Referenced in or Inspiration for Feature Films

This historic drive-in movie theater on the famed Route 66 first opened in 1949. It inspired a scene at the Radiator Springs Drive-In Theatre during the credits of Pixar’s 2006 film, Cars. Here we see the characters watching car versions of previous Pixar movies, including Toy Car Story, Monster Trucks, Inc., and A Bug’s Life. The drive-in is seen again briefly at the beginning of 2011’s Cars 2, this time showing The Incredimobiles, a play on the 2004 Pixar film, The Incredibles. Address: 17231 Old 66 Blvd, Carthage, MO 64836 Visitor Information: 66 Drive-In Theatre

Originally built in the 13th-century, this medieval castle and fortress in the Norwegian capital of Oslo was designed to protect the city and provide a royal residence for the family of the King of Norway. The castle tower and part of the cathedral are replicated in Epcot’s Noway Pavilion as the exterior for Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, which also takes its name from the real-life location meaning “the (fortified) house of (the district) Aker”. The buildings and design of these grounds served as part of the inspiration for the design of Arendelle’s Castle in Frozen (2013). You can see the similarities on the brick fortress walls, the sloped roofs, and the round, green towers. Today, this fort is open to the public as a park and contains a series of museums detailing the history of the grounds as well as Noway’s military history. Address: 0150 Oslo, Norway Visitor Information: Akershus Festning

Located on the eastern side of Bergen’s Vågen harbor, Bryggen’s historic district of buildings dating back to the 14th century is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The row of colorful dockside buildings inspired part of the facade to Epcot’s The Fjording, a souvenir shop in the Norway Pavilion. The area is also said to have been the inspiration for the seaside village of Arendelle in the Frozen franchise. This location is mentioned in our blog post: A Perfect Disney Day In Bergen, Norway Address: Bryggen, 5003 Bergen, Norway Visitor Information: Visit Bergen

In 1974 an artist collective named Ant Farm installed Cadillac Ranch: an art installation along the historic Route 66 (this stretch in Texas is now known as Route 40) which inspired the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name. The roadside attraction features 10 brightly colored classic Cadillacs buried face-first in a row. Fans of Pixar’s Cars franchise may recognize a similar sight as the filmmakers paid very appropriate homage to the Ranch in the mountains surrounding Radiator Springs, named Cadillac Range. Parks buffs will notice that this same mountain range is also incorporated into the theming of the high-speed Radiator Springs Racers attraction. Address: 13651 I-40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124 Visitor Information: Atlas Obscura

Cars on the Route is an old gas station, converted into a cafe and gift shop, just off of historic Route 66 in Galena, Kansas. A 1951 International Company boom truck, affectionately named “Tow Tater”, sits outside the cafe and serves as the inspiration for the look of the character of Mater in Pixar’s Cars franchise. As the story goes, Cars screenwriter Joe Ranft became inspired by the rusty old truck he saw in a junkyard near Galena when the Pixar team was there in 2001 on a research trip for the film. The cafe’s owner happened to purchase the truck afterward and upon finding out about the Mater-connection, moved the truck next to the building, where it lives today. Address: 119 N Main St, Galena, KS 66739 Visitor Information: Facebook: Cars on the Route

Chillon Castle is a medieval castle built on a limestone rock in Lake Geneva between Montreux and Villeneuve in Switzerland. It has survived since the Bronze Age and has been used as a fortress, prison, and residence for counts. Today, it houses a museum which showcases its history. While it isn’t a replica, this castle served as the architectural inspiration for Prince Eric’s shoreside castle in the 1989 animated feature, The Little Mermaid. You can find scale versions of Eric’s castle while riding the Storybook Land Canal Boats in both Disneyland and it’s Disneyland Paris counterpart, Le Pays des Contes de Fées. You can also find a version of it in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom as the facade for Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid attraction. Address: Avenue de Chillon 21, 1820 Veytaux, Switzerland Visitor Information: Château de Chillon

Wanting a simpler life, the Disney family moved from their house in Chicago to a forty-acre farm they had purchased in the rural town of Marceline, MO. This is where Walt spent his formative years: his days spent on the farm grew his love of animals and his time spent performing for local children in the barn sparked his interest in entertainment. Walt first learned to draw, write and dream underneath a nearby tree, known affectionately as his dreaming tree. After only about five years here, Walt’s father became ill and the family was forced to sell their farm. In 1911 the Disney family moved once again, this time to Kansas City. In 1948, Disney produced a movie called So Dear To My Heart about growing up on a small farm in the American Midwest in the early 20th century. A personal favorite of Walt’s, the film featured a farm and barn which was based on Walt’s recollection of the one he grew up with here in Marceline. Check out more of Walt’s homes in our blog posts: Living with Walt: Part I and Part II Address: 275 W Broadway St, Marceline, MO 64658 Visitor Information: Walt Disney Hometown Museum

Duke Kahanamoku, known as the father of modern surfing, is memorialized in bronze at the entrance to Kuhio Beach in Waikiki. This location was visited by the cast of Lilo & Stitch (2002) as seen during the “photo album” montage at the end of the film. Address: Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815 Visitor Information: Hawaii Tourism Authority

The Eiffel Tower is a 324 meter (1,063 foot) tall structure built for Paris’ 1889 World’s Fair. Like many world icons, this one has a number of connections to the Disney universe. Most memorable is Epcot’s World Showcase where a 1/10th scale replica of the tower perched high above the pavilion gives the forced-perspective impression that the full-sized tower is looming above, a common site in the real City of Lights. Deeper inside the Epcot pavilion lies Impressions de France, an 18-minute film showcasing France‘s famous sites. This famous tower acts as the grande finale. Want to be magically transported to Epcot right now? Check out this audio track and you’ll feel like you’re there. Also in Epcot, you can fly up to the top of the Eiffel Tower while riding Soarin’ Around the World. Its spectacular twinkling lights can also be seen during two other versions of this ride: Soarin’ Around the World at Disney California Adventure and Soaring Over the Horizon at Shanghai Disneyland. Tokyo’s version, Soaring: Fantastic Flight, opted to replace their Eiffel Tower with an extended finale featuring the Eiffel inspired Tokyo Tower. Finally, the gigantic tower can be seen briefly during The Aristocats (1970) and […]

Fentons Creamery is an ice cream shop and cafe. Their Oakland location is near Pixar’s Emeryville Studio and a favorite of their animators – a usual spot to gather after meeting a deadline. Pete Docter, director of Pixar’s Up (2009), lives in Oakland and is a frequent visitor to Fentons with his children. He is such a fan that he incorporated a likeness of the local shop, logo and all, into the final version of the film as Russell, Carl, and Dug enjoy a cone on the sidewalk in front of the store. If you visit this shop, look for a framed photo of the above scene as well as a plaque with the following quote: To Fentons: “Thanks for all the ice cream! And for a great place to meet friends.” Pete Docter Disney•Pixar “UP” 2009 Address: 4226 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611 Visitor Information: Fentons Creamery

A New York City landmark, Grand Central Terminal has been serving its visitors as a train station and shopping concourse since it opened in 1913. While many areas of the Big Apple were used in filming, Marvel fans will recognize the building’s south-facing facade, featuring its unmistakable Glory of Commerce statues, from the climax of The Avengers (2012) during a scene where the team assembles to form a strategy to kick some As…gardians. Later on in the MCU, the set of statues above the Tiffany clock is found to have been replaced with a unique Battle Of New York Memorial statue. Grand Central is also the inspiration for both the design and punny name for the fictional Game Central Station where video game characters from Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) gather at the end of the night. Address: 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017 Visitor Information: Grand Central Terminal

Launched in 1989, the tall ship Lady Washington was commissioned as the official tall ship of the state of Washington by Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, a not-for-profit public development authority. The ship is a full-scale replica of the original Lady Washington, an 18th-century vessel named in honor of Martha Washington, and resides in this historic seaport when it’s not out on a film shoot or touring the state. The modern ship has a number of Disney connections including playing the role of the HMS Interceptor in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). A few years later, the Lady Washington stars in the ABC series Once Upon a Time as Captain Hook’s ship the Jolly Roger from season 2 and on. The ship is even credited as the design reference for the RLS Legacy in Disney’s 2002 feature animated film, Treasure Planet (2002). The ship in the movie is based on the adventures of the Hispaniola from the RLS (Robert Louis Stevenson) classic book, Treasure Island. In the Disney+ series, Prop Culture, host Dan Lanigan visits this location in search of props associated with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Read more about the real-life locations featured […]