Movies, yes movies folks. Lets face it, they are one of the biggest parts of our lives. They make memories, spark controversies, and are the biggest influence in our culture today. There are 2 categories of movies. The original movie, it is not based on anything. This is where most good movies happen. Then there is the other, the adaptation. This based off another work, books, video games, and sometimes this affects TV, ever see that god awful cavemen show? Sometimes it works out great, the Harry Potter series, The Exorcist, and more. Sometimes…its GOD AWFUL! Eragon, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Bloodranye, Super Mario Brothers etc. Disney has come up with an interesting concept over the years. Disney rides turned into movies. There are some amazing examples, Pirates of the Caribbean for example. Some alright, The Haunted Mansion. Some in-between, Tower of Terror. Some that should never have been made, the Country Bears. Also, there are new rumored projects coming out too. Here I will examine the references to the attractions in these movies, their quality, and their effect on the rides themselves. Also, I have interviewed Orlando United forum members and others about these issues. So, as Captain Jack Sparrow would say, "Bring me that horizon.", lets get to it.

Lets start with the Tower of Terror made for TV movie. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on July 22nd, 1994. For those who do not know, it's a indoor drop ride experience themed to an elevator ride inside a haunted hotel. The ride is set in the Hollywood Tower Hotel. When on Halloween night, 5 guests in an elevator got struck by lightning and were taken to the 5th Dimension. Now you are stepping in their shoes. The ride has been so popular that other versions in California, Tokyo, and Paris have been made. In 1997, decided to test the waters for turning Disney rides into films. A made for TV movie was made, Tower of Terror. It starred Steve Gutenberg and Kirsten Dunst. The movie was about a once honorable writer, turned tabloid writer ( Guttenburg ) who wants to be a honorable writer again. He and his niece ( Dunst ) investigate the disappearance of a child actress and 4 other guests in an elevator on Halloween night in the 1930's, based on the tip of an old woman. Many, including "Q" ( Michael McShane, remember he was in Richie Rich! ) think that the hotel is haunted, they experience it first hand. Ok, so this movie, would be mediocre at best really. I will not be so hard on it because it was made for TV. The things I liked about the movie, the storyline. They keep the storyline very close to the attraction. They filmed some of the exterior of the Florida attraction for the movie! The lobby looks close enough to the actual one in the ride. Most of the acting is alright, EXCEPT STEVE GUTTENBURG! Who I have liked in other things, but he is awful in this! Things I did not, the acting was not very good but alright. The special effects, appalling ( I do not really care cause it is made for TV ). I asked Pat McCabe of the A Walk in the Park Podcast and In the Loop fame. I asked him, about the movie itself and what if they pulled a Pirates and changed some of the ride to go along with the movies. "Honestly I don't really remember the Tower of Terror movie. I remember the storyline, but know that it was made for TV and starred Steve Guttenburg. If it was popular and the additions to the ride were well done (like at pirates) I wouldn't have been against the addition.". I personally would not have liked that they did they and they would just leave the ride alone. Thank god they did not think of that idea. I would rather watch this then The Country Bears, which we will get to now.

Country Bear Jamboree was built in Walt Disney World in 1971. It was extremely popular. It was a show with animatronic bears singing favorite tunes. It got so popular they opened one in Disneyland in 1972. It came along with a whole Bear Country land. After a change in the show to The Country Bear Vacation Hoedown and after a holiday themed lay over, the Disneyland version closed on September 9th, 2001. The Disney World version is still open, however the Christmas layover has not been shown since 2005 due to legal trouble, they used Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer as a song. The Simpsons frequently reference the show and a hilarious parody is A Goofy Movie with Lester's Possum Farm. Then some genius at Disney decided to make a movie. Now, I think this would have made a great cartoon, but oh NO! THEY DECIDED TO MAKE IT LIVE ACTION! When they say this movie is loosely based on the Country Bears, I MEAN LOOSELY! The only real references are the names of the characters and the location Country Bear Hall. I know this is a kids movie but come on! The story is about a young bear ( Beary ) who is "adopted" ( They found him in the woods abandoned and picked him up and took him home…) and has a really mean brother. When he finally realized he is not human and adopted he leaves for Country Bear Hall. The Country Bears were a Rock n' Roll or country band, they never really tell you, who are bears and had amazing popularity and fame. Until they break up leaving no acts in Country Bear Hall. It's about to be shut down by the bank manager, played by Christopher Walken ( Best Part of the Movie..he is really odd..watch it, you will see what I mean,). To save the place they have to go get the band back together and have a concert to raise money to save Country Bear Hall! Well were to begin. There are more flaws then good things about this movie. So lets start with the good. There are 4 good things about this movie. One, the music is not that bad. Great artists in this movie and they are pretty dang good. Second, the bear costumes are really fantastic with expressions and resemblance to the animatronics. Third, all the cameos, Elton John, Queen Latfiah, Willie Nelson, etc. Forth, the biggest cameo , but I have to give him his own point. Christopher Walken is the best part of this movie. I liked that he wanted to tear down the hall. I wanted the stupid bears to cry in the dust of their hall, just kidding. He was actually kind of funny and it is so weird that he is in this movie. The terrible things, the story. Even for a kid's movie, just what were they thinking? Another thing, the acting . A watermelon could act better than these people! The bear suit actors voices acting is horrid . " Getting the band back TOGETHER! GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER!?!?!" YOU STUPID BEARS! I cannot believe Beary's voice was done by Hailey Joel Osment! It was so exacerbated beyond belief. However no matter how stupid it was, I was not in torture watching it. The kids will like this movie, however you will probably not. Definitely a family movie. I remember when I was young and they pumped this thing on Disney Channel so badly. The movie was a box office bomb and only made $16,990,825 in the United States. It has very little reference to the attraction at all. Its the worst in this category of Disney ride movies.

The Haunted Mansion is one of the Disney's most beloved attractions. There are versions at Disneyland, Disneyworld, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. It has spawned fan groups, a video game, and a comic series. At each park it is one the biggest crowd pleasers. It even has it's own holiday makeover called Haunted Mansion Holiday, not at all locations. When Hollywood knocked on the mansions door it was the perfect opportunity. However the end result is mixed.

This movie is not bad, but the movie not incredible either. The story is about Jim Evers ( Eddie Murphy ) who runs Evers and Evers Real Estate with his wife Sara Evers ( Marsha Thomason ). He and the family want to take time off their busy schedule and go to a lake for a vacation. Before they leave they get a mysterious call, saying that Master Gracey ( Nathaniel Parker ) wants to sell his mansion. They visit the mansion on the way to the lake. They then go on the adventure of a lifetime. Where they meet a ghostly butler ( Terence Stamp ), Madame Leota ( Jennifer Tilly ), Hitchhiking Ghosts, and they must break a mysterious curse.

First the pros, the visual effects in this movie are stunning. All the stuff done with Madame Leota and the ghosts in the movie are excellent. Well done and really good special effects. Also, every single person who worked on this movie was a die hard fan of the Haunted Mansion ( well most of them. ). Also the references to the actual attraction is great. The Hitchhiking Ghosts, the singing busts, Madame Leota, the zombies getting out of the coffin, Master Gracey hanging himself from the ceiling, the raven, heck they even say welcome foolish mortals at the very beginning of the movie. There are several hidden mickeys in the film also. Also the tombstones in the graveyard are some of the actual inscriptions from the attraction. Some of the actors are good, Master Gracey and Ramsey are good. The set design was beautiful also.

Now the cons, the acting. Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Tilly should have never been in this movie. I like Eddie Murphy but he was just overacting. He was not even funny most of the time. I would not think of Jennifer Tilly as a good Madame Leota. Come on! I think that was cast way too off. The storyline, it was just mediocre. A lot of plotholes and it was just messed up. Plus, even though it had good references to the attraction, it did not feel as grand as it should have been. I do not think this was worthy to the movie really. It was ok though, and I would watch it again. Here is what some people said when I asked them what they thought of this movie, did it live up to the attraction, and what if they pulled a Pirates of the Caribbean and changed the attraction to fit in with the movie.

" I definitely would not be happy if they changed Haunted Mansion to look more like the movie. I mean the set design for the movie was great, but Haunted Mansion has a look all it's own and should never be overhauled. I don't think the movie lived up to the attraction for me. While certain elements were represented well, overall, I just wasn't thrilled with the translation like I thought I would be.". Peaches Magee Orlando United Forum Member.

" Visually, The Haunted Mansion film was great. The visual effects were wonderful and Rick Baker's makeup is always a treat to see. The music was great as well. However, while the film did have some amusing moments and plenty of great tributes to the attraction, I thought the plot was pretty weak and the actors poorly chosen. Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Tilly are pretty far down the list of actors that I would have chosen to be in a movie based on my favorite Disney attraction. Overall, I did not enjoy the movie as I didn't feel it did the attraction justice and I would hate to see any changes made to the attraction as a result of the film." Ricky Brigante host of the Inside the Magic Disney Podcast.

I agree with these opinions and wish they would have been thought out better. It was ok but I did not like it too much.

The moment you have been waiting for, the most successful Disney ride to movie transition ever made, The Pirates of the Caribbean Series.

Pirates of the Caribbean opened in 1967, and versions have opened at Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. The movie version was first planned in the early 1990's. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio started to write it. Stephen Spielberg wanted to do it and wanted to cast Steve Martin, Robin Williams, or Bill Murray as Captain Jack Sparrow. Originally Will Turner was the main character. However the film did not go through because at the time Disney was making Muppet treasure Island. The two movies had way too similar storylines. The project came back later on with Jerry Bruckheimer on board. At one point Michael Eisner and Bob Iger planned to shut the film down because of increased budget. However Bruckheimer convinced them, boy would they be making the biggest mistake of their lives. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl opened in 2003 to major success. It followed with 2 sequels, POC: Dead Man's Chest and POC: At World's End. The films have grossed over $2,794,366,513 dollars worldwide. It has made videogames and changes to Disney attractions. Including the actual Pirates of the Caribbean ride and Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland turning into Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island. The adventures in the movies follow Jack Sparrow ( Johnny Depp), Will Turner ( Orlando Bloom ) , and Elizabeth Swann ( Keira Knightly ). Heck even Keith Richards makes an appearance in the 3rd film. They fight a cursed pirate crew turned into skeletons at night, Davy Jones' crew, cannibals, the east India trading company, and much more.

My pros about the films, all were good quality. I did not hate any of these films not disliked them. They are some of my favorite movies of all time. The writing is fantastic and the characters are great. Captain Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa are some of my favorite movie characters of all time. The effects and stunts are great, my favorite being the fight on the water wheel in Dead Man's Chest. The dialogue is really witty. The costumes are good too. Very excellent period pieces. There are very excellent references to the attraction. Thanks Briman for this great list of most of the references to the attraction in Pirates 1. Three uses of the song "(Yo Ho, Yo Ho) A Pirate's Life for Me" by X. Atencio and George Bruns in the opening scene (sung by young Elizabeth), when Jack and Elizabeth are marooned on the island, and in the end by Jack.

The jail scenes, in which the prisoners try to tempt the dog who holds the key to their cell. Jack says, "That dog is never going to move" - although the movie dog eventually does, the one in the ride doesn't. Jack later tries to tempt it with a bone, as does one of the audio-animatronic pirates in the ride. The "burning town" sequence, and within it, the redheaded prostitute (who slaps Jack), and the "stuffed pirate" drinking the rum spurting out of a barrel. Jack's initial discovery of Gibbs sleeping with the pigs. The line "Dead men tell no tales", said by the macaw, which is repeated throughout the ride's narration

A quick shot of a skeleton sprawled on the beach of the Isla de Muerta, with a crab nearby
During the raid on the town, seen is a man being dunked into a well. During the battle scene between the two ships, Black Pearl and the Interceptor Captain Barbosa refers to his crew as "bloomin cockroaches" just like the captain in the ride does when his ship attacks a local town fort. In Tortuga, we see a pirate drinking rum on top of two barrels and is wobbling just like in the ride. There are references to cursed treasure in the ride: old pirates speak of cursed treasure and how you probably don't believe in it, and the line "Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure." The swamp with Tia Dalma and the fireflies in Pirates 2 is a reference to the Disneyland ride. Also the screen blacks out after the ship goes over the waterfall in Pirates 3, you hear the phrase dead men tell no tales. As you seen tons of good references to the attraction. I do not really have any flaws with the moves, except 2, which was a let down for me but still good. There are still rumors of a 4th film and changes to the Disney Park's adventure land with new Disney attractions. Lately because the movie has been even more popular than the attraction they have made changes to the ride. Adding Jack Sparrow and Barbossa Animatronics. Also a projection of Davy Jones on a waterfall. I rode Pirates before the changes and not after, so I asked some people, what they thought of the Pirates Movies and their changes.

"I think it is good most of the time. I like to think of updating rides - similar to updating a classic recipe. Chefs sometimes hit a home run by reinventing an old favorite and other times the recipe just does not sit well. It is tough to find the balance between new and old - but by adding in stuff that is fresh they are trying to update a classic and make it more appealing to a new crowd. I think the updated Pirates ride at the Magic Kingdom was a perfect example of how the movie was able to re-invent the ride. Before the movie, the ride was just a classic, but I did not know the story. Now because of the movie and the changes in the ride...it creates a new fresh excitement in the ride. You just have to look when you ride the ride other guest are pointing out similarities between the ride and the movie. A whole new interest in this ride was created because of the movie. " FGCUSabre-Orlando United Forum Member.

"I was pleasantly surprised by how the pirates movies turned out-especially #1. For changes, I think they're good.. they make the ride more relevant and allow improvements to be made if they give the big-budget treatment and look at the essence of each attraction, they can make good ride movies." Kirbyiskyaan- Orlando United Forum Member

Overall, the pirates series was a great idea and it lived up to the ride itself.

Now, there are of course new movies coming out based on Disney attractions. Believe it or not, a Jungle Cruise movie is on the way. A rumored title is Jungle Cruise: Heart of Darkness. It will be about a search for some type of cure. Originally the movie was set for 2006 but there have been rewrites and delays. The original screenplay was written by Josh Goldstein and John Norville. Supposedly rewrites have been done by Al Gough and Miles Millar. This film is confirmed and is also confirmed to be set in the 20th century.

There have rumors about a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad film. Supposedly the film will be written by the same guys that wrote the Pirates series. Also it may have something to do with the Lone Ranger remake Bruckheimer has been trying to get made. Only a few domain names have been registered and nothing else.

I also asked people what attractions they would like to see as movies.

"Well, I think the Jungle Cruise movie has some potential to be a great movie. However, I did not hear that they want to make a movie based on Big Thunder. In response to your 2nd question, I would love to see them make a movie off of Jungle Cruise. " Disneyboi- Orlando United Forum Member.

"Dude Goofy's Barnstormer all the way!!! Honestly though, I would like to see a Expedition Everest movie. Even if it sucked it would still be better than The Country Bears" - Jakemeister- Orlando United Forum Member

"I know that they are currently working a movie based on The Jungle Cruise, which I think is a great idea. The Jungle Cruise is loosely based on the old film, The African Queen, but doesn't resemble it enough to the point where a new film would be a remake. I'm looking forward to it." - Ricky Brigante, Host of the Inside the Magic Podcast.

I would love to see an Everest movie also. I like that Goofy's Barnstormer idea…

Disney Ride Movies, have been Good, Bad, and Ugly. They have been much better than the Video Game Movies however. Disney puts that special spark in them. Whatever comes next, I will defiantly go see it.

Thanks to all the people I interviewed and all the suggestions for this article on the forums. This article would not be possible without your help.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_films

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunted_Mansion_%28film%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Country_Bears

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Terror_%28film%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_to_mars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_Cruise#Film_adaptation

http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/zap-disneyjunglecruisemovie,0,4687001.story

http://www.distantcreations.com/insidethemagic/

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