic Kingdom’s opening in 1971, features a cast of animatronic animals who perform country songs for guests including “How Long Will My Baby Be Gone,” “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” and “Come Again.”
Star Wars
Yes, Star Wars is pretty much everywhere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While at first it existed as a singular attraction known as Star Tours, the film franchise has expanded to possess an entire land. The films tell of the epic space battles between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. The attractions of the park continue with this idea, referencing multiple movies in the series.
Guests can embark on an interactive smuggling mission, escape from the Galactic Empire as a rebel spy, build their own lightsabers, and meet the many heroes and villains. On Dec. 5, guests will also get to journey through a new dark ride in which the Resistance battles against the First Order.
Tower Of Terror
This 1997 made-for-TV horror movie is based on the iconic ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and was, in fact, partly filmed at the actual attraction. In it, a journalist, his niece, and his ex-girlfriend team up to figure out why a group of visitors has disappeared from a hotel elevator on Halloween night.
Though the attraction’s premise is similar, it is instead linked to The Twilight Zone anthology series. Riders board a haunted elevator and are then plummeted down 13 stories at random, reaching speeds of up to 39 mph.
