Whether you’re a kid or a kid-at-heart, visiting a Disney theme park feels like a fairytale come to life. Part of the magic is thanks to the fact that many of Disney’s attractions are based on actual places around the globe. Disney Imagineers found creative inspiration in some of the world’s most majestic locales and went out of their way to replicate them in incredible detail within the parks. From soaring mountains to fantastical castles, here are nine real-life places that inspired these attractions at the Disney parks.
Matterhorn Mountain, Switzerland
Matterhorn Mountain in Zermatt, Switzerland inspired one of Disneyland’s oldest and most beloved rides — Matterhorn Bobsleds. As the story goes, Walt Disney became enamored of the real Matterhorn on a trip to Switzerland in 1959, prompting him to design a replica of the magnificent mountain. Although the Disney ride is considerably smaller (exactly 100 times shorter than its real-life counterpart), the resemblance between the two is clear.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is the focal point of Disneyland, and was inspired by Neuschwanstein, a spectacular European chateau located in the hills of Bavaria, Germany. Neuschwanstein was designed by King Ludwig II in the 19th century and its grandiose architecture was a nod to the bygone Romantic era. Years later, Disney Imagineer, Eyvind Earle, based Sleeping Beauty’s castle off of Neuschwanstein, with Disneyland building a large replica of the castle to attract visitors in 1955.
Cadillac Ranch, Texas
Located on Historic Route 66 in the Texas panhandle, Cadillac Ranch is one of many roadside attractions that inspired Pixar’s Cars franchise. The art installation, which consists of graffitied Cadillacs that are partially buried and positioned towards the sky, was built by an artist collective in 1974. Since then, Cadillac Ranch has become a famous roadside attraction, so famous in fact, that Disney creators used similar shapes in the so-called “Cadillac Mountain Range” on Radiators Spring Racers in Disneyland.
Sverresborg Trondelag Folk Museum, Norway
The unique architecture of the Sverresborg Trondelag Folk Museum in Norway served as the style inspo for Frozen’s Royal Sommherhus in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion. In fact, between the red-trimmed windows, Nordic woodwork, and grass-covered roof, the two are nearly identical. The architecture is unique to Norway, with these types of homes traditionally housing royalty in the summer months, so it makes sense that Anna and Elsa would reside in such an abode.
Zambezi River, Africa
When Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise was built in 1955, landscape architect Bill Evans was largely inspired by the plants found along Africa’s Zambezi River. And while he originally designed the ride with a variety of plastic plants that resembled the dense vegetation along the African waterway, eventually the fake plants were replaced with the real thing. In the 1990s, live plants such as palm trees and bamboo were brought in to make the ride more accurately resemble a real-life jungle.
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles
From the outside, the Millenium Biltmore resembles your average 4-star hotel. But on the inside, the hotel lobby may look eerily familiar. That’s because the lobby of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was directly inspired by the historic Los Angeles hotel. Most notably, the two lobbies share a Moroccan-inspired arched ceiling accented with gold. Coincidentally, Walt Disney visited the Millennium Biltmore in 1937 when he attended the 9th Annual Academy Awards. However, the Tower of Terror, which is set on a gloomy night in 1939, wasn’t built until 1994, 28 years after Disney’s death.
The Himalayas, Tibet/Nepal
Located in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain was inspired by the Himalayan mountains and loosely draws on the world-famous Mount Everest. Summiting the peak of Disney’s mountain may be less challenging, but it is no less thrilling. Visitors board a train that steeply ascends the mountain before racing back down. Although the Disney mountain is not a replica of Mount Everest, the ride’s base is modeled off of real-life Himalayan villages.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona
The sandstone buttes, pinnacles, and mesas that make up the distinctive landscape of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park served as creative inspiration for Disney Imagineer, Tony Baxter. Mimicking the shapes of the park’s unique red rock, Baxter helped to create Big Thunder Mountain Road in Disney World, a ride that takes visitors back to the 1850s Gold Rush. As Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park looks much the same as it did 150 years ago, its vast and majestic terrain served as the perfect backdrop for Disney’s Frontierland.
Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Puerto Rico
Located in Old San Juan, Castillo San Felipe del Morro is a 16th-century military fort that was built to protect Puerto Rico from the threat of pirates. It is not by chance that the entrance to the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride in Walt Disney World goes by a shortened moniker — Castillo del Morro. When visitors to the park enter the attraction, they walk through Disney’s version of the historical fort. While Disney’s Castillo del Morro is not an exact replica of the original, it definitely shares the same pirate spirit.
Main photo by Brian McGowan/Unsplash.
