5. Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (1990)

Platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System

Adventures in the Magic Kingdom is about as nostalgic a throwback as you can get. Initially released in 1990 for the NES, the game places players in an overworld map of a “Magic Kingdom” (purposefully taking elements from Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland given its global release). That overworld is about as large (and about as detailed) as a town in any Pokemon game, but its Main Street U.S.A. leads out into the park where visual icons representing classic rides await. The goal is to collect six keys – five of which are discoverable by playing ride-themed mini-games, and the sixth by answering trivia questions about Walt Disney Pictures). 

The game features two top-down perspective stages where players control a vehicle – one based on Autopia (avoiding obstacles in a race against Panhandle Pete) and another based on Big Thunder Mountain (choosing the correct track switches to avoid dead ends for the runaway train).

Two side-scrolling stages are dedicated to the Haunted Mansion (completed by throwing candles at ghosts) and Pirates (rescuing villagers from the plundering pirates). A Space Mountain level is a first-person trip through the stars, avoiding and blasting asteroids. Best of all, in an era before "saving your game" was an option, the entire playthrough of Adventures in the Magic Kingdom can be viewed in less than 20 minutes, here! (That's probably by video games were so much less expensive back then...) 

6. Kingdom Hearts III (2019)

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

2002’s Kingdom Hearts was crafted through an almost-inexplicable collaboration between Disney and Square-Enix (Japanese developer of the long-running Final Fantasy RPG franchise). Somehow, though, the world-bending crossover became a cultural phenomenon, seeing protagonist Sora join forces with Donald and Goofy in an epic quest to save the worlds of beloved Disney films. From Agrabah to Halloween Town; Atlantica to Neverland, players battled alongside Ariel, Aladdin, Beast, Peter Pan, and more to rescue the seven Princesses of Heart from Maleficent… and the dark forces collecting around the ultimate battle for hearts.

The long, long, long awaited final installment in the series – Kingdom Hearts III – finally debuted in 2019, ushering Sora into the worlds of Tangled, Frozen, Hercules, Monsters Inc., Big Hero 6, Toy Story, and more. Though previous installments had allowed Sora to summon helpful Disney characters for assistance in battle, one of the most talked-about evolutions of gameplay in the third was the ability to summon Disney Parks attractions in a newly-created system called Attraction Flow. Now, Disney Parks rides decked out in their Main Street Electrical Parade best could appear to offer finishing moves to waves of Heartless enemies, from filling the battlefield with spinning Mad Tea Party teacups to boarding laser-armed Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters; striking enemies from a Grizzly River Run raft and blasting light from the Carousel...

One of the game's most talked-about moments, though, was using Big Thunder Mountain's runaway mine train and its explosive fireworks-armed smokestack to take down a Hercules Titan (above), melding Disney Parks into the increasingly elaborate world of Kingdom Hearts added a whole new dimension to battles. You can take a look at all of the Attraction Flow cameos in action here.

7. Adventures of Tokyo DisneySea (2001)

Platforms: PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Color

Tokyo DisneySea is often regarded as the best theme park on Earth; a sort of must-see Mecca for Disney Parks fans the world over, offering nautical, adventurous, exploration-themed attractions. Not only is DisneySea the birthplace of S.E.A.: The Society of Explorers and Adventurers; it's also home to the Modern Marvels: Tower of Terror and Journey to the Center of the Earth – the latter in particular often described as one of the best attractions to have been developed by Disney Imagineers anywhere in the world. So really, it’s no surprise that it earned its own video game. 

A PS2 version uses cel-shading like a classic cartoon (also made famous in games by the Sly Cooper series) while a Game Boy Color release is formatted as a side-scrolling platformer. The adventurous RPG allows players to explore the park’s themed “ports” in a third-person style adventure where (like other titles on this list), attractions are used as mini-games. You can ride a gondola through Mediterranean Harbor to Fortress Explorations, see the Aquasphere, and even visit the Hotel MiraCosta and its S.E.A.-stylized inhabitants.

In Adventures of Tokyo DisneySea, though, players also engage in boss battles in each, like defeating Jafar in the Arabian Coast, an Incan spirit in the Lost River Delta, Ursula in Mermaid Lagoon, and even the fabled Lava Monster hiding in Mount Prometheus (Game Boy version above). Of course, Adventures of Tokyo DisneySea was also a Japanese-only release, making this game a deep cut sought out only by the most committed Disney Parks / video game enthusiast crossovers. Take a look at all of the boss battles in the Game Boy version of the game here.

8. Virtual Magic Kingdom (2005)

Platforms: MMO

In 2005, Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary brought about the launch of a major 18-month promotional campaign for Disney Parks: The Happiest Celebration on Earth. One aspect of the campaign was Virtual Magic Kingdom (or VMK), a massive multiplayer online game. After creating an online avatar, players could explore a virtual recreation of a Disney “castle” park, interacting in real time with other players through chat features while traversing the seemingly endless park...

Deemed a “safe social network” in the era of MySpace, Virtual Magic Kingdom was a moderated spot to explore Disney Parks through mini-games, virtual pin collecting, purchasing collectables with in-universe currency, remixing music, creating fireworks shows, and playing fetch quests while also theoretically making friends with a common interest and public chat. The real Disney Parks even got in on the act, where participating in an in-park scavenger hunt could be redeemed for VMK codes.

Ultimately, the game that was created as a promotional tie-in to a celebratory campaign sort of took on a life of its own. After three years, Disney announced that VMK would be closed down, having well outlasted the 50th Anniversary celebration. Angered fans took to the Internet with petitions and calls for a protest… but unsurprisingly, Disney wasn't moved by their plight. Despite its cult following, VMK was closed in May 2008. A fan-made, unofficial recreation – MyVMK – launched in 2013, and is still used today. Enjoy a brief tour of the look and feel of Virtual Magic Kingdom here.

Gamer Kingdom

From time to time throughout its history, Disney has smartly decided to cash in on one of the strongest, most high-earning intellectual properties in its entire catalogue: its theme parks! Far outearning Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Frozen combined, Disneyland and Walt Disney World are household names for sixty years and counting...

That's why we appreciate when Disney decides to actually focus on the characters, mythologies, worlds, foods, and souvenirs people already love, and these video games were each unique attempts to bring Disney Parks into your living room. Did you play any of these games as a kid? Have you managed to dig any of them out of the attic to help get through the Disney Parks drought we’re in the midst of? Which would you like to see a modern revival of today?