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There’s no denying Disney’s dominance when it comes to the movies, but Walt’s famous theme parks have arguably given the world just as much joy. Since Disneyland opened its gates in 1955, the public has fallen madly in love with Disney’s famous attractions, and the parks have become some of the world’s top vacation destinations.
Many of the original amusement rides were based on Disney’s hit movies, so it was only a matter of time before the roles would inevitably reverse, and audiences would be treated to big-screen adventures that got their start at the end of the popcorn scattered ride line. With the Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt starring Jungle Cruise releasing earlier this week, there’s no better time to take a look at movies based on Disney Park attractions.
8 Best: Disney Drops Its First Theme Park Movie With Tower Of Terror
Before a certain swashbuckling adventure came along and showed that theme park attraction-based movies could be massive hits, Disney was still figuring out the formula. In 1997, Disney utilized the cautious avenue of the TV movie and released its first attraction-based film: Tower of Terror.
Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst bring their usual charm, and though the film takes few risks, it delivers an entertaining tale with a couple of scares worthy of the ride it was based on. Tower of Terror gains extra points for having multiples scenes filmed at the actual attraction in Walt Disney World, Florida.
7 Worst: The Haunted Mansion Houses No Laughs
Comedian Eddie Murphy’s talent is no joke, at his best the actor is side-splittingly funny, but at his worst, he can deliver a film as universally loathed as The Haunted Mansion. Despite the attraction being one of the most loved in all of Disney’s parks, the film lacks all the excitement, mystery, and scares of the ride it’s based on.
A reboot is currently in the works, so Haunted Mansion fans may finally get the fantastic adaptation they’ve been dying for.
6 Best: Jungle Cruise Rides A Few Waves But Is Ultimately A Winner
The latest attraction to make the park-to-picture jump is a relatively mixed bag, Jungle Cruise’s plot veers into all too familiar territory far too often, and its abundance of poor CGI brings the film down a notch. Dwayne Johnson gives a typically “rock” solid performance, though his chemistry with co-star Emily Blunt leaves a lot to be desired.
Overall, though, Jungle Cruise is more smooth sailing than choppy waters, it’s a fun family adventure, and park fans will be delighted to hear the ride’s infamous puns repeated throughout.
5 Worst: Mission To Mars Should Have Been Mission Aborted
In 2000, Disney set out to make their second theme park-based movie. In what seems an incredibly strange decision now, they decided on an attraction that had closed down in the early ’90s as their inspiration. From the start, Mission To Mars was hardly set up for success.
The studio seemingly threw everything at the wall counting on something to stick. This included an experienced, highly successful director in Brian De Palma, and a star-studded cast featuring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, and Don Cheadle. Despite the film being visually spectacular in some areas, it was panned by critics and forgotten by even the most die-hard theme park enthusiasts.
4 Best: Tomorrowland Is What Walt’s Parks Are All About
The Disney Parks place great emphasis on immersion, transporting visitors into a world of magic without them even noticing. The movie that arguably best captures this spirit is 2015’s Tomorrowland. A dreamy sci-fi adventure stacked with an excellent cast featuring the likes of George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, and Britt Robertson, Tomorrowland is an ambitious though thoroughly enjoyable family film.
Sadly Brad Bird’s movie flopped at the box office, costing the studio millions, yet Tomorrowland stands as one of Disney’s best theme park films, and regular visitors to the parks will spot many nods to Walt’s wondrous world of attractions.
3 Worst: The Country Bears Weren’t Really In Tune For The Big Screen
Based on an attraction most famous for providing guests respite from the scorching Orlando temperatures, perhaps The Country Bears never had a great deal going for it in terms of story. Country Bear Jamboree is an animatronic stage show, featuring the titular bears performing a hilarious array of country music hits.
It may sound ridiculous, and its film adaptation certainly retains that aspect, but the overall result is a messy, unfunny, and nonsensical comedy musical. Even a Razzie nominated performance from the iconic Christopher Walken as the film’s villain isn’t enough to make The Country Bears worth viewing. Though at least like the attraction itself, this one can be viewed with the AC on.
2 Best: Dinosaur Is A Delightful Trip To The Past
The jury is still out on whether Disney’s Dinosaur really counts as a movie based on a ride, as Animal Kingdom’s Countdown to Extinction attraction featured the same dinosaur species, as well as similar plot elements to the film prior to its renaming to coincide with Dinosaur’s release.
The movie is the high-quality experience audiences have come to expect from Disney’s animation studios, and though some critics didn’t care much for the film’s story, its visuals earned heaps of praise.
1 Best: Pirates of the Caribbean Is The Ultimate Cinematic Ride
There’s really no competition when it comes to Disney’s attractions on the big screen, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl didn’t just legitimize rides-to-movies as a concept, it spawned one of the most successful franchises not just in Disney’s catalog, but in the entire history of cinema.
It’s an action-adventure masterpiece, and it gave audiences Johnny Depp’s most famous role—the irresistibly charismatic, swashbuckling sleazeball Captain Jack Sparrow. The film is also packed full of references to Disney’s classic ride, including characters, scenery, and the attraction’s delightful music.
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