Five Disney Destinations

The Disney Pixar dream factory creates magical fantasy worlds, but in many cases, those backdrops are not derived from the imagination of their creators but straight out of reality. You’ll always be able to have the luxury of taking a selfie in any of them, feeling like a true Disney character. Here are our five destinations.

Sydney – Finding Nemo

Now that its sequel is about to come out, Finding Nemo is a good example of a “Disney destination”. Although most of the action takes place underwater, we do get glimpses of some of Sydney’s most emblematic landmarks, such as the Opera House or the Sydney Harbour Bridge. As a matter of fact, the entire bay is shown in one of the scenes. There’s a funny moment when Dory incessantly repeats the address of the dentist’s where Nemo is being held in a tank: “P. Sherman, Wallaby Way 42, Sydney”. Remember? It’s what Dory tirelessly repeats; that blue wonder with the memory of a fish and the voice of Ellen DeGeneres.

Paris – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxFD7Tk8Kps

The one shown in the Disney movie is an exact replica of the Notre-Dame Cathedral. At the top of the bell tower, hidden from the sight of ordinary Parisians, lives Quasimodo, who never ventures out because of his monstrous appearance. For him, the Notre-Dame Cathedral is a prison of sorts, which becomes the main backdrop to the action of the movie. It’s a must-see if visiting Paris, because among other things, you’ll be before one of the oldest gothic temples in the world, and though it has undergone renovations on several occasions, it still preserves its essence, from the mid-11^th century to date. What best way to get acquainted with Paris than through the eyes of Disney’s creative minds.

London – Peter Pan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf00mEe9EOs

In London’s Kensington Park, near Lancaster Gate, you’ll find the Peter Pan Statue, the boy who wanted to never grow up. This character, the brainchild of J.M. Barrie and popularized by Walt Disney, lives on in all those adults that still have the heart of a child. There’s no question that Peter Pan and his friends have become true icons of England. Another prominent symbol of London and Disney Studios is the Big Ben. The characters in the movie even climb up on its hands before setting off to Neverland. In my case, when I saw the Big Ben during my first visit to London, I remembered the scene where the protagonists fly around the famous watch tower.

Taj Mahal, Agra (India) – Aladdin

The Sultan’s palace in Disney’s Aladdin is clearly inspired by the Taj Mahal in Agra, one of the 7 wonders of the world. That is where Jasmine, the protagonist’s secret love interest, lives. A forbidden but true love. It must be said that the fictional town in the 1992 movie is called Agrabah, but its location is different: on the banks of the Jordan River.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania – The Lion King

In the heart of Africa lies one of the national parks with the most wildlife in the planet. The Lion King lives in the Serengeti, at the feet of Kilimanjaro (Africa’s tallest volcano). That is where little Simba grows, frolics happily with his friend Nala, and learns that life is not as easy as some will have you believe. He is not alone in the Serengeti: there are elephants, zebras, giraffes, all types of birds, etc. An ecological safari that they call home. One of those places worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.