The Real Life Settings That Inspired Disney

Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany inspired both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty castles at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World (Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland pictured left).
Cinderella castle at Walt Disney World pictured right.

Life imitates art is how the saying goes, but in the case for most of Disney’s settings, it’s clearly art imitates life. Almost all of the settings for Disney films and theme parks take inspiration from real life locations. While Disney is a great way to instill joy and creativity in children, taking your children to locations like these in real life will surely have a deeper impact on their creativity and understanding of the world.

The Chateau De Chillon on Lake Geneva, Switzerland was the inspiration for Prince Eric’s castle in The Little Mermaid.
The Alsace village that inspired the location for Beauty and the Beast.
Mont Saint-Michel, France inspired the location for Rapunzel’s Tangled.
The 2001 Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire was inspired by the Buddhist temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
An ice hotel, the Hotel de Glace in Quebec, Canada inspired the setting for Disney’s Frozen.
The cottages of Los Angeles inspired Walt Disney’s first feature film, Snow White (1937).
The Matterhorn in Switzerland (left) and at Disneyland (right).

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