What To Watch on Disney Plus Before Your Disney World Trip

Welcome to our post on What to Watch on Disney Plus Before Heading to Disney World. This list won’t include the most obvious Disney Plus content tied to the theme parks. For example, yea—you might want to watch Snow White or Peter Pan to have a better appreciation for those characters and their rides. That’s definitely a long list and a fun idea, and luckily the great people over at WDW Prep School have you covered on that.

We want to be a little more targeted. To that end, we’ve zeroed in on this list of five things to watch on Disney Plus before visiting Walt Disney World. Some of them have multiple episodes or cover multiple pieces of content, but this is an achievable list with relatively high payoff, in our minds.

Any of the Behind-The-Scenes Parks Content (Maybe)

We have a separate post with all the Disney parks content you’ll find on Disney Plus. You might want to watch those before you head to Walt Disney World…but there’s certainly something to be said about avoiding any spoilers before you see the parks for the first time.

We think this content is cool enough that your overall trip will be enriched by watching it beforehand, and if you’re doing nay amount of planning you’re already going to see tons of photos and videos before you arrive anyways. Watch some of the behind-the-scenes content to bring a special appreciation with you.

Our specific recommendations in this category would be: The Imagineering Story and One Day At Disney.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian

No. The Mandalorian does not take place on Batuu, the planet where the new land Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set. In fact, The Mandalorian takes place several years before the new land is set.

You could watch all of the Star Wars content on Disney Plus if you wanted, and you definitely should watch Episodes 4 through 8 before visiting, but that’s too obvious. (Read more about Star Wars on Disney Plus.)

So why is The Mandalorian on this list? Because it gets you to think outside the box about Star Wars.

Lots of people got to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and struggled with the fact that it didn’t pull directly from the Star Wars films they were accustomed to. But Galaxy’s Edge is partly about the fact that the Galaxy is a vast place beyond the films, and that’s partly what The Mandalorian is about, too.

So take a second to escape the narrow part of the Galaxy you’re used to, and spend some time with The Mandalorian. Open your eyes to the possibilities that await!

Avatar

You don’t need to watch Avatar to appreciate Pandora—The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but it particularly helps when it comes to appreciating the details of the land.

Like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Pandora isn’t set specifically within the film. You shouldn’t be too confused by the land if you haven’t seen the film. I’ve only seen it once, for what it’s worth.

The land is connected to the film, though. And those connections are details that will only be obvious—or noticeable at all—if you’re familiar with the film. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the details are really the highlight of the park.

Watch Avatar, and then take a few minutes to just walk around the land and read everything—the paintings, the signage, and the letters on the walls of Satu’li Canteen. It’s worth it.

Pirates of the Caribbean

We said no direct ride-movie tie-ins, but we’ve made an exception for Pirates of the Caribbean for good reason. Unlike most of the movie tie-ins at the Disney parks, like Peter Pan’s Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, or any number of character greetings, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride came before the movie.

The ride has since been updated to include Jack Sparrow, the main character from the films, but we like the idea of watching the Pirates of the Caribbean film before riding the ride so that you can spot where the film got some of its inspiration.

Mickey Mouse Shorts

The Mickey Mouse Shorts are moving up in the world. For the past few years they’ve sort of lurked in the background with most guests knowing them only as “that modern Mickey” or as the cartoons playing on the Disney hotel lobby televisions.

Well, now the shorts have not one but two attractions at Hollywood Studios. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the newest ride at Hollywood Studios and is inspired by the shorts.

In addition, the new Mickey Shorts Theater at Hollywood Studios plays a short film that includes throwbacks to films in the Mickey Mouse Shorts series. So your understanding of both these attractions is enhanced if you have any idea what the Mickey Mouse Shorts universe is about.