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Think Disney, and what comes to mind? Chances are, it’s the wonderous Disneyland in the United States, where dreams come true. Kids worldwide dream of visiting Disneyland with their family or school friends, but not every child will see the mysterious castle or watch the joyous parade go by to cap another fun-filled day at the resort. You’ll know the feeling if you’ve been to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Kids and adults stare in amazement at the world’s most famous entertainment resort complex. It’s a must-see if you’re a fan of Disney movies and franchises or just fancy seeing what all the fuss is about. Why not treat the big kid deep inside you to a vacation you’ll never forget? Even if you didn’t make it to Disney World as a kid, you can visit as an adult or parent. Millions do each year.
But Disney isn’t all about Disney World or Disney+. The global brand has produced memorable and inspiring sports movies over the last 50 years. Are you a football fan waiting on the new season? You’ve made your predictions have a few weeks to burn. Why not treat yourself to an old classic, a movie guaranteed to get your blood pumping for the campaign ahead?
Get caught up in the moment
Why not get caught up in the magic of sports by watching one of Disney’s many sports-themed movies? There are more than you might think, and this article aims to prove it with our recommendations. Our team of Disney writers and sports fans has taken a break from the day to stroll down memory lane. We look back at the sports movies that helped shape our childhood.
Forget when you were a child with a single-digit age, and you loved the fairytales portrayed on screen. The magic, excitement, and possibilities. Think harder, to the golden era between being a small child and a teenager. That’s when Disney sports movies hit hard and made an impact.
Watch The Mighty Ducks the evening before a sports fixture representing your school in the local championships, and you were ready to run through walls for your team. It’s challenging to find that same level of motivation as an adult, but those memories and feelings remain buried deep in your soul.
Disney makes a lasting impression, and we aim to prove it by reminding you of some absolute classics from Disney. The franchise loved sports of all descriptions, using them to spread their message of love, hope, ambition, and lasting friendships.
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Cool Runnings
Is there a better Disney sports-themed movie than Cool Runnings? Only a few. It’s about as far removed from Snow White or Bambi as you can imagine, certainly in how it looks and the technology used. But Disney’s values are abundant in both movies. Cool Runnings is a must-see comedy based on the Winter Olympics.
What’s funny about the winter sport of bobsleigh? More than you might think, but things get comical when the men inside that bobsleigh are the Jamaican national team breaking new ground.
Add a catchy soundtrack, a few whacky characters, and the late, great John Candy. You now have a movie that has lasted the test of time.
Remember the Titans
Moving from a team of Jamaicans in a bobsleigh to college football stars and the next generation of NFL giants. Remember the Titans, directed by Boaz Yakin, was released in 2000 to critical acclaim.
It’s a film based on American Football, but few movies tackle racism, especially in teens, and this blockbuster. For many trusted sources, Remember the Titans ranks high in Disney’s most important films and is the number one Disney sports movie for many. If you have not seen Remember the Titans, it’s as good a watch for adults as it is for older children.
But if you’re looking for a family movie to share with your young children, remember that this isn’t Mickey Mouse’s Playhouse. It’s a hard-hitting story tackling essential issues.
The Mighty Ducks
Now we’re talking. The Mighty Ducks exploded onto the scene in 1992, and the Stephen Herek-directed classic helped shape a generation. This movie single-handedly did more to inspire kids into ice hockey than most NHL teams ever could. It did for hockey what Karate Kid did for martial arts in the 1990s; it made the sport super appealing to millions.
The Mighty Ducks blend the innocence of childhood with the demands and harsh realities of sports. It appeared decades before children’s sports began handing out medals for competing. A time when only the best could make it to the national level and win titles.
The Mighty Ducks wasn’t just a movie in the 90s; it was the start of a movement. Disney released a second movie in 1994, D2: The Mighty Ducks, before completing the trilogy with the 1996 classic D3: The Mighty Ducks. Why not have a Mighty Ducks movie marathon with your family or enjoy the trilogy alone when the weather is too grim to bare?
Secretariat
The movie Secretariat tells the story of one of horse racing’s most famous names. The thoroughbred won the American Triple Crown, a feat only achieved by the best in the business.
We love Disney’s message of hope and ambition, but you can’t beat a moving tale based on a true story. As the old saying goes, fact is often much stranger than fiction. And Secretariat proves that.
Miracle
We finish with another blockbuster as we aim to end on a high. Miracle is another Disney movie based on ice hockey, but we approach the sport from a different angle to the Mighty Ducks franchise.
Miracle tells the story of the 1980 American ice hockey team who overcame all the odds to defeat the heavily fancied Soviet team at the Winter Olympics. The journey is one of American sport’s most vital tales, and, as you can imagine, the team at Disney did it justice.
