Christmas may be the most popular time to visit the Disney parks, but in my opinion, Halloween is the best Disney holiday. From spooky theme park rides to TV specials and tons of character costumes for kids and adults, Disney makes it easy to get in the holiday spirit.
If your family loves to cozy up together and for a post-trick-or-treat Halloween movie fest, there are several Disney films with just enough chills and thrills for the whole family to enjoy. Recommended holiday movies are below!
Screenshot from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), image copyright Disney
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When Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl sailed into theaters in 2003, no one expected the film to break records or launch one of the most successful film franchises of all time with three sequels and a fifth film scheduled for a 2013 release. Based on a 36 year old dark ride with a catchy theme song and starring the then-indie Johnny Depp who hadn’t yet proven himself as an A-list leading man, the movie seemed like a long shot, especially after the failure of Disney’s previous ride-based films.
And now, more than $3.7 billion dollars later, Pirates of the Caribbean stands as a testament to the potential blockbuster hidden inside the plastic veneer of every Disney theme park attraction. Walt Disney Pictures is well-aware of this potential and the company has a long history of ride-inspired feature films with even more on the way. From the made-for-TV Tower of Terror to 2013’s Magic Kingdom and Jungle Cruise, here’s a list of all of the Disney films inspired by theme park attractions.
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Ever since the perky, doe-eyed Rapunzel flounced onto theater screens in Tangled (2010), no one doubted that the royal beauty was a bona fide Disney Princess. But it wasn’t until October 2nd, 2011 that Rapunzel officially joined the ranks as the tenth “Disney Princess” during a beautiful coronation ceremony at Kensington Palace in London, England.
Screenshot of Rapunzel, the 10th Disney Princess, video copyright InsidetheMagic.net
Surrounded by the exquisite Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace is the official residence of many British Royals, including the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Princess Kate) who married in a lavish fairytale wedding this past April. No one would deny that Kensington Palace is quite the proper place for a Disney Princess to be crowned, and the other nine Disney Princesses (Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Tiana) were in attendance for this first-ever grand coronation event.
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In December 2009, Avatar, a mega-hit blockbuster was released in theaters where it demolished domestic and worldwide box office records for a staggering haul of $2.7 billion dollars, $900 million more than Titanic (1997), the previous worldwide record holder.
A view of Pandora, image from the Avatar Game, copyright 20th Century Fox
But James Cameron’s Avatar did more than break records. Thanks to its phenomenal visual effects, majestic scenery, and a narrative that focused on the preservation of a culture strongly connected to the natural world, the film inspired a generation of fans, many of whom wished that the fantastical planet Pandora and its native inhabitants, the Na’vi, really existed.
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In 1992, Walt Disney Pictures released Newsies, a musical set in 1899 based on the true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City.
The young Christian Bale plays Jack “Cowboy” Kelly, a newsboy who sells papers for Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World. When Pulitzer and rival newsman William Randolph Hearst jointly raise the price of newspapers for distribution by one-tenth of a cent, Jack and his friends can no longer afford to buy the papers. A disgruntled Jack is inspired to organize the other newsboys in a strike to reverse the price hike, and of course the strike is a success, after all, this is a Disney film.
Promotional image for Newsies (1992), image copyright Disney
The original movie features a score by the very talented composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Enchanted, Tangled) and marked the directorial debut of choreographer Kenny Ortega (best known for directing and producing the High School Musical franchise). Now, almost 20 years later, Newsies has been adapted for the stage, following in the footsteps of Disney’s wildly successful Mary Poppins and The Lion King.
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