Disney Movies to Watch Before Going to Disney World 2024

We all know that the planning and countdown are part of the excitement of booking a Disney trip!

Whether you want to get into the Disney mood or brush up on your Disney knowledge so you and your family can enjoy the small details of the parks, I’ve listed all the Disney movies to watch before going to Disney World!

I’ve also included why you should watch it – what rides and attractions you’ll find relating to each Disney movie in the parks.

Disney Movies to Watch Before Going to Magic Kingdom

There are lots of Disney characters to see in Magic Kingdom, so this is a pretty long list. There are rides based on movies and movies based on rides!

What To Watch	Why You Should Watch It
The Little Mermaid	Ride: Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid Dining: Prince Eric’s Village Market
Toy Story 1-4	Ride: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Monsters, Inc.	Attraction: Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor
Jungle Cruise	Ride: Jungle Cruise
Alice in Wonderland	Ride: Mad Tea Party Dining: Cheshire Cafe
Lady and the Tramp	Dining: Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
Winnie the Pooh	Ride: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Dining: The Crystal Palace
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	Ride: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Swiss Family Robinson	Attraction: Swiss Family Treehouse
Aladdin	Ride: The Magic Carpets Of Aladdin Area: Agrabah Bazaar
Pirates Of The Caribbean	Ride: Pirates Of The Caribbean
The Princess and the Frog	Ride: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Coming Soon)
Haunted Mansion	Ride: Haunted Mansion
Cinderella	Ride: Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel Dining: Cinderella’s Royal Table Attraction: Cinderella’s Castle & Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Dumbo	Ride: Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Peter Pan	Ride: Peter Pan’s Flight
Pinocchio	Dining: Pinocchio Village Haus
Beauty and the Beast	Dining: Be Our Guest Restaurant & Gaston’s Tavern.
Robin Hood	Dining: The Friar’s Nook
Tron	Ride: Tron Lightcycle/ Run
Tangled	Attraction: Tangled themed rest area & Photopass photo op.
The Country Bears	Attraction: Country Bear Jamboree
Tomorrowland	Area: Tomorrowland

Magic Kingdom Fireworks

You can’t go to Magic Kingdom without watching the fireworks! A lot of Disney movies and music appear in Happily Ever After, so here is a list of all the Disney movies in the Happily Ever After fireworks show.

• Princess and the Frog
• The Little Mermaid
• Ratatouille
• Tangled
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Brave
• Cars
• Up
• Finding Nemo
• Moana
• Aladin
• Tarzan
• Lion King
• Toy Story
• The Jungle Book
• Wall-E
• Wreck It Ralph
• Big Hero 6
• Zootopia/Zootropolis
• Inside Out
• Monsters Inc
• Frozen
• Mulan
• The Incredibles
• Sleeping Beauty/ Maleficent
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Snow White
• Cinderella
• Hercules
• Beauty and the Beast
• Tinkerbell/ Peter Pan

Disney Movies to Watch Before Going to Animal Kingdom

The list of Disney movies to watch before going to Animal Kingdom is pretty short, but a must-watch is Avatar and Avatar: The Way of the Water so you can fully appreciate Pandora!

What To Watch	Why You Should Watch It
Up!	Attraction: Wilderness Explorers Headquarters
Finding Nemo	Show: Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond
The Lion King	Show: Festival of the Lion King Attraction: Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Avatar & Avatar: The Way of the Water.	Area: Pandora: The World of Avatar Rides: Avatar Flight of Passage & Na’vi River Journey Restaurants: Pongu Pongu & Satu’li Canteen

Disney Movies to Watch Before Going to EPCOT

There are six movies to watch on this list! EPCOT has an aquarium so get in the undersea mood with Finding Nemo or watch the Frozen movies before heading to the Norway pavilion!

What To Watch	Why You Should Watch It
Finding Nemo & Finding Dory	Attraction: The Seas with Nemo and Friends & Turtle Talk with Crush
Guardians of the Galaxy	Ride: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Ratatouille	Ride: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Frozen & Frozen 2	Ride: Frozen Ever After
The Three Caballeros	Ride: The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
Moana	Attraction: Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana

If you want to know what movies to watch based on character meet and greets, check out our post on characters in EPCOT!

Disney Movies to Watch Before Going to Hollywood Studios

The two big movie franchises to watch before going to Hollywood Studios are Star Wars and Toy Story as they both have dedicated areas with rides, attractions, and dining options!

What To Watch	Why You Should Watch It
Indiana Jones	Show: Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Tower of Terror	Ride: Tower of Terror
Star Wars movies	Area: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Rides: Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance & Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Dining: Ronto Roasters, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, Oga’s Cantina & Milk Stand
Frozen	Show: For The First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
The Muppets	Attraction: Muppet Vision 3D
Toy Story 1-4	Area: Toy Story Land Rides: Alien Swirling Saucers, Slinky Dog Dash & Toy Story Mania Dining: Woody’s Lunch Box & Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Cars	Attraction: Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
Beauty and the Beast	Show: Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage

Disney Movies to Watch Before Staying at a Disney World Resort

There are plenty of Disney characters at Disney World resort hotels! You will mainly find these in the value resorts, but you’ll also spot a few in others.

What To Watch	Disney World Resort
The Little Mermaid	All-Star Music Resort pool Art of Animation Resort section Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Port Orleans Riverside – The Royal Guest Rooms
Toy Story	All-Star Movies Resort section
101 Dalmations	All-Star Movies Resort section
Fantasia	All-Star Movies Resort section & pool
The Three Caballeros	All-Star Music Resort pool
The Love Bug	All-Star Movies Resort section
The Mighty Ducks	All-Star Movies Resort section & pool
The Jungle Book	Pop Century Resort
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?	Pop Century Resort
The Lion King	Art of Animation Resort section Animal Kingdom Lodge
Cars	Art of Animation Resort section
Finding Nemo	Art of Animation Resort section
Princess and the Frog	Port Orleans Riverside – The Royal Guest Rooms
Beauty and the Beast	Port Orleans Riverside – The Royal Guest Rooms
Tangled	Port Orleans Riverside – The Royal Guest Rooms
Aladdin	Port Orleans Riverside – The Royal Guest Rooms
The Incredibles	Contemporary Resort rooms
Moana	Polynesian Village Resort rooms
Mary Poppins	Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Conclusion

So that’s a complete list of Disney movies to watch before going to Disney World!

Have I missed any? Let me know in the comments!