Disney films are often set in far-off lands in locations that usually aren’t real. (It’s part of the magic, after all.) But in many instances, there’s a direct connection between those fictional settings and real-world attractions. Several of the most popular Disney films feature buildings and landscapes designed to look like landmarks across nearly every continent. Even Walt Disney himself drew inspiration from places he visited, later immortalizing them in his feature films. Whether you’re a Disney fanatic or a casual fan, these bucket-list destinations are worth the visit so you can witness the similarities for yourself.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany – Sleeping Beauty
The castle seen in the 1959 film Sleeping Beauty is based on a 19th-century Bavarian palace commissioned by King Ludwig II. An architectural marvel, the castle was built beginning in 1869 and features more than 200 rooms. There’s even a subterranean grotto where the king enjoyed escaping from the public eye.
The castle also inspired the Sleeping Beauty Castle located at Disneyland in Southern California. It all stemmed from a trip Walt Disney took with his wife to the Bavarian Alps, where he was struck by the beauty of this structure. The Sleeping Beauty Castle became one of the most indelible symbols in Disney history, with an animated version appearing in the opening credits for every Disney film produced between 1985 and 2006.
Hell’s Gate National Park, Kenya – The Lion King
During preproduction on 1994’s The Lion King, animators traveled to Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya in search of inspiration. The moviemakers were taken by the varied wildlife and stunning scenery, both of which heavily influenced their animations in the years to come.
One of the most notable landmarks in the park is Fischer’s Tower, a jagged outcropping that inspired the film’s Pride Rock, where the main characters live and where a newborn Simba is presented at the start of the movie. Animators also were able to study lions, wildebeests, gazelles, and other animals in their habitats, helping to add a sense of realism to the eventual animation.
Great Fosters, England – Alice in Wonderland
In 1935, Walt Disney visited the Great Fosters, a 16th-century Tudor mansion in Surrey, on the outskirts of London. The historic building was converted into a hotel in the 1930s and hosted many famous individuals, such as Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, and, of course, Disney himself. Some of the mansion’s most notable features include a royal crest of Queen Elizabeth I dating to 1598, as well as a lush, well-manicured topiary maze.
It was this very maze that’s believed to have inspired Disney as he dreamt up the 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland. According to the Walt Disney Company, Disney looked back to his time at Great Fosters for the scene in which Alice gets lost in the Queen of Hearts’ labyrinthine garden maze.
Dubrovnik, Croatia – The Little Mermaid
The 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid was a slight deviation from the Hans Christian Andersen novel that inspired it. While Andersen based his story around locations throughout Denmark, Disney based parts of its movie on the shores of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Dubrovnik is a coastal wonder renowned for its medieval architecture and fortifications, as well as the stunning natural beauty of the Adriatic Sea. According to the Walt Disney Company, animators used Dubrovnik as inspiration when designing the shores that Ariel washed up on. However, that’s the only real-world connection here — Prince Eric’s castle is modeled after Château de Chillon, a medieval residence on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
Calanais Standing Stones, Scotland – Brave
The Calanais Standing Stones are a neolithic-era monument that predates even Stonehenge. This circular arrangement of tall, mysterious rocks is located on the Isle of Lewis in northern Scotland, among the Scottish Highlands. Despite their ancient history, these stones played a key role in inspiring animators on the modern 2012 Disney film Brave.
Based on the story of a Scottish princess named Merida, Brave takes place in the very highlands where these stones are located. Disney animators visited Scotland in the mid-2000s for location scouting, and were particularly inspired by the Calanais Standing Stones. Producer Katherine Sarafian said of the stones, “[They] felt like the perfect setting for something important to happen in the story.”
Alcázar of Segovia, Spain – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The Alcázar of Segovia played a key role in the creation of Disney’s first animated feature film: 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The castle was originally built in the 12th century as a military fortress atop a large rock in Segovia, a city in central Spain. Over the years, the castle served as the residence of many ruling Spanish kings, and even became a jail for some time.
The castle’s beautiful Gothic architecture was long believed to be the inspiration for the castle seen in Snow White, though for many years it remained an urban legend, despite the uncanny resemblance. However, the Walt Disney Company finally confirmed the direct connection in 2023.
Angel Falls, Venezuela – Up
The 2009 animated adventure film Up tells the story of a young wilderness explorer named Russell and a curmudgeonly old man named Carl Fredricksen. In the film, the pair travel to a fictitious area called Paradise Falls in South America, based on the very real Angel Falls of Venezuela.
At 3,212 feet tall, Angel Falls is the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, making it a true spectacle to witness. The falls caught the eye of Disney producers around 2003, and director Pete Docter and others working on the film decided it would be the perfect backdrop for a new movie. The team traveled to Venezuela’s Canaima National Park, where Angel Falls is located, so they could further research the falls and witness their beauty firsthand.
Have you visited any of these locations? Or do you have any other favorites? Let us know in the comments!
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