If these walls could talk…
Our big blue world is full of some of the most magical places imaginable – both natural and human-made. The Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu, Great Wall of China, and Mount Everest, to name just a few. These breathtaking sights are much more than places. They are destinations. Ideas. Even transcendent characters of humanity unto themselves.
Occasionally, throughout the history of storytelling, locations become much more than simple places. They evolve to become integral characters, driving the story’s plot and influencing characters and events.
A perfect example of this type of personification in writing and filmmaking is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter stories. The magical castle guides and protects students, confuses and discourages adversaries, and offers an emotional respite for those who deserve the best of what it has to offer.
Going back to 1975’s Jaws, one could argue that the Atlantic Ocean (speaking of a big blue world) plays as large a part in threatening Chief Brody as the menacing shark itself.
Disney films offer quite a few locations of their own that become as much a character in their stories as many of the traditional characters themselves. Let’s think outside the filmmaking box a bit and celebrate some of the most cleverly crafted characters…I mean, locations… in Disney films.
Gracie Manor (Haunted Mansion)
“Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.”
Disney’s famous Haunted Mansion does a whole lot more than house 999 Happy Haunts. The Mansion creaks, squeaks, tempts, traps, and all but breathes. Whether it be the 2003 Eddie Murphy film, the 2021 Muppet-ized take on the story, or the recent 2023 rendering – the Mansion is front and center and in complete control of the situation. Where else can one expect to communicate with the afterlife, join a “spirited” dinner party, or be literally thrown from the house on animated furniture? The Haunted Mansion actively engages with its guests, directing them through the house, creating suspense, and even playfully interacting with them.
Casita (Encanto)
Home to the Madrigal family in Disney’s 2021 animated film Encanto, Casita does a whole lot more than offer lodging to its magical family. Casita is a magical being of its own, thanks to the Miracle Candle. With the help of a little magic, Casita can freely manipulate itself and all the furniture inside. It can open and close its own doors and windows, and can even decorate itself. But perhaps what makes Casita most special is how it emotionally connects to the members of the Madrigal family. Its personality matches the feelings of the family members, acting as a barometer measuring the Madrigal emotional state. When the family Madrigal is happy, Casita is beaming. But when trouble is brewing, Casita’s walls begin to crack. To the Madrigals, Casita is truly home sweet home.
Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland)
Has there ever been a more mischievous set of surroundings than that dreamlike place Alice calls Wonderland? In Disney’s 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland, and Tim Burton’s 2010 live-action remake of the same name, Wonderland is a manifestation of the extremes of imagination. This nonsensical land throws logic out the window, while filling Alice’s world with a bizarre cast of characters like the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts. If Wonderland seems like a fantastical dream, that’s because it is! All of the hijinks this magical realm throws at Alice prove to have just been a wild dream (thanks to the imagination of Lewis Carroll).
Litwak’s Arcade (Wreck-It-Ralph)
Growing up in a digital age, I always wanted to live inside a video game. So when Disney released Wreck-It-Ralph in 2012, I got to witness what my imagination always wanted. The clever film not only took us into the world of video games, it also gave these games a collective home – Litwak’s Arcade. The arcade’s “Game Central Station” connects all the games and the characters who live within them, offering transportation, information, refuge, and even Bad Guy Support Groups. While most of the action in the film takes place within individual games, the specter of the arcade’s management looms large. If any games within the arcade are unplugged, those games – and the characters within them – could be gone forever. Who knew a simple little local arcade could have so much going on behind the scenes?
Beast’s Castle (Beauty and the Beast)
Yet another entrant onto this list which houses magical beings of every shape and size – the Beast’s castle holds more than meets the eye. The royal residence of a once respected cruel and selfish prince was charmed into submission by an enchantress who taught the prince a hard lesson in kindness. While under the spell, the castle (and all of its inhabitants) lived a life of seclusion and penance. The castle held the secret to the Beast’s fate in a single rose, while its residents took on a strange new life in the form of common everyday objects, from dishes and dust mops to chairs and cupboards. The castle itself may not have performed any specific motions, but the rare visitors to the enchanted chateau could practically feel it breathing.
Toontown (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?)
“Smile, darn ya, smile!”
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? showed us a world where cartoon characters live a life of their own off screen, and Toontown is the magical place they call home. Located right next to Hollywood, Toontown houses all of the famous (and many not-so-famous) cartoon stars of the golden age of animation. But Toontown isn’t just a wacky neighborhood – the fantastical land essentially lives and breathes on its own. Many of Toontown’s buildings, vehicles, flora, and fauna all exude their own personalities In other words, Toonton is alive. At least, so long as Judge Doom doesn’t bring the Dip back to town.
Te Fiti (Moana)
Out of all the entries on this list, Te Fiti is the one location that is most directly represented as a character. Or should I say Te Fiti is a character represented as a location? The Polynesian goddess has the power to create life, and she does it with a vibrancy that makes the 2016 film Moana stand as one of Disney’s best animated efforts of all time. Once finished creating the beautiful Polynesian islands, Te Fiti laid herself to rest and formed her own body into an island. When her heart is stolen by Maui, Te Fiti falls into darkness, becoming Te Kā – a giant demon of earth and fire. Moana – with the help of a reformed Maui (You’re Welcome!) – confronts Te Kā while striving to return the heart of Te Fiti, and an amazing transformation takes place. Te Kā is revealed to be the fallen Te Fiti, and when presented with the heart, Te Fiti rises from Te Kā’s ashes to once again become the island goddess she once was.
Riley’s Head (Inside Out)
Of all the locations on this list, the smallest has to be Riley’s head (or more specifically, her brain). While petite on the outside, Riley’s head houses a massive universe of mental energy. It’s teeming with life – most notably those colorful emotions we all know and love (everyone has a favorite – mine happens to be Anger). When Riley gets angry, her brain shutters and sends shockwaves through her head. When she is happy, her brain glows with positivity. And when she hits puberty…let’s just say her head takes on the persona of a construction site. Basically, Riley’s brain is the accumulation of all she feels, and all those colorful emotions manifest those feelings as messengers of her sentiments. It’s a heady concept (pardon the pun), but exactly the elevated sense of storytelling we’ve come to expect from Pixar.
Monstropolis (Monsters, Inc.)
“You could let in a child!”
A whole society fashioned around the notion that we can capture energy by scaring innocent children…and the realization that we can benefit ten times more by choosing to laugh instead of scream. This is the lesson the City of Monstropolis learned through the heroic efforts of Sulley and Mike. This blue-collar city is stocked with creatures of all shapes and sizes, and overall they work in concert as many parts of the same whole – making Monstropolis a living, breathing city. Where this otherworldly city really interacts in the film is through the magic of its secret doors. Every single closet door is another opportunity for Monstropolis to communicate with the “real world.” And as a result, Monstropolis can be felt as either an extremely happy or extremely scary place. It’s like a buy-one-get-one-free!
Sanctum Sanctorum (Doctor Strange)
Doctor Strange – The Sorcerer Supreme – is one of the many mystical characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, a mystical being lives in a mystical home, and the Sanctum Sanctorum is conveniently located at 177A Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, New York. In addition to hosting the Sorcerer Supreme, the Sanctum is home to the Rotunda of Gateways and the Cloak of Levitation, as well as a host of other artifacts and magical texts. The Sanctum isn’t animated in any way, but one can’t help feeling that strange, wonderful things may happen there at any given moment (such as Loki – God of Mischief – falling “for thirty minutes” into the Sanctum’s lobby, or Thor – God of Thunder – drinking several self-refilling mugs of beer).
The Witches’ Road (Agatha All Along)
“Down, down, down the witches road, down the Witches’ Road
Follow me, my friend
To glory at the end”
It’s safe to say the Witches’ Road is the only location on this list to have its own ballad (though “Grim Grinning Ghosts” serves as a perfect theme song for the Haunted Mansion). This is for good reason – the enchanted road is renowned by witches all over the Marvel universe as a feared yet revered challenge which can lead to an immortalized reputation…if survived. But the Witches’ road is a fickle path. It winds and loops and dips, and is constantly changing and tricking those who dare to travel it. The road presents challenges tailored to any witch who dares walk it, from disorienting its travelers to swallowing them up in muddy pits of goo. You never know what you’ll find on the Witches’ Road. And watch out for the Salem Seven!
The Death Star (Star Wars)
Picture this – You’re Orson Krennic laying wounded and helpless atop the Citadel Tower on Scarif, looking up at the Death Star – a weapon meant to serve as your crowning achievement representing your ultimate contribution to the Empire, only to watch it destroy you and everything else in sight.
The Death Star isn’t just a weapon. It’s a sign of power and intimidation throughout the galaxy during the Empire’s reign of terror. It travels and chases, striking down whatever city or planet is deemed an appropriate demonstration (or even just inconvenient). A massive killing machine brought to life by an entire population of cogs. This is the Death Star.
Honorable Mention – That “Special” Asteroid (Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back)
Shoot first, and get swallowed whole later.
Han, Leia, Chewie, and the droids make a pit stop to hide from the Empire’s patrolling Tie Bombers, only to find their sanctuary feels like it’s living and breathing. That’s because it’s alive! The Exogorth – a giant space slug inhabiting a wayward asteroid – is the only “location” on this list that is truly alive, in the traditional sense of the word. As in, it’s a living (and I think breathing) creature. Since the Exogorth doesn’t quite fit the mold of the other entrants on this list, I’ll leave it here as an honorable mention. But it is pretty darn awesome.
I hope you enjoyed this of some of the most unique and “living” locations in the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars universes. Do you have a favorite location in a Disney film that feels like a character in its own right? Share your thoughts with Facts and Figment and join the conversation on social: Instagram Facebook X
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