Brings these movies to life - Part II

Previously, the Gazette has discussed our pre-trip movie tradition of watching Disney films. The formula consisted of 3 animated features, 3 live action films, and a Vacation Planning DVD (our favorite being the Happiest Celebration on Earth version). Today, however, we have a new style of movie marathon to help prepare for these upcoming trips.

While shorter than the original week long marathon, this one weighs in at only five days, it allows you to tailor the festival more specifically to your trip and experiences your family is excited about. Over the course of five days each park is given one day for a film that features an attraction in that park. The fifth day, or any day within the five days, is dedicated once again to a Vacation Planning DVD.

Several films could be used for multiple parks and therefore help stimulate the excitement of the trip even more. Films of this sort include The Lion King (which can be viewed as a part of The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management, PhilharMagic, Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, and Festival of the Lion King), Finding Nemo (The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Finding Nemo the Musical), or the Toy Story films (Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Toy Story Midway Mania).

Beyond the movies below, which are only featured in attractions, there are also several films, such as Cars or The Jungle Book, can be utilized based off of their Meet and Greet status. To help you in putting together your film selection, here are just a few of the many options you have available:

Magic Kingdom:
Swiss Family Robinson
Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy
The Lion King
Aladdin
Song of the South (bootlegs and foreign versions are currently the only option for this film)
The Adventures of Huck Finn
The Haunted Mansion
Peter Pan
Cinderella
The Little Mermaid
Dumbo
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Beauty and the Beast
Fantasia
The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh
Alice in Wonderland
Lilo and Stitch
Toy Story
Monsters Inc.

Epcot:
Finding Nemo
The Lion King
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids films
Saludos Amigos
The Three Caballeros

Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
Beauty and the Beast
Mary Poppins
Toy Story
Any Muppet film

Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Finding Nemo
Dinosaur
The Lion King

For my upcoming trip I think I will take-in a few nontraditional films like, Swiss Family Robinson, The Three Caballeros, Muppets Take Manhattan, and Finding Nemo in addition to the Vacation Planning DVD.