Every Disney Movie Based On Theme Park Rides (Including Jungle Cruise)

The Walt Disney Company’s theme parks contain various rides based on the beloved movies, but there are movies that were inspired by attractions first – including the most recent Disney release, Jungle Cruise. A certain swashbuckling franchise aside, this film marks the first development of a Disney park attraction for the big screen since 2015, and before that, it had been over a decade. From space missions to singing bears, Disney has brought some of its popular guest experiences to life through this type of reverse adaptation.

According to Collider, the thought of developing Disney theme park attractions for motion picture adaptations originated in the late 1990s with former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Eisner was clearly familiar with Disney’s method of borrowing intellectual property from various parts of the company to create new forms of entertainment. By using plotlines and characters based on rides from the likes of Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort, Eisner hoped that the motion pictures would help boost the park attractions’ popularity.

Aside from the prevailing pirate franchise, attempts at creating Disney films inspired by the park rides haven’t been commercially or critically successful. Even star-studded cast lists or rebranding of the park attractions weren’t able to help movies whose entertainment value fell short of what guests could enjoy in real life at the parks. Some efforts were abandoned before they could ever reach that point, like the rejected pitch for a film based on the famous It’s a Small World ride (via Disney Wiki). But, knowing Disney, these endeavors won’t die down anytime soon – and the fact that some reboots or spinoffs of these films are already in the works proves just that. Including the new release, here is every movie based on a Disney theme park ride or attraction thus far.

Jungle Cruise

Starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, Jungle Cruise premiered as the latest movie adaptation of a Disney ride. The motion picture is loosely based on the riverboat cruise that transports park attendees down major rivers of South America, Asia, and Africa, complete with animatronic jungle animals and live narration from Disney cast members. The Jungle Cruise is located at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Walt Disney World, where the ride made headlines in February 2020 when one of the boats began to sink in the middle of a tour. Disney had been toying with the idea of the film adaptation for years, and the project was changed and delayed multiple times since the early 2000s. Now Jungle Cruise has hit theaters as well as the Disney+ streaming platform for those who have Premier Access.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Disney’s most successful ride-to-movie adaptation remains the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Opening in Disneyland in 1967, the swashbuckling theme park ride was the last attraction that was envisioned and personally overseen by the late Walt Disney. In the wake of its popularity, replications went up at Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris, with a reimagined version at Shanghai Disneyland. The first film in the movie series, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, exceeded expectations upon its release in 2003 and paved the way for the series headed by Johnny Depp. A reported Pirates reboot starring Margot Robbie is now in development, and a sixth film in the main franchise is also rumored to be in development.

The Haunted Mansion

Giving theme park goers a spooky tour through some haunted real estate, The Haunted Mansion ride debuted at Disneyland in August 1969. Though the name and design slightly differ, the ride also operates at Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. In 2003, Disney released The Haunted Mansion starring Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marsha Thomason (in a dual role), Jennifer Tilly, and Dina Spybey. The movie didn’t do well in terms of critical success, but a reboot is back in the works after Guillermo del Toro’s original reboot project was trapped in development limbo.

Tower of Terror

With its infamous elevator drop, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – located at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, Tokyo Disneyland (though not related to The Twilight Zone), Disneyland Paris, and formerly at Disney California Adventure – inspired the 1997 supernatural horror movie Tower of Terror. As Disney’s first film based on one of its theme park rides, Tower of Terror also remains the only film produced for television. Starring Steve Guttenberg and Kristen Dunst, the plot follows a journalist and his helpers investigating the mystery of five people who vanished in a hotel elevator. Part of the movie was filmed at the Hollywood Studios attraction itself, with the rest of its filming taking place on a stage in Hollywood, California. A new theatrical film adaptation is in development.

Dinosaur

2000’s Dinosaur is inspired by the ride that was once named Countdown to Extinction at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. The ride was an opening day attraction for the park in 1998 and takes guests on a tumultuous journey through the Cretaceous period as talking animatronic dinosaurs bring life to prehistoric scenes. The name of the ride was changed to Dinosaur in order to help promote the movie, and specific scenes from the film now appear during the pre-show segment. Fans of the ride and the movie will notice that the Iguanodon and Carnotaurus dinosaurs that were always significant features of the attraction became key characters in the film, which stars D.B. Sweeney as the voice of the Iguanodon protagonist Aladar.

Mission to Mars

Though the show is no longer in operation, Mission to Mars was an attraction from which the sci-fi adventure movie of the same name took its inspiration. The space mission simulation originally opened as Rocket to the Moon at Disneyland in 1955 and then as Flight to the Moon at Disney World in 1971 before the name change took place in 1975. By 1993, both parks had closed the attraction, but Disney adapted the concept into a feature film that released in 2000. Starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle, Connie Nielsen, Jerry O’Connell, and Kim Delaney, the plot follows a Mars exploration mission gone wrong.

Country Bears

The Country Bear Jamboree is a popular attraction at Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and formerly Disneyland, but its film adaptation as a musical roadshow comedy in 2002 was a box-office flop. Since its opening at Magic Kingdom in 1971, the show’s animatronic bears have talked and performed country-themed musical numbers to entertain Disney guests. A Christmas-themed spinoff and a summer-vacation-themed spinoff both followed its success. The Country Bears motion picture included a blend of live-action and voiceover roles, but despite a viable cast list and several celebrity appearances ranging from Elton John to Queen Latifah, it failed to impress critics.

Tomorrowland

While not based on a specific ride, Tomorrowland (2015) touches on the futuristic-themed land located at Disneyland, Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland. Though Tomorrowland was also a box-office flop, the movie is unique among the ride-to-film adaptations in that it actually mentions Walt Disney and one of Disney’s theme park features, It’s a Small World. The movie stars George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, and Keegan-Michael Key. The movie received mixed reviews for its seemingly brief allusions to the titular city rather than a distinct focus.

About The Author

Kayleigh Fongers
(59 Articles Published)

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Kayleigh Fongers is a features writer for Screen Rant, covering movies and TV shows. She’s a communications coordinator for a nonprofit organization by day and a freelance writer by night. In addition to Screen Rant, Kayleigh has contributed to Religion News Service, The Banner, and Grand Rapids Magazine. She holds a BA in Writing from Calvin University and also writes for an alumni blog. When she’s not behind a screen, she’s probably listening to Harry Styles, obsessing over a sunset on Lake Michigan, or buying more books than she’ll ever read.

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