Stories represented by Magic Kingdom theming?

[fireflyer]

I looked at the Magic Kingdom map in hopes of making a list of all the Disney stories each attraction represents. (For example, which Disney storybook spawned the Big Thunder Mtn coaster theme?)

Surprisingly, I couldn't come up with many books other than:
--Peter Pan,
--Dumbo,
--Snow White/7 dwarfs,
--Cinderella,
--Winnie-the-Pooh,
--Toy Story,
--Monster's Inc,
--Peter Rabbit.

Can someone help add to my list? I don't know who Belle is, or why Splash Mtn or Space Mtn exist, etc. While I'm waiting in lines w/ my nephew at each attraction, I'd like to read him the Disney story for that specific attraction. He hasn't been exposed to Disney much, so I'd like to give him some background.

Also, we'll be staying at Polynesian for 2 nights (a Sun & Mon, so we'll miss the lighting ceremony). Is that hotel's theme based on a particular Disney storybook?

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Story is very important to Disney, it's in everything they do. But so is theme.

Looking at the different lands, they each have a theme that is unique to that area. Disney takes the base idea and builds on it with all of the details. One of the details I think people over look in their rush from one thing to another is the music. Pay attention to how the music changes crossing from one area to the next--drums into adventureland, futuristic music in Tomorrowland.

And some of the stories are made by Disney-Haunted Mansion, Small World, Pirates.

The Little Mermaid can be added to your list of fairy tale stories and Beauty and the Beast is also a story I remember from when I was a kid, long before Disney put it's spin on it.

I believe the characters in Splash are based on Song of the South, I'm sure someone else can say for sure.

 

[Hootch]

now.

Not all rides are derived from Disney stories. Think of Pirates for example. The original ride arose out of Walt's and developed into the ride we know today. His thoughts were more about adventures and exotic (this was the early 1950s and So Cal) places.

A couple more:

Swiss Family Robinson
Splash Mountain from Song of the South (and the movie Splash for the name.)
Alice in Wonderland with the tea cups.
Mickey's Philharmagic for multiple movies
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Jungle Cruise arose out of Disney's true life adventures
Dwarfs' Mine Train when that opens
Tom Sawyer Island

There is a book, From Screen to Theme: A Guide to Disney Animated Film References Found Throughout the Walt Disney World® Resort, that goes into details of movie themes throughout WDW. It's pretty reasonable in electronic form.

 

[csmith041177]

Thanks for the book reccomendation. That sounds really cool and I will check it out.

 

[Axel]

Attractions with book (and movie) connections:

Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss- Swiss Family Tree House
1001 Arabian Nights by Unknown- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain- Tom Sawyer Island
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christen Andersen- Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid
La belle at la bête (Beauty and the Beast) by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve- Be Our Guest/Gaston's Tavern.
Snow White as told by the Brothers Grimm- The Seven Dwarves Mine Train.
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie- Peter Pan's Flight
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi- Pinocchio Village Haus
Cinderella as told by the Brothers Grimm- Cinderella Castle
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll- The Mad Tea Party
Pecos Bill: The Greatest American Cowboy of All-Time by James Cloyd Bowman- Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn and Cafe.

Attractions with movie connections:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl- Pirates of the Caribbean
The Haunted Mansion- The Haunted Mansion
Song of the South- Splash Mountain (Unless you're sneaky, this one will be hard to get a hold of as the movie is no longer released in the United States because it is racist [I didn't think it was bad, especially not given that the film is set in Reconstruction-era Georgia. I found it to be historically believable and think most people just don't like acknowledging how horribly white plantation owners treated their slaves/servants, but that's a rant for another day...]. It's also where the song "Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah" comes from.)
Dumbo- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Lilo and Stitch- Stitch's Great Escape
Monsters Inc.- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Toy Story- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
The Country Bears- The Country Bear Jamboree

Attractions with no connections (to my knowledge):
The Jungle Cruise
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
The Hall of Presidents
Space Mountain
The Carousel of Progress
The Enchanted Tiki Room (used to be connected to Aladdin and The Lion King, but they've dropped Iago and Zazu in favor of the original cast, which I love)

--This is entirely from memory, so if I've forgotten a major attraction, let me know!

And as far as I know, the Poly isn't themed for a certain Disney movie or story, it's just Polynesian. Maybe find a bit of info on what/where Polynesia is to tell your nephew?

 

[minnie mum]

Attractions with movie connections:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl- Pirates of the Caribbean
The Haunted Mansion- The Haunted Mansion
Song of the South- Splash Mountain (Unless you're sneaky, this one will be hard to get a hold of as the movie is no longer released in the United States because it is racist [I didn't think it was bad, especially not given that the film is set in Reconstruction-era Georgia. I found it to be historically believable and think most people just don't like acknowledging how horribly white plantation owners treated their slaves/servants, but that's a rant for another day...]. It's also where the song "Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah" comes from.)
Dumbo- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Lilo and Stitch- Stitch's Great Escape
Monsters Inc.- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Toy Story- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
The Country Bears- The Country Bear Jamboree

Just a note about the three attractions that I bolded- These attractions existed long, long BEFORE the movies were made. As one PP has noted, many of the earliest attractions at DL and WDW were, in fact, original ideas drummed up by Walt and the Imagineers, with no direct tie in to a Disney movie.

 

[Axel]

Just a note about the three attractions that I bolded- These attractions existed long, long BEFORE the movies were made. As one PP has noted, many of the earliest attractions at DL and WDW were, in fact, original ideas drummed up by Walt and the Imagineers, with no direct tie in to a Disney movie.

Oh, I know that those attractions existed before their movies, I just thought i would include them because there does exist a separate storyline that the OP could tell their nephew because of those films to explain what the attraction is in a way.

 

[siskaren]

Surprisingly, I couldn't come up with many books other than:
--Peter Pan,
--Dumbo,
--Snow White/7 dwarfs,
--Cinderella,
--Winnie-the-Pooh,
--Toy Story,
--Monster's Inc,
--Peter Rabbit.

What attraction has Peter Rabbit in it?

Can someone help add to my list? I don't know who Belle is...

You don't know who Belle is? You've never seen Beauty and the Beast?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Johnny Triemain, inspired the Liberty tree and liberty square with the silver
Shop
The sword in the stone by the Carousel, from the Movie Sword in the Storm.
Tom Sawyer Island and Mike finks river boats were from Davy Crocket.
Pirates of the Caribbean, from Treasure Island by Louis Stevenson
Slash was indeed from Song of the South

That is all I can think of that is not already listed.

AKK

 

[glassslippergirl]

I believe the characters in Splash are based on Song of the South, I'm sure someone else can say for sure.

The stories in Song of the South come from folk tales in African-American and Native American culture. Uncle Remus, I believe, in the movie represents a the old story tellers who would retell these tales for entertainment.

http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/brer-rabbit/

 

[cglaura]

What attraction has Peter Rabbit in it?
...

My guess is they meant Brer Rabbit... Splash Mountain/Song of the South