11 Real-Life Places that Inspired Your Favorite Disney Movies

Up Director Pete Docter took a hike through South America, wherein he found inspiration for his movie upon seeing the astounding Angel Falls in Venezuela, which has the longest single drop from the top of a mesa on Earth. Discovered by US pilot Jimmie Angel in 1935 after his plane got stuck in the jungle, Angel Falls plunges more than 3,000 feet. You can book a three-day tour here.

Take one look at the Mont St. Michel in France, and it's clear why it inspired the castle in Tangled — the island looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Considered the "wonder of the West," settlement on Mont Saint-Michel by a community of Benedictines began in 966, and it's surrounded by the highest tides in Europe. Find information on hotels here.

In Mulan, the design of the emperor's home was based on the Forbidden City, a Chinese imperial palace located in the heart of Beijing. It housed 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, from the 14th century through the 20th century. It has a floor space of approximately 150,000 square meters, and it's comprised of 980 buildings and more than 8,000 rooms. Find information on nearby hotels here.

It's no secret The Hunchback of Notre Dame was set in the Gothic cathedral Notre Dame de Paris (meaning "Our Lady of Paris"). Influenced by the naturalism movement, work began on the cathedral in the 1100s, and wasn't completed until about 300 years later. In 1909, Joan of Arc was beatified in Notre Dame by the Pope. Find information on tours here.

Machu Picchu in Cusco, Peru, looks very similar to Pacha's village in The Emperor's New Groove for a reason — the film is based on Incan culture. Machu Picchu stands at more than 2,000 feet above sea level and is considered one of the most significant urban achievements of the Incan Empire. Find information on Machu Picchu travel packages here.

You may have known that Lilo and Stitch is based in Hawaii, but you may not have known that the setting of the film was situated in Kauai, specifically. With a number of scenic beaches, exciting hiking trails, and unique attractions, it's no wonder more than one million tourists visit annually. Find information on vacation rentals here.

The Eilean Donan Castle should look quite familiar to you — it served as a major source of inspiration for the creators of Brave. Located on an island in Scotland, the castle is one of the most significant and iconic establishments of the Scottish highlands. Constructed in the middle of the 13th century, the castle has a long and storied history — at least four different versions of the Eilean Donan were built and then rebuilt. Find visitor information here.

The design of the sultan's palace in Aladdin was inspired by the stunning Taj Mahal in India. Construction of the Taj Mahal began around 1631 AD, and today it's considered the greatest example of Mughal architecture, which mixes elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. Find information on where to stay here.

For Marlin and Nemo of Finding Nemo, home is where the Great Barrier Reef is at. The world's largest barrier reef is located off the coast of Australia and made up of more than 3,000 individual reef systems. Above the reef are hundreds of tropical islands, making it a highly sought after tour destination. Find information on accommodations here.

In the failed wedding scene in Beauty and the Beast, the wine at the Bimbettes table has a white stripe around the bottleneck and a circle in the center, which is a strong indicator that the drink was Alsace Wine. This means that the location in the flick was likely somewhere in the Alsace region in France, lying on the west bank of the river Rhine. Find information on tourism here.

Walt Disney once took a tour of Europe, and one of his stops was the gorgeous Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, which later provided inspiration for the setting in Sleeping Beauty. Opened to the public in 1886, the Neuschwanstein Castle was built by King Ludwig II as a private place to get away from the chaos of daily life. Now, more than a million people visit the palace yearly. Find information on guided tours here.