Random Places to Explore

Skellig Michael is an island off the coast of Ireland. Named after the biblical archangel Michael and the Gaelic word sceilig, meaning a splinter of stone, this UNESCO World Heritage Site contains an ancient monastery and graveyard. Star Wars fans may recognize the island as Ahch-To, the place where the Jedi Order was founded and contains the site of the first Jedi Temple. It’s seen briefely as Luke Skywalker’s secluded hideaway in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and again, full of porgs, in The Last Jedi (2017). Address: Skellig Michael, Skellig Rock Great, County Kerry, Ireland Visitor Information: Discover Ireland

The West and East Mitten Buttes (an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top) are rock formations in the Arizona portion of Monument Valley Park. From the south, these massive buttes look like two giant mittens. You may recognize one of these buttes if you’ve ever been on Soarin’ Around the World (Disney California Adventure), Soarin’ Around the World (Epcot), Soaring Over the Horizon or Soaring: Fantastic Flight as it is a featured location visited during the ride. In the Pixar Cars films (2006), the area near Radiator Springs is called Ornament Valley, an automobile spoof on the namesake of the Mitten Butte’s Park. If you’re into seeing more buttes, check out the Mexican Hat Rock Formation just ~25 miles down the road. Address: West and East Mitten Buttes, Arizona 86033 Visitor Information: Navajo Nation Parks & Rec

This house in the Virginia Highland suburbs of Atlanta played the role of Scott Lang’s ex-wife and daughter’s house as seen in Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2108). Though Maggie and Cassie live in San Francisco in the movie, many MCU films have shot in various parts of the Atlanta area with Trilith Studios as their production home base. Scott does visit the Lang house again after breaking free from the Quantum Realm during Avengers: Endgame (2019), but a different exterior set was used for this quick shot. Address: 840 Clemont Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 Visitor Information: Private residence, not open to the public

This black sand beach on the southern edge of Iceland was the filming location for 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The beach transformed into planet Eadu, where the Empire sent assassins to search for Jyn’s father, Galen Erso. Address: Reynisfjara Beach, Reynisfjara, Iceland Visitor Information: Inspired by Iceland (Official Tourism Information)

The plains of this UNESCO World Heritage Site near the city of Moshi, Tanzania is featured in Soarin’ Around the World (Disney California Adventure), Soarin’ Around the World (Epcot), Soaring Over the Horizon and Soaring: Fantastic Flight as it is a featured location visited during the ride. The name Kilimanjaro is believed to mean The Mountain of Caravans in Swahili, referring to Africa’s highest peak. The name might sound familiar if you’ve ever been on Disney Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safaris – here you actually do ride through the park in a caravan of off-road vehicles. In film, the park is the setting of both the 1994 and 2019 versions of The Lion King. Address: Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania Visitor Information: Tanzania Tourist Board

This is the permanent home to the Walt Disney Studios since the company moved from their Hyperion Studio in 1940. The 51-acre campus is not only the corporate headquarters of the company but also the location of their live-action film and animation production centers. One of the soundstages is dedicated to Disney Legend Julie Andrews who filmed both Mary Poppins (1964) and The Princess Diaries (2001) there. Exterior scenes of the studio lot in 2013’s Saving Mr. Banks were actually filmed here as well. The campus features a number of unique and well-known buildings including The Roy E. Disney Animation Building, named after Walt’s nephew following his death in 2009. This building is topped with a giant blue hat, similar to the one Mickey wears during the Sorcerer’s Apprentice segments of the Fantasia films. Parks fans will recognize the facade of the building that houses Walt Disney Studios’ Art of Disney Animation attraction as an homage to this building. The Michael D. Eisner “Team Disney” Building stands just outside of Disney Legends Plaza. This building features the Seven Dwarfs as columns, holding up the structure – a nod to the studio’s first big feature film hit which helped fund the building […]

Sardi’s is an upscale restaurant in New York City that was host to a memorable scene from The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) where Kermit posed as a Broadway producer and replaced Liza Minnelli‘s portrait with his own. Today, you can dine at Sardi’s before a Broadway show and find Kermit’s portrait hanging on the second floor (across from the top of the stairs) supposedly the original portrait donated to the restaurant following filming. Liza’s portrait now hangs far from Kermit’s (can you blame them?) on the first floor, close to where the scene was actually filmed. Address: 234 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036 Visitor Information: Sardi’s

In 1987, Walt’s wife Lillian made an initial donation of $50 million to build a performance venue in honor of her late husband as a gift to the people of Los Angeles. The building opened in 2003 and includes a main performance hall (home to the LA Philharmonic) as well as a theater called REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater) to honor Walt’s brother Roy and his wife Edna. You can also find a public garden whose centerpieces is a flower-shaped fountain called “A Rose for Lilly”. The fountain is made from the pieces of over 200 Royal Delft porcelain vases, a favorite of Lillian. Sharp-eyed Marvel fans may also recognize the building as the venue holding the charity gala where Tony Stark finds out that Obadiah Stane (played by Jeff Bridges) has been plotting to take over his company and sell weapons to terrorists in the 2008 film, Iron Man. Address: 111 S Grand Ave Los Angeles, CA 90012 Visitor Information: Los Angeles Philharmonic Association

The Glendale-Hyperion Bridge connects Interstate 5 from Glendale (into Atwater Village) to the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles where one of the original Disney animation studios once stood. The bridge, along with its distinct octagonal towers, serves as the architectural inspiration for the bridge (really a monorail track) on Buena Vista Street at the entrance to Disney California Adventure. The bridge can briefly be seen during the 1988 live-action and animated hit Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Test footage from this scene can be seen during the seventh episode of the first season of the Disney+ series Prop Culture as the episode visits the stuntman and original vehicle used as the car body prob for “Benny the Cab”. Address: Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA Visitor Information: Wikipedia

Part of the Peabody Essex Museum, this 18th-century house, known as Ropes Mansion, was featured as Allison’s house in the 1993 Disney flick, Hocus Pocus. Though the exterior was used for filming, interior scenes were filmed in a studio. Address: 318 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970 Visitor Information: Peabody Essex Museum

In March 1979, the cast and crew of Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) traveled to Finse, Norway to film scenes in and around the Hardangerjøkulen (Hardanger Glacier). These scenes were for the battle on ice planet Hoth, with a majority of the on-the-ground battle footage being filmed on the glacier itself. The cast and crew stayed at the nearby Finse 1222 hotel, which currently has a small museum devoted to the production and hosts an annual fan event. An area near the south edge of Finsevatnet lake was where filming took place for the scene where Luke grapples to an AT-AT in order to drop a thermal detonator inside. A stuntman hung from a helicopter in order to get the footage. Heading further south, near a ridge, is the probot droid landing site and the landscape for a scene where the Imperial AT-AT Walkers first approach the Rebels. Heading a bit more east, is the area where a matte painting of the Rebel’s Echo Base entrance was superimposed on top of footage that was filmed here. Near this area is the location where Han destroys the probot from behind a rock. Although due to erosion, the whereabouts of […]

Formerly called Pinewood Atlanta Studios, Trilith is a major film production center in the heart of Georgia. The massive 700-acre facility has hosted the filming of a number of hit Marvel productions including Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the 2021 Disney+ series WandaVision. The soundstages and backdrops are not generally open to the public for tours. Address: 461 Sandy Creek Rd, Fayetteville, GA 30214 Visitor Information: Trilith Studios

This hut on the western edge of the island of Djerba played the role of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi’s home in the original theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. You may not recognize it, though, as the exterior shot of the house was completely changed when Lucas re-released the film as a Special Edition for its twentieth anniversary in 1997. Subsequent releases also contained the new version as well as additional CGI enhancement to other scenes. Today, the structure is still standing, used for storage by local fisherman. Address: Djerba Ajim, Tunisia Visitor Information: No Official Information – Tunisian National Tourist Office

Part of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) takes place on Scarif, where the Empire has established a security complex. The pristine beaches of Scarif, along with some CGI enhancement, were filmed on the real beaches and in the crystal clear water of the island of Gan in the Maldives. Address: Gan, Laamu Atoll, Maldives Visitor Information: Maldives Ministry of Tourism

The Great Wall of China is a world-famous UNESCO World Heritage structure that once served as the barricade of the North, now acts as a tourist attraction for millions of visitors every year, many of whom (or is it just me?) are inspired to visit based on its connection to Disney. A portion of this 13,000-mile-long wall can be seen as one of the featured locations in Soarin’ Around the World (Disney California Adventure), Soarin’ Around the World (Epcot), Soaring Over the Horizon and Soaring: Fantastic Flight. I can’t help but think of a certain song every time I see this scene. The portion of the wall seen is near the city of Miyun, outside of northeast Beijing. It’s the same filming location that was used in the Wonders of China attraction shown in Epcot’s China Pavilion from 1982 to 2003 and Disneyland from 1984 to1996. Today, Epcot’s China Pavilion shows the updated(ish) Circle-Vision film, Reflections of China, which now features the Great Wall as the bookends of the attraction where we both meet and say 再见 (goodbye) to our host, Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. Watch the below video or take a listen to this song, it’ll make you feel like you’re […]

This UNESCO World Heritage Site consists of hundreds of rows of structures built into the walls of these mountains in order to create terraces that hold flooded pond fields for the cultivation of rice. More importantly, this peaceful landscape is the filming location for the site where farmer Thanos retreats to in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Address: Nueva Vizcaya – Ifugao – Mountain Province Rd, Banaue, Ifugao, Philippines Visitor Information: Banaue Rice Terraces

Fort Bard is a 19th century fortress located in a narrow gorge at the entrance to Italy‘s Aosta Valley, gateway to the Alps. This unique building was the filming locations for Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), playing the role of HYDRA’s Research Base in the fictional country of Sokovia. Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 85, 11020 Bard AO, Italy Visitor Information: Associazione Forte di Bard

This living history museum in Salem’s Forest River Park features a number of colonial architecture examples among other buildings from the 17th-century. You can see it during the opening scene of the 1993 Disney flick, Hocus Pocus, when the Sanderson sisters used their witchcraft to turn Thackery Binx into a cat. This museum is only open during warmer months, so be sure to check their website for opening hours before visiting. Address: 98 West Ave, Salem, MA 01970 Visitor Information: Pioneer Village Salem

The Chinese Theatre has been a Hollywood landmark and icon of the city since it’s opening in 1927. The building remains a working movie theater, shopping complex, and tourist destination for its celebrity handprints embossed into the cement on the floor within its entrance courtyard. To this day, Disney still holds gala premieres for some of its movies here. One of the biggest premieres ever was in 1964 for Mary Poppins which was broadcast live on TV. This event was partially recreated for the ending scene to 2013’s Saving Mr. Banks. Marvel fans may also recognize this building as the site of a terrorist attack during an explosion where Happy Hogan ends up hospitalized during the 2013 film, Iron Man 3. If you can’t make it to Hollywood, Disney has its own version of this building in the form of an exact replica forming the facade to °o° and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Address: 6925 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028 Visitor Information: TCL Chinese Theatre

This carousel, built in 1926, in the heart of LA’s Griffith Park was the inspiration for Disneyland: The idea for [Disneyland] came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy’s day with the two daughters…. I’d take them to the merry-go-round… and as I sit while they rode… I felt that there should be something built where the parents and children could have fun together. So that’s how Disneyland started” – Walt Disney The Merry-Go-Round that Walt references is the one here in the park, between his Los Feliz home and the Disney Studio in Burbank. The Disney+ series Prop Culture filmed a segment here in an episode exploring props and costumes from Disney’s 1964 film, Mary Poppins. In the episode, host Dan Lanigan brings Karen Dotrice, the actress that played Jane Banks, here to discuss how the carousel inspired a fantastical scene in the film while checking out the iconic yellow dress and hat costume that she wore in the movie. Read more about the real-life locations featured on the show in our blog post: 7 Real-Life Locations From The Disney+ Series Prop Culture. The ride is still open to the public, though operating on […]

Beetle House is a restaurant and bar themed in honor of Tim Burton. Burton worked as an animator for Disney in the 1980s before moving on to his own feature films, including many for Disney and Fox including Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), James and the Giant Peach (1996), and Alice In Wonderland (2010). Though the restaurant isn’t officially sanctioned by Burton or Disney, the decor and staff are dressed as references to his films and characters and the menu makes reference to these films including items like Edward’s Lemonade, Coco Skellington, and Giant Peach Salad. The restaurant also has a sister location in New York City. This location was featured in The Nightmare Before Christmas episode of the Disney+ series, Prop Culture. In the episode, host Dan Lanigan brought key members from the film’s production to the restaurant to review props and sets from the Tim Burton cult classic. Read more about the real-life locations featured on the show in our blog post: 7 Real-Life Locations From The Disney+ Series Prop Culture. Address: 1714 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028 Visitor Information: Beetle House LA

Golden Oak Ranch is a plot of land 30 miles outside of Los Angeles, used by Walt in the 1950s and later purchased by the company in 1959 for use as film and TV production facility. A number of classic Disney productions have been filmed here including Spin and Marty episodes, Old Yeller (1957), The Parent Trap (1961), The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975), and Pete’s Dragon (1977). The ranch is still used today and continues to host productions such as Pearl Harbor (2001), The Country Bears (2002), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), The Muppets (2011). In television, ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Disney+ series WandaVision have shot here as well as an episode of the Disney+ series One Day at Disney (Shorts) featured Golden Oak while profiling their Operations Manager, Steven Sligh. The name Golden Oak is memorialized as the name of the Golden Oak community, a private residential area located on Walt Disney World property, where its clubhouse displays props and memorabilia from classic Disney TV shows and movies that were filmed here. Although no tours are given and it is not open to the public, industry professionals can gain access for scouting and filming purposes. Address: 19802 Placerita Canyon Rd, […]

The Main Branch of the New York Public Library is arguably the most famous of the city’s 92 branches in its system. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building opened in 1911 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The library’s Children’s Room contains a display of the original collection of dolls which inspired author A. A. Milne to write the Winnie-the-Pooh series of books which in turn inspired the Disney version. Read more about our visit to the library’s Children’s Room in our blog post: Meeting the Original Winnie-the-Pooh (and Tigger, too) You may also recognize the library from a number of classic films but the most notable Disney related one is Spider-Man (2002) – this is the scene where Uncle Ben gives Peter the “with great power comes great responsibility” speech before dropping him off at the library. Peter is really headed to an underground fight tournament to take on Bone Saw as Spider-Man. Read more about this location in our blog post: Meeting the Original Winnie-the-Pooh (and Tigger, too) Address: 476 5th Ave, New York, NY 10018 Visitor Information: New York Public Library

Sleeping Beauty Castle is the iconic centerpiece of the original Disneyland Park and the only Disney castle whose construction was personally overseen by Walt Disney. Its aesthetic was largely influenced by the famed Neuschwanstein Castle based on designs by Imagineer Herb Ryman. While Neuschwanstein and other real European castles were imposingly large to intimidate common citizens, Walt supposedly wanted his castle to be friendly and less intimidating, so it was built on a smaller scale. A representation of the Disney family coat of arms can be found above the castle’s Main Street facing archway. The official Coat of Arms consists of three gold fleur-de-lis on a red fess (representing purity), a crest with a red lion passant-guardant (representing bravery or courage), and the motto Vincit qui patitur meaning: He conquers who endures. The emblem used on the castle is a custom design featuring the lion symbol. A similar emblem can be found on Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom and its clone in Tokyo Disneyland. Today, the castle houses a Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough attraction where guests can see various dioramas telling the story of the 1959 animated film, Sleeping Beauty, using the film’s original Eyvind Earle style of artwork. Just across the […]

Indiana Jones Bed & Breakfast is a full-service bed and breakfast in Antonio, Colorado – halfway between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs. The house, built in 1888, was used as the filming location for 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Both interior and exterior scenes were shot here, as the home of Henry Jones and his son, a young Indiana Jones (played by the late River Phoenix). Today, you can stay in one of four rooms at the B&B and admire the Indiana Jones decor, the “Jones” mailbox standing outside, and the nearby Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad which was also used in the beginning sequence of the film. This location made our list of the 10 Most Unique And Coolest Disney Related Locations Where You Can Spend The Night Address: 502 Front St, Antonito, CO 81120 Visitor Information: Indiana Jones Bed & Breakfast

Hurricane Falls is one of many waterfalls that line Georgia’s Tallulah Gorge. At 900 feet deep, the gorge is the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi. You may recognize this waterfall as it was seen briefly during Avengers: Infinity War when Bruce Banner uses the Hulkbuster suit to fight Thanos’ henchman Cull Obsidian during the final battle scene on Wakanda. Address: Tallulah Falls, GA 30573 Visitor Information: Georgia State Parks

Porsche Experience Center’s Atlanta location puts you behind the wheel of a variety of elaborate sports cars. Its sleek and modern building may look familiar to sharp-eyed Marvel fans as it was used as the exterior design of one of the buildings in the Avengers’ upstate New York campus. The building was first seen in the trailer for 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. We see it again during Spider-Man: Homecoming along with the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, the two main buildings that make up the campus. Both buildings make an appearance in Avengers: Infinity War and one last time in Avengers: Endgame. Address: One Porsche Dr, Atlanta, GA 30354 Visitor Information: Porsche Experience

The Studebaker National Museum is a museum in South Bend, Indiana dedicated to the American automobile manufacturer of the same name, based in the same city. The museum features a display of Fozzie’s car from the 1979 film, The Muppet Movie. It’s one of two Studebakers used in the filming and still has paint remnants from when Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem contributed their psychedelic makeover (Can You Picture That?). The museum is currently accepting donations to help them “restore this star to its former glory.” This museum and car were featured in the Disney+ series Prop Culture, where host Dan Lanigan brings Joel Hodgeson (creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000) to meet the museum’s curator Aaron Warkentin to take a look at the famous car. Read more about the real-life locations featured on the show in our blog post: 7 Real-Life Locations From The Disney+ Series Prop Culture. Address: 201 Chapin St, South Bend, IN 46601 Visitor Information: Studebaker National Museum

Arguably the most famous landmark of Venice, this campanile (or bell tower) stands nearly 325 feet (99 meters) high and is situated near Doge’s Palace. A one-fifth scale replica of the campanile can be found as the tallest point of Epcot’s Italy Pavilion. The tower and surrounding square can also be seen during when Peter Parker and friends visit during Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019). Address: Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy Visitor Information: Basilica di San Marco  

Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the heart of Tokyo, Japan. It was constructed in 1958 based on the design of the Eiffel Tower. This tower is a featured filming location from Tokyo DisneySea’s Soaring: Fantastic Flight. Ironically, this 1,092-foot tall tower replaces the Eiffel Tower scene (seen on other versions of the Soarin’ ride film) in favor of an extended finale, unique to Tokyo’s version of the ride. This finale includes a flyover of Tokyo leading up to Tokyo’s iconic tower. Address: 4-chōme-2-8 Shibakōen, Minato City, Tōkyō-to 105-0011, Japan Visitor Information: Tokyo Tower

The Matterhorn is a unique looking mountain in the Swiss Alps at the edge of a small town called Zermatt, Switzerland. Its jagged profile may look familiar if you’ve ever eaten a Toblerone – it’s featured on the logo of the Swiss chocolate. It may also look familiar if you’ve ever been to Disneyland… #MatterhornMonday Walt’s fascination with the mighty mountain first grew during a set visit to the production of the 1959 live-action feature film Third Man on the Mountain. According to author Jim Denny (via Disney Avenue), Walt had always wanted a mountainside attraction in Disneyland to remind him of his childhood days sledding down the snowy hillsides of Marceline. While on location in Zermatt, Walt became obsessed with the site of the Matterhorn mountain so much that he couldn’t take his eyes off of it – he knew it had to be a part of Disneyland. Legend has it that he mailed a souvenir postcard back to Imagineering with a hand-written note: Build This. In the summer of 1959, Walt’s vision came to life and the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction opened in Disneyland. The ride is still in operation today with only minor cosmetic and theming changes happening […]

Iguazu Falls is a series of waterfalls dividing the upper and lower portions of the Iguazu River which forms the boundary between Argentina and Brazil. The name Iguazu comes from the Tupi–Guarani language meaning big water. It’s not just a clever name as this expansive collection of moving water contains 270 different falls along the approximately 2.7 kilometer (1.6 mile) stretch of the river, making it the largest waterfall system in the world. Fans of beautiful natural sights such as this one can catch a glimpse of this big water from above while riding Soarin’ Around the World (Disney California Adventure), Soarin’ Around the World (Epcot), Soaring Over the Horizon, and Soaring: Fantastic Flight. Take a look at it on the small screen in the below video. This iconic series of waterfalls can also be seen as Warrior Falls where T’Challa fights to protect his crown during Marvel’s 2018 film Black Panther. While much of these scenes took place on a soundstage in Atlanta, establishing and aerial shots of the real falls were used in combination with CGI. Similarly, 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull filmed scenes here for Indy’s triumphant return to the big screen, […]

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait-Ben-Haddou is situated in the Moroccan desert, about 100 miles from Marrakesh. This ksar, or group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, was a key stop along the caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh. Disney Parks fans may recognize the earthen clay towers of Ait-Ben-Haddou as they’re represented in the facade above the entrance to Restaurant Marrakesh in Epcot. A number of films have been shot here due to its unique and biblical looking structures, the most famous being the very non-Disney Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000). Disney and their subsidiary’s films include Fox’s The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Kundun (1997), Fox’s Kingdom of Heaven (2005), and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010). Additional studio and outdoor sets for most of these films were located at the nearby Cinema Studio Atlas. Read about our visit to this location and other Moroccan points of interest in our blog post: Treasures of Morocco: Finding Epcot’s Real-Life Landmarks Address: Aït Benhaddou, Morocco Visitor Information: TripAdvisor

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts is an art gallery and museum on the campus of the University of East Anglia. While this modern building is located in the UK, it set the scene as the upstate New York Avengers facility which first debuted during Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Both exterior and interior scenes from Age of Ultron were filmed here and the facility can be seen in subsequent films such as Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War. We see the building again, along with the new section of the campus (based on the Porsche Experience Center Atlanta) in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and one last time in Avengers: Endgame. The museum is open to the public, but don’t expect to see any Quinjets or Asgardians roaming around during your visit. Address: University of East Anglia, Norfolk Road, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK Visitor Information: Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

The Lau Islands are a remote group of islands set between Melanesian Fiji and Polynesian Tonga. While it’s unknown if Motunui is one of the Lau Islands or a neighboring archipelago, it is certain that one of the Lau Islands was used as a filming location for the beautiful tropical scene during Soarin’ Around the World (Disney California Adventure), Soarin’ Around the World (Epcot), Soaring Over the Horizon, and Soaring: Fantastic Flight. Address: Lau, Fiji Visitor Information: Tourism Fiji

St Abbs is a fishing village on the coast of Scotland. The small town’s harbor was featured as a filming location in Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame. The harbour stood in as New Asgard, a place where Thor and his fellow Asgardians went to following the events of 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. In the MCU, New Asgard is set within the real municipality of Tønsberg, Norway. Following the filming, the Scottish government officially declared the town as “twinned” with the fictional one, complete with signage near the harbor. This location made our list of the 10 Most Unique And Coolest Disney Related Locations Where You Can Spend The Night Address: St Abbs, Eyemouth, TD14 5PL, UK Visitor Information: St Abbs Visitor Centre

Found atop a hill in southwest Germany, this Bavarian castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II in 1869 as a retreat but, sadly, he never lived to see the completion or its impact on Disney Parks around the world. This castle is the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland based on Imagineer Herb Ryman’s designs. You can definitely see some of the similarities in the towers and turret shapes. Neuschwanstein is also a featured location where a flyover of the site was filmed for Soarin’ Around the World (Disney California Adventure), Soarin’ Around the World (Epcot), and Soaring Over the Horizon (Shanghai Disneyland). This view can be seen best by hiking up the mountain past Marienbrucke. One more tribute to King Ludwig’s masterpiece which can be found in Paris’ Disney Village: the King Ludwig’s Castle restaurant is a direct reference and namesake to the famed landmark. Read about our experience visiting Neuschwanstein Castle including travel tips and tricks in our blog post: The Best View in Bavaria: Seeing a Disney Castle In Real Life Address: Neuschwansteinstraße 20, 87645 Schwangau, Germany Visitor Information: Neuschwanstein Official

The exterior of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art plays the role of the fictional Museum of Great Britain in Marvel’s 2018 film Black Panther. Although no scenes were filmed inside, the building’s facade (enhanced with CGI) set the stage for the scene where Killmonger and Klaw steal an artifact containing Vibranium. Address: 1280 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 Visitor Information: High Museum of Art

The Mayan temple complex in Guatemala’ s Tikal National Park was a filming location for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). You can see it towards the end of the film as the Rebel base, Massassi Outpost, on the fourth moon of the planet Yavin. Address: Parque Nacional Tikal, Tikal, Guatemala Visitor Information: Tikal National Park

Villa del Balbianello is an 18th-century Italian mansion. The villa’s position on Lake Como was the inspiration for Queen Amidala’s lake retreat on Naboo, as seen during Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). The exterior was slightly modified using CGI to fit the Star Wars motif. Scenes were filmed inside the villa, including one on the balcony where Anakin and Padmé kiss for the first time as well as return to have their wedding at the end of the film. Its beautiful grounds and gardens are open to visitors year-round. Address: Via Guido Monzino, 1, 22016 Tremezzina CO, Italy Visitor Information: National Trust of Italy

The house of the McCallister family as seen during Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992) is a real house at 671 Lincoln Ave in Winnetka, IL. Both the interior and exterior of this house were used during the filming of these 20th Century Fox films (acquired by Disney in 2019). Address: 671 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, IL 60093 Visitor Information: Private residence, not open to the public

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is a museum with a large collection of historic ships and other sea vessels. One of the items in its collection is the HMS Surprise. Originally called the HMS Rose, the ship was purchased in 2001 by Twentieth Century Fox film studio to be modified and transformed into the HMS Surprise for the filming of Fox’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). The ship was used once again for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) as Captain Barbossa’s HMS Providence. Today, you can visit the HMS Surprise along with other historic ships along the shores of San Diego Bay. Address: 1492 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101 Visitor Information: Maritime Museum of San Diego

Greenham Common’s GLCM (Ground Launched Cruise Missile) Alert and Maintenance Area was used as a filming location for 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The grass-covered bunkers stood in as the Resistance’s above-ground base on the fictional planet D’Qar. This historic area was used by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and again in the Cold War, as a base for nuclear weapons. The base was closed in 1992 but still exists today. While the bunkers are closed off to the public, you can scope them out from the perimeter or get a view from above by visiting the nearby Greenham Control Tower. Address: Greenham, Thatcham RG19 6HN, UK Visitor Information: Greenham Control Tower

This public square in the heart of Cleveland’s downtown district was a filming location for the epic film, The Avengers (2012). The scene where Loki hypnotizes the crowd before being taken away by Captain America and Iron Man is meant to resemble Germany’s real-life Schlossplatz Stuttgart but was actually filmed just outside the square’s Terminal Tower building in 2011. Address: 50 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44113 Visitor Information: Cleveland Public Square

Bolivia’s Uyuni Salt Flat is the world’s largest salt flat. This expanse of mineral set the stage as planet Crait in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017). Crait is best known for its abandoned Rebel Base where a battle between AT-M6 Walkers and resistance sky speeders took place. A re-creation of this scene can also be found in Disney Parks during Star Tours – The Adventures Continue at Disneyland Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Address: Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia Visitor Information: National Geographic

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