This article goes over our favorite series on Disney Plus for adults who love Disney parks — plus a couple of extra suggestions thrown in.
Even kid-free homes have Disney Plus for adults, and there’s plenty to watch to make the subscription price worth it. For Disney parks fans specifically, there’s a small selection of great content that will tempt you to book your next trip before the credits roll. Here’s what we suggest for a Disney date night at home — or for background noise as you pack for your Disney couples trip. 😉
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Behind the Attraction
Disney parks fans absolutely, 100% need to see Behind the Attraction, which has 2 seasons and hopefully more to come.
There are 16 episodes total, each around 40-50 minutes, and they go by fast. The way these episodes are put together is fun, snappy and quick-witted, with lots of semi-self-deprecating references and a real understanding of what the audience, not just Imagineers, are thinking.
(The people who made this show also made The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us, both excellent series as well.)
If you love Disney parks, watch every single episode. The ones that you expect to be boring or that you assume you won’t be into will surprise you.
Case in point: The Hall of Presidents episode is one of our favorites, and we rarely visit that attraction on our Disney couple trips.
Disney Parks Sunrise Series on Disney Plus for Adults
Part of our morning routine is going onto YouTube and finding a Disney World or Disneyland aesthetic background video to play all day long so that whenever we walk through the living room, we get a little taste of our favorite place(s) on earth. 🥹
If you’re on the same level of Disney adult as we are, you’ll love the Disney Parks Sunrise Series. There are three episodes — Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Epcot — and each one has a blissful hour of sunrise in the park.
The Imagineering Story
For you Imagineers at heart, binge all 6 episodes of The Imagineering Story before your next trip.
Today, Disney World and the company’s other theme parks are living, breathing, interactive museums of fun, places where your biggest problems are how to beat the heat and where to get a hot dog for lunch.
But if you’ve ever watched the opening-day broadcast from Disneyland or read Disney’s Land by Richard Snow, you know that getting these parks off the ground was a messy, mistaken-ridden ordeal.
(Isn’t that great? Even Walt Disney himself was far from perfect when it came to creating the parks we can’t get enough of. It goes to show that everyone is a beginner at some point.)
The Imagineering Story delves into the hard work that built the Disney theme parks, highlighting imperfections and how the magic-making teams navigated it all.
Mickey Mouse (Shorts)
Once Mike and I went to the Mickey Mouse-themed theater in Walt Disney World and watched the Vacation Fun short, which is done in the modern, kooky animation style, we were hooked. When we got home after our Disney couples vacation, we binged the entire series.
The original 5 seasons of Mickey Mouse (Shorts) ran from 2013 to 2018, and then the series came back as the renamed The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse for one more season in 2020.
Episodes are mercifully short at around 4 to 8 minutes each. If you love them, there are a few seasonal specials that are 20-30 minutes, like The Wonderful Summer of Mickey Mouse.
These are totally appropriate for kids, but they’re also utterly enjoyable for adults. They’re clever, creative and funny, and there are tons of Easter eggs for Disney fanatics.
✨ 7 Mickey Mouse Stickers for Disney Adults You’ve Never Seen Before
If you’ve been to the photo opp section after Vacation Fun in Hollywood Studios, you’ll recognize the props from the Potatoland episode (Mickey Mouse (Shorts), season 1, episode 13).
You’ll also spot a nod to the episode on the line for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disneyland.
The Muppet Show
Personally, we feel that the Muppets are underrated, and we wish that the Disney x Henson partnership had a chance to grow into what it should’ve been.
The Disney Company loved the Muppets, Jim Henson loved Disney World, and we’re glad to at least have a small Muppets section to appreciate in Hollywood Studios.
Luckily, you can watch The Muppet Show in its entirety on Disney+. You’ll love seeing the theater in the show, which looks very much like the Muppet*Vision 3D theater in Disney World.
This isn’t and wasn’t a show for kids. It’s experimental, boundary-pushing and imaginative. And yes, certain episodes, guest stars, and skits can be boring, head-scratching or very much not PC for 2024.
That said, Jim Henson was a visionary, and his puppets are the best in the world. That’s why Henson creatures are in Star Wars films, Where the Wild Things Are and, yes, Disney parks and productions — elite creators like to work with other elite creators.
🐸 P.S. The documentary Jim Henson: Idea Man is also on Disney+ and it’s a definite recommendation from us.
Honorable Mentions
These don’t necessarily fall into the categories defined above — parks-adjacent TV series on Disney Plus for adults — but they’re close enough that we’re confident any adult Disney parks fan will love them.
Making the Wish: Disney’s Newest Cruise Ship
Frankly, the Making the Wish: Disney’s Newest Cruise Ship documentary is so interesting and heartwarming that we couldn’t bear to leave it out. We hadn’t yet been on a Disney cruise — or any cruise, ever — when we watched this, and it didn’t matter. Your adoration for all things Disney will be more than enough to fall in love with this documentary. Try not to cry at the end.
Sketchbook
Sketchbook is a low-key, simple series on Disney Plus for adults that follows one artist per episode to hear about how they draw a specific character. You can follow along if you want to learn how to draw the character, but you don’t have to in order to enjoy this show. As the artist draws, they talk about how they became part of the Disney Company, which is our favorite part of watching.
What Else Is on Disney+ for a Disney Date Night at Home?
Remember, you can watch more than just Disney content on Disney+ — it also has movies and series from National Geographic, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. The collection includes:
- Classics
- Documentaries
- Exclusives and originals
- Limited-time events
- New releases
- Past seasons of shows
- Shorts
- Specials
- Throwbacks
- Unscripted series
All of this content is included in a Disney+ subscription, whether you have a Basic or Premium account. (We have a Premium account because we don’t like watching ads.)
Compare the subscription tiers and pricing here so Disney+ can become part of your Disney date night at home.
👉 When you’re done bingeing a series on Disney Plus for adults, check out Realityland by David Koenig. It deep-dives the story of getting Walt Disney World open, so it’s a must-read for parks fans.
This article about series on Disney Plus for adults includes affiliate links to some items. I may make a small commission if you click them at no cost to you. (Shopping is a great addition to a Disney date night at home. Just sayin’.)
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