For those of you following along from home, you might have seen my last post about the week's worth of
movies you should watch before visiting Magic Kingdom. Of all of the parks, that one was probably the easiest in terms of available material, but also the hardest because there are just so many movies.
On the flip-side of that, Animal Kingdom is one that I found tough. Unlike most of the other parks, there are only a small handful of rides and shows based directly off of movies. A lot of it is pure atmosphere. But, I did my best, and here is my list of the top seven movies you should check out before heading to Animal Kingdom.
The Lion King - There are so many great tie-ins to the Lion King at Animal Kingdom, the most obvious of which being the "Festival of the Lion King" show. It is always one of my favorites, especially with the aerial ballet and acrobatics.
Finding Nemo - Another great show at Animal Kingdom is "Finding Nemo: The Musical." It really showcases Disney's ability to blend puppeteering and real people together (a la Lion King on Broadway) and makes for a really fun show. Plus, the movie is one of my all-time favorites. You'll see it make the list again in Epcot with the Living Seas area.
A Bug's Life - I'll be honest, this movie wasn't my favorite and I never liked "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" in Epcot, so "It's Tough to be a Bug" just isn't up my alley. But, it is still a big part of the park, and it is a foundational Pixar movie, so you should definitely add this one to your list.
Dinosaur - This ride is a little intense for me (hey, I get scared!) but the theming expands even beyond the movie. The entirety of "DinoLand" is a lot of fun, and I've always enjoyed it. Like most of Disney, everything from the restaurants to the shops to the kids activities are on point. This sign above is one of my favorites!
Avatar - With the soon to open Avatar Land, this one is a must watch. I'm curious to see what the reaction to the park will be as I'm not sure the movie itself has had the lasting impression that other newly announced themed lands have had (Toy Story, Star Wars) but with the new changes to MK this is an important film!
Earth & African Cats - I will fully admit that these two are a bit of a cop-out. Once "The Good Dinosaur" and "Zootopia" are released, maybe we can swap those out, but you really can't go wrong with any of the Disney Nature films. There are some gorgeous animals living in the park!
What do you think/? Would these be your top 7 Animal Kingdom movies? What am I missing?
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