Random Places to Explore

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 […]

This iconic donut shop near LAX is world-famous for its towering donut sign. Disney fans will immediately recognize this shops exterior from Marvel’s 2010 film, Iron Man 2, where we find our hero enjoying a donut atop the 32-foot wide pastry as Nick Fury coaxes him down from the parking lot. While the exterior scenes were indeed filmed here, the subsequent interior scenes were filmed at another location, as this shop is takeaway only. Address: 805 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90301 Visitor Information: Randy’s Donuts

ABC’s Times Square Studio is located in the heart of New York City’s Times Square. It’s best known as the home to  Good Morning America (GMA), among other ABC and ESPN programs. Access to the studio is only available by attending Adventures by Disney’s New York City Escape or entering for tickets to attend a taping of GMA. Address: 1500 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 Visitor Information (Not Open to the Public): ABC Television Networks

Plaza de España is a public square and garden in Seville. It’s long stretches of columned walkways and semi-circular lake was the inspiration for and filming location of Queen Amidala’s Theed Palace on Naboo, as seen during Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). Address: Av de Isabel la Católica, 41004 Sevilla, Spain Visitor Information: Andalusia Tourist Community

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 royal palace was most famously the residence of King Henry VIII of England. The building’s unique brick exterior serves as inspiration for the facade of the Sportsman’s Shoppe in Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion. You can also see parts of the building during the 2011 film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, playing the role St. James’s Palace. Address: Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU, United Kingdom Visitor Information: Historic Royal Palaces

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 […]

This small structure on Tunisia’s Chott el Jerid salt flats played the role of the Lars family’s Tatooine homestead in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). Exterior scenes of the house were filmed here, while interior scenes were filmed about 150 miles away at the Hotel Sidi Driss. After filming, the building was taken apart but then rebuilt in 2000 for Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) when Anakin travels to Tatooine to find his mother. It was again used in Episode III  – Revenge of the Sith (2005) when Obi-Wan delivers baby Luke to Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen Lars.  Since then, the structure fell into disrepair. In 2011, fans from around the world donated $10,000 to have this iconic location restored to its full glory under the Save Lars Project. Though the intense desert conditions are wearing away at the facade, the building still remains open to visitors. Address: Naftah, Tunisia Visitor Information: No Official Information – Tunisian National Tourist Office

The Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) is a museum in Queens, New York devoted to the history of film and television and educating its visitors on the process of filmmaking from its earliest form to the latest technological advancements. A number of Disney related items can be found on display in this museum including screen-used memorabilia from Star Wars and a permanent Jim Henson Exhibition with a variety of items from Muppet TV shows and movies. The Jim Henson Exhibition is a multi-media exhibit featuring nearly 300 objects on display including 47 puppets from Muppet movies and TV shows, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal (1982), Labyrinth (1986) and more. A traveling version of this exhibit, curated by the museum, is currently touring the US. Check out our blog post, A Tour of The Jim Henson Exhibit: Imagination Unlimited, for more info on its current location. The exhibit also features a “Waldo” puppet control mechanism that was developed in order to let puppeteers remotely operate mechanical puppets like those found in Fraggle Rock and Dinosaurs. A later version of this was used to perform Waldo C. Graphic, the “spirit of 3D” who stars in Walt Disney World’s Muppet*Vision 3D. The Henson exhibit is also featured […]

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 […]

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

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

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

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 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

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

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 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 […]

Wallilabou Anchorage is a hotel and restaurant in Wallilabou Bay, an alcove in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. The pier and surrounding area played the role of Port Royal, the main location in 2004’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and multiple subsequent Pirates of the Caribbean films. The area is open to the public to explore the props and sets that are still on display including the ship mast of the Jolly Mon, the sinking ship that Captain Jack Sparrow steps off when we first meet him. An episode of the Disney+ series Prop Culture visits the Wallilabou Anchorage in an episode exploring the props, sets, and costumes of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. 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. This location made our list of the 10 Most Unique And Coolest Disney Related Locations Where You Can Spend The Night Address: Wallilabou Bay, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Visitor Information: Wallilabou Anchorage

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  

In the heart of New York City, Times Square is home to a number of WanderDisney locations, including ABC Times Square Studios, New York’s flagship Disney Store, Planet Hollywood, and multiple Disney on Broadway shows. The iconic crossroads of 7th Avenue and Broadway can also be seen in a few Disney films such as Enchanted (2007) and Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). You even see it in animated form during Oliver & Company (1988). Address: Times Square, New York, USA Visitor Information: The Times Square Alliance

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

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

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)

Egypt‘s famed pyramids outside the city of Cairo are not only the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world, but also the only one still in existence today. This magnificent complex of three granite and limestone structures can be seen by taking flight 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. You can also catch a brief cameo by the pyramids in the ancient Egypt scene during Spaceship Earth. During the animated version of Aladdin (1992), the three pyramids can be seen briefly while Aladdin and Jasmine are exploring by carpet while singing A Whole New World. Address: Al Haram, Giza Governorate, Egypt Visitor Information: Egypt Tourism Authority

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

The Proscenium is a high-rise office building in midtown Atlanta. The building’s lobby was a filming location for Avengers: Endgame (2019), playing the role of Stark Tower’s New York City lobby in the scene where our heroes travel back to 2012 to take back the Tesseract (which contains the Space Stone). The building’s lobby is a private office lobby, so while you may walk inside and look around quickly, you may be asked to not take photos inside. Address: 1170 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 Visitor Information: Proscenium Office Space

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

Named for its location 1,222 meters above sea level, the Finse 1222 is a full service hotel in the remote and tiny village of Finse, Norway. The town, only reachable by train or on foot, is the gateway to the spectacular Hardangerjøkulen glacier, known to locals as Hoth as it was the primary filming location for the 1980 classic, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. In 1979, cast and crew stayed at this hotel while filming scenes on the glacier, in the nearby valley, and in the immediate area on the back side of the hotel when snowfall was too intense to shoot further away. “If you turn the cameras around from that scene, there’s people out on their balcony sipping cocoa watching us” – Mark Hamill The hotel’s lobby has a display of Star Wars related memorabilia including a screen-used Rebel Trooper hat and a copy of The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. A room on the second floor houses a small museum displaying production photos and local news-clippings related to the filming of The Empire Strikes Back in Finse. A full-sized replica Snowtrooper costume is also on display and makes for a great […]

This world-famous deli on the corner of East Houston Street and Ludlow St in New York City was a filming location for a scene in 2007’s Enchanted. Address: 205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002 Visitor Information: Katz’s Delicatessen

This UNESCO World Heritage mausoleum along the banks of India‘s Yamuna River features unique white marble styling and is considered the greatest architectural achievement in the Indo-Islamic world. The Taj Mahal can be seen as a featured location during 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, though a majority of this scene of the attraction was created using CGI. Fans the 1992 hit animated film Aladdin will be pleased to know that the design of Agrabah’s Sultan’s Palace was largely influenced by the white marble and bulbous minarets of the Taj Mahal. The name Agrabah even references the city of Agra, where the real-life structure exists. The Taj Mahal can also be seen during a very exciting scene in Disney’s 2013 film, Planes. If you plan to visit, grab a plane or hop a carpet and fly there soon, before it crumbles to the ground! Address: Dharmapuri, Forest Colony, Tajganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 282001, India Visitor Information: Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India

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

The Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the west coast of Greenland, 250 km from the Arctic Circle. Its gorgeous floating ice chunks set the stage as a filming location for Soarin’ Around the World (Disney California Adventure), Soarin’ Around the World (Epcot), Soaring Over the Horizon (Shanghai Disneyland), and Soaring: Fantastic Flight (Tokyo DisneySea). Address: Ilulissat, Greenland Visitor Information: Visit Greenland

Lujiazui is Shanghai, China‘s modern financial district. Its vibrant skyline along the Huangpu River features futuristic looking buildings such as Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower, and Oriental Pearl Tower. All of these buildings and more can be seen during the unique fireworks filled finale scene of Shanghai Disneyland’s Soaring Over the Horizon. The other versions of the ride (Soarin’ Around the World [Disney California Adventure], Soarin’ Around the World [Epcot], and Soaring: Fantastic Flight) have alternate locations for their end scenes. This colorful cityscape can also be seen in Epcot’s China Pavilion during the Circle-Vision film, Reflections of China (although the skyline has changed a bit since the film’s debut in 2003). Check it out in the video below! Set your gaze across the Huangpu River, and you will find a new China that reaches for the sky. Yet in this city of East meets West, one can still find treasures of Shanghai’s stately European influence. – Reflections of China’s host, poet Li Bai Address: Lujiazui, Shanghai, China Visitor Information: The Official Shanghai China Travel Website

Touted as the world’s largest film studio (by acreage), Morocco’s Cinema Studio Atlas is the reason why the region is considered the Hollywood of Africa. Founded in 1983, the studio has seen big-budget productions like the non-Disney Ridley Scott flick Gladiator (2000) and HBO’s Game of Thrones. A number of Disney and their subsidiaries have filmed here including 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 scenes for most of these films took place at the nearby ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou. While this place is still a working film studio, visitors are free to wander the grounds to check out a variety of props and abandoned film sets. 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: Km 5, BP 28 Route de Marrakech, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco Visitor Information: TripAdvisor

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

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 […]

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

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 […]

The Griffith Observatory first opened in 1935 and has since offered visitors an array of space and science-related displays. Situated in Griffith Park, the observatory was a filming location in Disney’s The Rocketeer (1991) where the namesake character attempts to rescue the heroine, Jenny. Address: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Visitor Information: Griffith Observatory

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

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

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 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

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

Once Salem’s Old Town Hall, this building is now home to the Salem Musem, an exhibit space telling the story of the town from its founding 1626, through present day. Fans of the 1993 Disney flick, Hocus Pocus, will recognize the exterior of this building as the venue where the film’s Halloween party took place and Winifred (Bette Midler) performed “Put a Spell on You”. Address: 32 Derby Square, Salem, MA 01970 Visitor Information: Salem Museum at Old Town Hall