Ok, so the only ball I attended at Neuschwanstein Castle existed only in my imagination, but visiting the real-life inspiration for Cinderella's and Sleeping Beauty's castle was one of the highlights of our honeymoon in Germany! From intricately decorated rooms to breathtaking natural scenery, a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle will give you a peek into what it must feel like to be a princess!
Disney Movie: Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty
Place: Neuschwanstein Castle located in Upper Bayern, Germany
Disney Movie: Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty
Place: Neuschwanstein Castle located in Upper Bayern, Germany
I couldn't help keeping a wary eye out for a jealous Tinkerbell while relaxing in the real-life "Mermaid Lagoon" of Italy's Bagni della Regina Giovanna. The stunning natural beauty of this fairly isolated and uncrowded cove located just outside Sorrento set a high standard for Mediterranean relaxation and made an indelible mark on our Italy trip this past summer. Thankfully, the clock-swallowing crocodile of Peter Pan did not make an appearance, though!
Disney Movie: Peter Pan
Place: Bagni della Regina Giovanna, Sorrento, Italy
Don't begrudge your last tuppence to feed the birds at St. Paul's Cathedral in London! Actually, there are signs indicating that you should not feed the birds, but that didn't deter me from singing a few lines as the "saints and apostles" looked down from the top of London's iconic church as I enjoyed being in one of the filming sites of Mary Poppins.
Disney Movie: Mary Poppins
Place: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England
It's difficult not to be on the lookout for a vengeful Scar or hungry hyenas while on safari in Uganda's magnificent Murchison Falls National Park. Although we did not get a glimpse of Simba or Nala, we did see a plethora of other wildlife that would warm the heart of any Lion King fan!
Disney Movie: The Lion King
Place: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
I felt like I was walking through the pages of my favorite Disney fairytale when we explored the streets of Strasbourg, located in the Alsace region of France just over the Rhine from Germany. So much so that I half-expected to see a pony-tailed Gaston poke his head out of a pub and bellow about making Belle his wife! While in Strasbourg, be sure to try the flammeküche, an Alsatian-style pizza featuring an onion-cream sauce.
Disney Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Place: Strasbourg, France
Rather than slinging pickaxes or shovels over our shoulders, we whistled our way through an auto tour of the Black Forest en route to World Cup celebrations. Thanks to the heavy downpours and thick fog, it wasn't hard to see where the Black Forest got its name and reputation. Perhaps the weather deceived my eyes, but I almost thought I saw a few magical creatures sneaking across the pine-forest floor...
Disney Movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Place: The Black Forest, Germany
Unlike the other Disney movies I've listed, I actually cannot stomach their version of Pocahontas. Not only is it historically inaccurate (newsflash: Pocahontas never had a love interest in John Smith!), but they decided to completely misrepresent the landscape of tidewater Virginia. There are no cliffs from which she possibly could've sung about the colors of the wind! At any rate, whenever I visit the beautiful shores of Virginia's Northern Neck, Eastern shore, or general tidewater region, I can reflect on the real Pocahontas and the reactions of Virginia's Native Americans when the English explorers first arrived.
Disney Movie: Pocahontas
Place: the Northern Neck, Eastern Shore, and/or Tidewater regions of Virginia
***
Where are some of your favorite Real-Life Disney locations?
.jpg)
Linking up with other travel bloggers for the #SundayTraveler!
Updated 03/28/2016 with #TravelTuesday link-up and other internal links.
Updated 03/28/2016 with #TravelTuesday link-up and other internal links.
