In How to Use Disney+ to Plan a Better Disneyland Trip, 5 Tips we shared ideas for what to watch on Disney+ to help you prepare for a trip to Disneyland Resort. Today we are back with five specific ideas for movies and shows that will help you get ready for you time at Disney California Adventure Park.
You can enjoy Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort without watching any of the following films, but we do think it is extra fun to go to the parks with these in mind. Plus, watching these films before and after your trip can extend the fun of a Disneyland Resort visit. So let us get to it!
Cars (2006)
Cars Land in Disney California Adventure Park is one of my favorite places in all of Disneyland Resort. If you had told me this would have been the case before I visited, I would not have believed you. I saw the Cars movie and liked it well enough, but it was never one of my favorite films, and I am not particularly into car culture.
Then I visited Cars Land for the first time, and I was mesmerized. The Imagineers did an incredible job recreating Radiator Springs from the films. Somehow they managed to highlight all the best parts like the feeling of community and the call to slow down and connect.
The land is (motion) picture perfect, and we think you will enjoy it more if you have seen the original film first. Sh-Boom Time will especially be more poignant with some context.
Funny enough, visiting Cars Land has actually given me a new appreciation for the film, and it is now on regular rotation in our house. We even have a movie night guide for it here: Cars Movie Night: Activities, Discussion and a Disney Pixar Classic.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was a delightful surprise for so many of us who were skeptical about another Marvel movie (and one starring a tree and raccoon at that). When I saw it, was hooked on its goofy energy and lively soundtrack.
That same energy is in the Disney California Adventure Park ride Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! Just like I was skeptical about the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, I was skeptical about the transformation of the former Tower of Terror into a Guardians of the Galaxy themed ride. Now I have fallen for both (please excuse the drop tower pun there), because they are just plain fun.
This is one ride in Disneyland Resort where I frequently hear guests laughing throughout the ride. Being familiar with the characters and their hijinks before you ride can make it even funnier, so I suggest watching the first Guardians of the Galaxy film before your visit to Disney California Adventure Park.
Other Films for Avengers Campus
If you want to prepare for some of the other features of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park, you could also watch some other Marvel films. Try Ant Man (2015) to catch the gags at Pym Test Kitchen, or watch Black Panther (2018) to get some background on the Warriors of Wakanda entertainment that takes place in Avengers Campus. Like Guardians of the Galaxy, both of those films stand well on their own and do not require extensive knowledge of the Marvel universe in order to be enjoyed.
You could also watch Captain America: Civil War (2016) to catch Spiderman’s first appearance in a Disney film and then enjoy the attraction WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure or the Spider-Man rooftop stunt show. However, that film is tangled pretty deeply into the Marvel universe, and may not make much sense to you without some Marvel background. If you are just starting your Marvel viewing journey, you can go back to the beginning with Iron Man (2008) and get ready to spot him wandering around Avengers Campus.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
If you have not seen Big Hero 6, you might want to watch it before visiting San Fransokyo Square. Wait… what exactly is a San Fransokyo Square? San Fransokyo is a futuristic fantasy fusion of San Francisco and Tokyo that we saw in the film Big Hero 6, and San Fransokyo Square is a land in Disney California Adventure Park based on the movie. Got it? No? Well, that is why you should watch the movie.
Actually, calling San Fransokyo Square a full “land” is a little generous, it is really more like a spectacular food court with the opportunity for character meet and greets. Still, it is one of our favorite places to grab a bite in Disney California Adventure Park. It opened just two years ago in August 2023 after being transformed from the previous Pacific Wharf theme.
Now, San Fransokyo Square is full of intriguing architecture and design details that really stand on their own. Still, if you watch Big Hero 6, you will better be able to understand references to robot battles and a huggable robot named Baymax. And if you meet Baymax and Hiro in San Fransokyo Square, you will be able to chat with them about their exploits.
Inside Out (2015)
Lots of great Pixar films are incorporated into Disney California Adventure Park. We do not have room on this list to recommend them all, but we are suggesting you watch Inside Out before your visit to Disney California Adventure Park. That is because the characters play a significant role in the current nighttime spectacular: World of Color Happiness.
You will see emotions from Inside Out (and Inside Out 2) in the projections for this show, and you will even get to vote for one emotion to be featured in the show! To be an informed voter, we suggest watching this movie before your visit to Disney California Adventure Park. Better yet, watch the sequel as well, because one of the emotions vying for your votes does not appear until the second film.
We have a series of Inside Out movie night guides, because we think these are great films for helping kids and adults talk about feelings: (1) Inside Out Disney Movie Night: Emotion Sharing Guide, (2) Inside Out Movie Night: Extended Reflection Guide (3) Disney Movie Night Discussion Guide: Inside Out 2 and (4) How to Connect with Family: Inside Out Movie Snack Activity
As a bonus, Inside Out also has its own small ride on Pixar Pier: Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind.
The Imagineering Story, Episodes 4 & 5
This last entry is kind of an oddball, because it is a series rather than a movie, and it is non-fiction. It is also one of my absolute favorite offerings on Disney+. The Imagineering Story is a six-part docu-series that takes you “behind the scenes” into the design and development of Disney parks by Walt Disney, Roy Disney and their Imagineers.
Episode 4 covers the original development of Disney California Adventure Park and episode 5 explores its massive reimagining. Disney California Adventure Park makes up only parts of those episodes and the rest covers other projects. I think it is worth watching both episodes in their entirety. Actually, I recommend watching the entire series, but if you want a specific peek into the history and ideas behind Disney California Adventure Park, focus on episode 4 and 5 in particular.
Where to Find These Movies and Shows, Before Your Trip to Disney California Adventure Park
The last entry is also an exception in this list, because it is only available on Disney+. If you do not have a subscription to Disney+, you should still be able to find any of the movies we listed—Cars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inside Out and Big Hero 6—on physical media. We like to borrow DVDs and BluRays from our local library. Even if our neighborhood library does not have a copy of a movie we want, they will borrow it from another library for us.
The Imagineering Story is a littler trickier, as it is currently only available to view on Disney+. However, there is a companion book with the same name that was published in 2022, so we recommend checking your library for that book or purchasing a copy .
Thank you for reading our suggestions on what to watch before visiting Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort.
For help planning your Disney visit, be sure to see our free and complete Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. FOr other fun idea about what to do with your Disney+ subscription, see How to Use Disney+ to Plan a Better Disneyland Trip, 5 Tips. And for fun ideas for movie nights, see our collection of movie night guides here: Disney Sunday Night Movies. Finally, see consider subscribing to our free newsletter below. Thanks again for reading.
