Disney Parks are best known for showcasing well-known characters from their films and incorporating them into rides, shows, meet and greets, dining, and so much more. What would the parks be without riding along in a boat while Elsa sings "Let It Go" or dining at a character breakfast with the Fab Five?
In fact, a lot of Disney films exist for being in the parks first as rides and attractions. But not every character you see in the parks is one you'll recognize from the magical movies. And while these characters are famous for only being found in the Disney Parks, who says they don't deserve movies, too?
Orange Bird (Sunshine Tree Terrace)
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This colorful little feathered friend known simply as Orange Bird has been a Magic Kingdom staple since opening day, being named mascot of the Florida Citrus Commission. While he's had his ups and downs in popularity throughout the decades — even being a walk-around character offering meet and greets during the park's early years — Orange Bird can now primarily only be found repping Sunshine Tree Terrace in Magic Kingdom and hanging out at Trader Sam's in Disneyland.
Although Orange Bird starred in educational nutrition shorts in the 80s, he's yet to receive a feature film of his own. And while Walt Disney Animation Studios might not create The Many Adventures of Orange Bird or Orange Bird and the Seven Chicks any time soon, this little park favorite deserves another chance at the big screen.
Figment (Journey Into Imagination With Figment)
Witty and purple, Figment has become an icon for EPCOT in Walt Disney World for starring in a fun and educational ride that takes guests on a journey into the wonders of the imagination. He's so popular, in fact, that when the ride got a revamp in 1999 and Figment's appearances were drastically cut, the negative response led to a 2-year-long renovation that brought everyone's favorite little dragon back on the canvas.
Although he starred in almost a dozen shorts in the 80s alongside the likes of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, Figment has never been in any Disney films, nor does Journey Into Imagination with Figment have an associated film like many other Disney Parks rides
Redd (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Many don't know that Pirates of the Caribbean started out as a Disneyland ride, then opened throughout the years at Walt Disney World. Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland before finally being adapted to film in 2003. Although the rides and films have their key differences, the popularity of the movies led Disney Parks to add a Johnny Depp look-alike animatronic of Captain Jack Sparrow to the rides in Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris.
The ride in Magic Kingdom features a newer character who has swept the park: Redd. The female pirate, previously known as Redhead, is known for her drunken, witty remarks during the ride's auction scene, and while she's never appeared in any of the first five Pirates films, fans hope to see her featured in the upcoming reboot starring Margot Robbie.
Chuuby (Mickey And Minnie's Runaway Railway)
Strangely, Disney's Hollywood Studios has their own "orange bird." While Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway features classic characters like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, guests can also spot a brand new character in the mix. Chuuby is the cheerful little bird who chirps and dances to entertain the guests as they wait to deboard the train at the end of the ride.
Despite being an original character for this popular ride — being featured on park merch and even appearing in the children's book Disney All Aboard! Mickey’s Railway — Chuuby has never been in a Disney film, unlike all of their fellow ride stars.
Sonny Eclipse (Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café)
This audio-animatronic has become harder to come across in recent years, but if you're devouring one of those Cheeto-dusted burgers at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café in Magic Kingdom at just the right time, you may just see Sonny Eclipse appear to put on a show. Sonny plays all the hits on his astro-organ, like "Hello Space Angels" to the tune of "Beauty School Dropout" and "Yew Nork, Yew Nork," a spoof on Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York."
This music-comedy act is wasted only appearing once in a while at the Magic Kingdom quick-service spot, and a complete missed opportunity for a Disney film about the singing extraterrestrial, his six-eyed girlfriend, and his home planet of Zork.
Yeti (Expedition Everest)
Yeti — or as Disneyland guests call it, Harold — can usually be seen on Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland and Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The monster's story is most complex in Walt Disney World, residing in the Forbidden Mountain guests will ride by on Expedition Everest. And while Yeti is the most complex animatronic Walt Disney Imagineering has ever built, a crucial mistake in its build caused the animatronic to have to be left running in "B-Mode," as a major malfunction could arise if left in its originally intended "A-Mode."
After almost two decades since the ride opened, the Disney park has yet to fix the Yeti. Though Yeti has made cameos in several Disney cartoons, its continued breakdowns and love of strobe lights that gave it the nickname Disco Yeti at Animal Kingdom could be a great beginning to this mythical creature's starring role.
Hatbox Ghost (Haunted Mansion)
While the Haunted Mansion ride has an accompanying film that features Madame Leota and The Corpse Bride, there's one fan-favorite character from the ride that never made it to the movie. The Hatbox Ghost, despite being removed from Disneyland's version of the ride days after opening due to a technical error, has been a star for decades. He even guest-starred in a spooky episode of Disney Channel's House of Mouse and Disney XD commercials.
It's unknown why this major character didn't appear in 2003's Haunted Mansion, but fans of the attraction hope to see his film debut in the 2023 reboot, premiering 20 years after the first movie.
Chester And Hester (DinoLand U.S.A.)
Chester and Hester are some of the first dinos who greet you when you enter DinoLand U.S.A. in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The husband-and-wife gas station owners decided to transform their business into a fossil souvenir shop, turning their parking lot into a mini amusement park called Dino-Rama, featuring games, treats, entertainment from friends Donald Duck and Chip and Dale and rides like TriceraTop Spin and the late Primeval Whirl.
With a full-on backstory like that, how do these two dinosaurs not have their own movie? It can only be assumed this dino duo's film was scrapped, much like many other aspects of Animal Kingdom over the years, such as Beastly Dragon, a dragon-themed land that never saw the light of day and eventually turned into today's Pandora: The World of Avatar.
Maui the Tikiman (Disney's Polynesian Resort)
The Tikiman named Maui stands as a statue that welcomes guests into Disney's Polynesian Resort in Florida. His backstory, referred to as "The Legend of Maui," states that Maui was a mischievous prankster who lived among the people of the South Seas. He one day used his magic fishhook to pull the islands of Polynesia from the depths of the sea, but his greatest triumph was when he captured the Sun with a woven net and convinced it to bring longer daylight to those who lived in Polynesia.
If that's not major movie material then what is, Disney? Sure, Disney already has two Hawaiian-themed films under its belt — one of which stars another character by the name of Maui — a film based around everyone's favorite little tikiman would be a surefire way to showcase his backstory and bring some buzz to one of Walt Disney World's original resorts.
John And His Family (Carousel Of Progress)
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Carousel of Progress is a New York World's Fair attraction-turned-Magic Kingdom must-ride. Opened only a few years after Magic Kingdom's grand opening, this ride brings guests on a carousel ride through the generations that leaves every rider singing "there's a great big beautiful tomorrow" as they exit. The character only known as John hosts the attraction, telling stories about his family and the evolution of technology.
Why this family has never starred in their own Disney movie is a mystery. These likable characters and quick-paced story have so much potential for a feature film, plus they already have their own theme song!