Europe

This memorial to the creator of Winne the Pooh in the heart of the Five Hundred Acre Wood is inscribed with a quote from The House at Pooh Corner: And by and by they came to an enchanted place on the very top of the Forest called Galleons Lap. The plaque continues to proclaim that here at Gills Lap are commemorated A. A. Milne 1882-1956 and E. H. Shepard 1879-1976 who collaborated in the creation of “Winnie-The-Pooh” and so captured the magic of Ashdown Forest and gave it to the world. Address: Ashdown Forest, Uckfield, UK Visitor Information: Conservators of Ashdown Forest

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

Battersea Park is a public park in London. You may recognize the distinct walkway running through the center as the area where Kermit, Miss Piggy, and a whole slew of Muppets rode bikes in The Great Muppet Caper (1981). Filmed in September of 1980, this was the first time multiple Muppet character road bicycles simultaneously, achieved through a combination of radio controls, marionette puppeteering, and a rod that joined the bikes together. Address: Battersea Park, London SW11 4NJ, UK Visitor Information: Wandsworth London Borough Council

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

Scenes for 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story were filmed in London’s Canary Wharf underground tube station. “My first job ever in television was just round the corner… [I thought:] This is something from the future. This is like a sci-fi movie. If I ever get to do a sci-fi film in my life I’m gonna film it here.” – Rogue One Director Gareth Edwards The station’s dark and metallic tones set the perfect mood as the interior of an Imperial Base. Unfortunately, these scenes never made the final cut of the film but they do appear in the official teaser trailer (at the 1:12 mark). Address: Canary Wharf, London E14 5NY, United Kingdom Visitor Information: Transport for London

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

The Columns of San Marco (Saint Mark) and San Todaro (Saint Theodore) stand guard in front of Doge’s Palace and St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy. These two marble and granite pillars overlook the lagoon and represent the city’s two patrons: the winged lion (symbol of Saint Mark) and Saint Theodore (the Byzantine Saint of Amasea), the city’s first protector. A set of scale replicas of these famous landmarks can be found guarding the entrance to Epcot’s Italy Pavilion. Address: Piazza, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Visitor Information: APT of the Province of Venice

Cotchford Farm was the country home of author A. A. Milne from 1925 to his death in 1956. It was here that Milne wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, inspired by the surrounding forest’s Five Hundred Acre Wood. Recently sold, the home’s gardens feature original statues of Christopher Robin and a sundial with carvings of Pooh, the author’s initials, and the following quote: This warm and sunny spot belongs to Pooh, And here he wonders what it’s time to do. Unfortunately, the property is not currently open to the public. This location is mentioned in our blog post: Meeting the Original Winnie-the-Pooh (and Tigger, too) Address: Cotchford Ln, Hartfield TN7 4HA, UK Visitor Information: Private residence, not open to the public

This is an official Disney Store, located on Paris’ elegant shopping street, Champs-Élysées. The design of the store is unique from other Disney Stores and includes two floors connected by a grand staircase, with Tinker Bell hovering above. The first floor features Parisian decor such as an Eiffel Tower and advertising columns plastered with ads for Disney films, some set in Paris like The Aristocats (1970) and Pixar’s Cars 2 (2011). Exclusive merchandise is sold here, such as the Parisian Mickey and Minnie, which can also be found on the French ShopDisney site. Wallpaper around the store features Disney characters, including French ones such as Marie from The Aristocats (1970), Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). See more of these wallpapers and download them as your phone’s wallpapers by following us on Instagram and clicking our wallpaper stories. Address: 44 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France Visitor Information: ShopDisney

While there are many official Disney Stores in Italy, this is Venice’s only one. This Disney Store is tucked into the corner of a piazza, just steps away from the infamous Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge). The exposed brick interior fits the motif of Venice’s old buildings and is adorned with Disney characters. Exclusive merchandise is sold here, such as Venizia and Italia branded merchandise. You can also find a wonderfully appropriated pizza chef Mickey (with removable mustache) there or on the Italian ShopDisney site. Address: Campo San Bartolomeo, 5257/58, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Visitor Information: ShopDisney

Doge’s Palace is a grand palace in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square. The lavish pink and white palace became a museum in 1923. In Epcot, you can find a reproduction of this famed landmark in the Italy Pavilion, as it’s the facade for the Il Bel Cristallo and La Gemma Elegante shops. Address: Piazza San Marco, 1, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Visitor Information: Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia

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 […]