Analysis: Nielsen ratings top-streamed movies in 2023 reflect theme park priorities

10. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”

Arguably the most mature movie on the list, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is also the only movie in Nielsen’s top 10 that does not appear in a theme park in any way. The grounded-in-reality mystery movie doesn’t particularly lend itself to the fantastical nature of theme park attractions.

There’s also the question of where “Glass Onion” would find a theme park home in the first place. Netflix produced “Glass Onion” and doesn’t own a theme park. One could, however, point to the “Stranger Things” haunted houses at various Universal parks’ Halloween Horror Nights events as examples of Netflix being open to collaborate with an existing park.

Lionsgate released “Knives Out,” the predecessor to “Glass Onion,” but wasn’t involved in the sequel.¹ For what it’s worth, the studio owns Lionsgate Entertainment World in Zhuhai, China. The theme park features attractions based on “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games.”

9. “Avatar: The Way of Water”

The return to Pandora in “Avatar: The Way of Water” is a thrill ride for the entirety of its three-hour runtime, with insane visuals and a story with a huge heart.

Connor Webber, Attractions Magazine review, 2022

“Avatar: The Way of Water” streamed on both Disney+ and Max in 2023, providing wider availability that likely helped it break Nielsen’s top 10.

Pandora – The World of Avatar opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in 2017, eight years after the smash success of the science-fiction franchise’s first film. The attractions of Florida’s Pandora — including the Flight of Passage simulator ride, the Na’vi River Journey boat ride, and the Satu’li Canteen quick-service restaurant — have since become staples of Animal Kingdom.

When “Avatar: The Way of Water” debuted in 2022, though, Pandora remained pretty much the same, not influenced by the events of the film. After all, the version of Pandora depicted at Animal Kingdom takes place after the entire film series, during a time of peace.²

Instead, upon the release of “The Way of Water, a four-minute projection show illuminated Animal Kingdom’s central icon, the Tree of Life.

Disney is currently developing an “Avatar” experience for Disneyland Resort in California, but has not announced details or even what kind of attraction to expect.

James Cameron is also directing three additional “Avatar” sequels, to debut theatrically in the coming years through 20th Century Studios, owned by Disney.³

8. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

… a strong entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The locations of both Wakanda and Talokan are dripping with beautiful cultural imagery. The story itself is a deep look at what it takes to heal from trauma, both immediate and historical, and the lengths we will go to keep the ones we love safe.

Joseph Spencer, Attractions Magazine review, 2022

Putting aside semantics of Marvel’s complicated theme park rights shared between Disney and Universal, 2018’s “Black Panther” and 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” have remained relatively underutilized within theme parks in relation to the success both films achieved. The former was even nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.⁴

Wakanda was initially announced as the setting for a canceled attraction in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, announced the replacement for that abandoned attraction at D23 Expo 2022: a ride starring dozens of Marvel super heroes fighting King Thanos. Pictured within the attraction’s concept art are Black Panther and members of the Dora Milaje.

Visitors to Avengers Campus at California Adventure can currently meet Black Panther (in both forms of the hero’s likeness, T’Challa and Shuri) and learn to become a warrior from the Dora Milaje.

Avengers Campus also exists at Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, though Disney has not announced any plans to build the Thanos attraction there.

7. “Frozen”

It’s hard to find any flaws in “Frozen.” The visuals are great, it’s an engaging story, the characters are interesting and fun, and the music is stupendous. It’s not my favorite Disney movie, but it’s right up there. And I suspect it’ll be among yours too.

Matt Roseboom, Attractions Magazine review, 2013

On one hand, of course “Frozen” would be one of America’s top-streamed movies in 2023. Duh, it’s “Frozen.” On the other hand, we’re talking about 2023 — an entire decade after the film debuted.

The modern era of data measurement can reveal key insights not discernible before. For example, “The Lion King” was a colossal hit upon its 1994 debut, and Disney certainly observed the film’s success through box-office and VHS sales numbers. Once the consumer took the tape home, though, Disney had no way of knowing how many times a family watched the movie.

That’s not the case anymore. Consumers’ digital viewing habits can now observed, tracked, and analyzed. Now, studios can assess the staying power of their productions — sometimes years after their film debuted.

Disney is well aware of the asset it has in “Frozen.” Following a long list of other “Frozen” attractions worldwide, just a few months ago Hong Kong Disneyland opened World of Frozen. The new land features the Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs kiddie coaster and a version of Epcot’s Frozen Ever After boat ride.

“Frozen”-themed areas are also under construction at Tokyo DisneySea and Walt Disney Studios Park.⁵ Meanwhile, Walt Disney Animation Studios is developing a third (and possibly fourth) “Frozen” movie.⁶ Note 2019’s “Frozen 2” does not appear in Nielsen’s top 10 for 2023.

6. “Sing 2”

The “Sing” franchise is created by Illumination, the Universal-owned animation studio behind “Despicable Me,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” and a few other films we’ll discuss shortly. Notice “Sing 2” achieved its place on Nielsen’s list by streaming on Netflix, despite Universal having a streaming platform of its own, Peacock. Furthermore, despite the success of “Sing 2” on Netflix, the film is gone from the platform at the time of this writing. It’s available on Amazon Prime Video instead.

Of Nielsen’s top 10, three entries hail from Illumination. Universal seems to be placing a greater emphasis on Illumination branding as of late, and these numbers support that choice. For example, when Minion Land opened last summer at Universal Studios Florida, it introduced a new ride called Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast, with the animation studio’s name as part of the attraction’s formal title.⁷ Elsewhere within Minion Land, Universal opened Illumination Avenue, where guests can meet characters from various Illumination franchises, including “Sing.”

Character greetings remain the only “Sing” theme park experience domestically, but the franchise commands its own show, “Sing On Tour,” at Universal Studios Beijing.

5. “Minions: The Rise of Gru”

I can’t say “Minions: The Rise of Gru” is the amazing sequel that we have been waiting 12 years for, but I can say it manages to continue the streak of entertaining animated films from this massively successful franchise.

Connor Webber, Attractions Magazine review, 2022

“Despicable Me” was Illumination’s first film back in 2010 and has become one of the studio’s most frequent returns on investment.⁸

The continued takeover of Universal theme parks by Minions is perhaps not attributed specifically to 2022’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” but rather the franchise as a whole. That being said, “The Rise of Gru” nonetheless did gangbusters, sparked the viral “Gentleminions” movement of teens attending screenings dressed in formal wear, and ensured its characters maintained their relevancy within pop-culture.⁹

The aforementioned Minion Land opened at Universal Studios Florida the summer after the release of “The Rise of Gru.” Surrounding the existing Despicable Me Minion Mayhem simulator, the new land introduced an additional ride and über-themed dining options for guests to go wild on all things Minion.

Displaying the global reach of the Minions’ power, various versions of Minion Land exist at every Universal destination worldwide, welcoming guests to their silly domain in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, Beijing, and soon in Singapore.^{10 11 12}

Last year Universal announced Universal Kids Resort, a new theme park destination opening in Frisco, Texas. The company has not announced which stories and characters in its fold will be represented in the park, which is aimed at young children.

As with its Illumination sibling “Sing 2,” “Minions: The Rise of Gru” streamed on Netflix in 2023, but is no longer available on that platform (though 2015’s “Minions” remains). At the time of this writing, “Minions: The Rise of Gru” instead streams on Peacock, owned by Universal.

4. “Elemental”

Every element has its own unique sense of identity that is engraved into the very essence of the world. Each element also has a distinct method of interacting with the world around them, and this comes into play in fun and engaging scenarios. 

Jacob Goldberg, Attractions Magazine review, 2023

After a financially disappointing opening weekend in movie theaters, “Elemental” earned a healthy box-office total by the summer’s end.¹³ With its Disney+ debut later, it ultimately became 2023’s #4 most-streamed movie in America.

“Elemental” has shown up virtually nowhere within Disney theme parks. The film’s release didn’t even prompt a character greeting, despite walk-around mascot versions already existing of Ember and Wade, the movie’s protagonists. The duo appeared at the film’s world premiere.¹⁴

If audiences continue to stream the movie with the frequency of some of the other Disney films on Nielsen’s list, we may see a lot more “Elemental” in the parks in the long run. For starters, Ember and Wade will make their Disney theme park debut during Pixar Fest, happening Apr. 26 – Aug. 4, 2024 at Disneyland Resort.

Disney has frequently treated Pixar as a collective brand unto itself in recent years, especially at Disneyland Resort, home to Pixar Pier and the just-opened Pixar Place Hotel, although a firepit depicting Ember from “Elemental” is featured on the hotel’s third-floor pool deck.

3. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is a fast-paced thrill ride, giving fans of all ages something to enjoy.

Connor Webber, Attractions Magazine review, 2023

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” streamed on two platforms in 2023: Netflix and Peacock. Though the film only appears on Netflix at the time of this writing, the movie’s presence on multiple outlets seemingly paid off. At #3, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is the highest-ranked among Universal’s three films on Nielsen’s list.

Universal’s parks feature the video game versions of Mario and his pals rather than their likenesses from the Illumination film. Still, much of the aesthetic is identical and the film no doubt assists Universal in attracting more people to experience Super Nintendo World in person.

2. “Encanto”

The more time that passes since the 2021 debut of “Encanto,” the clearer it becomes that this Walt Disney Animation Studios film may possess the fortitude to join the greats of Disney history. While “Encanto” achieving a #2 spot on Nielsen’s 2023 list — higher than any actual 2023 film — is impressive, the film’s position as #1 on the 2022 list is nothing short of mind-boggling. In 2023, viewers streamed “Encanto” for 9.7 billion minutes. In 2022, they streamed the movie for 27.4 billion minutes — over twice the amount of 2023’s #1 movie. “Encanto” is a mega hit.

Walt Disney Imagineering seems intent on building a large-scale “Encanto” experience at Walt Disney World, but unsure of just where to place this investment. At back-to-back D23 events in 2022 and 2023, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, teased possibilities for “Encanto” to reside “beyond Big Thunder” at Magic Kingdom or as part of a Tropical Americas replacement of DinoLand U.S.A. at Animal Kingdom. For now, neither project is publicly solidified.

In the meantime live appearances by “Encanto” characters in the parks will have to suffice. Mirabel currently greets guests daily in Fairytale Garden at Magic Kingdom (Merida’s former location) and in Frontierland’s El Zocalo Park at Disneyland. Bruno likewise appears in “Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade” at Magic Kingdom and seasonally during Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure.

Disneyland Park also featured Mirabel and Antonio in a new float inspired by “it’s a small world” during a limited run of “The Main Street Electrical Parade” and introduced a projection vignette timed to “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

1. “Moana”

The tunes and lyrics are sure to get stuck in your head, and will definitely fit in with other iconic Disney songs. My personal favorite was “How Far I’ll Go,” which I hope ends up getting as big as “Let It Go.”

Quinn Roseboom, Attractions Magazine review, 2016

“Moana” was the most-streamed movie in America in 2023, with a total of 11.6 billion minutes viewed. Echoing the “Frozen” commentary above, the achievement of “Moana” is particularly fascinating given that the movie is now nearly a decade old. “Moana” debuted in 2016. Knowing that families continue to watch the film so frequently is no doubt valuable information for Disney to possess as it decides which stories to lean into more.

Not that the popularity of “Moana” is anything new. Over the past seven years, Disney has integrated the film into its theme parks with just about as much prominence as any movie can hope to claim. “Moana” is a regular fixture today among Disney parades, fireworks spectaculars, and everything in between.

The film rolls through Disneyland with two floats in “Magic Happens,” more than any other film represented in the parade. Guests at Hong Kong Disneyland can enjoy a small-scale retelling of Moana’s story in Adventureland. Moana herself walks on water during the hero sequence of “Fantasmic!” that Disney’s Hollywood Studios introduced in 2022.

Elsewhere, Disney is developing a live-action “Moana” film to debut theatrically in 2025, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui.¹⁵ Disney Animation is also working on a “Moana” animated sequel series for Disney+.¹⁶

Update, Feb. 7, 2024: Disney has announced the “Moana” animated series for Disney+ will instead evolve into “Moana 2,” a new movie releasing in theaters Nov. 27, 2024. Watch the teaser here. The live-action remake is still planned for 2025.

Which Biggies Didn’t Make the List?

Beyond Nielsen’s top 10, Disney and Universal in particular seem interested in a few other movies and character worlds at the moment.

“Zootopia” is a priority franchise for Disney, despite the movie not breaking the top 10. Shanghai Disneyland just opened Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, a trackless ride, alongside a bustling community based on the movie. Sometime in the future, a “Zootopia” attraction will replace “It’s Tough to be a Bug!” inside the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Illumination is clearly Universal’s streaming hit. It is not, however, the only animation studio under Universal’s care. The company also owns DreamWorks Animation, home to “Shrek” and “Trolls,” among other popular franchises. Nielsen’s 2023 top 10 contains three films from Illumination and none from DreamWorks. Regardless, a DreamWorks land is under construction at Universal Studios Florida and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk will open with Epic Universe in 2025.

Also absent from Nielsen’s top 10 but prominent at the theatrical domestic box-office in 2023: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Barbie.”¹⁷

The theme park rights to “Spider-Verse,” created by Sony Pictures Animation, remain unclear; the film rights to the Spider-Man character are notoriously as complicated as Marvel’s theme park legal conditions. Both sets of rules on top of each other would likely be nuanced.

Meanwhile, multiple Barbie attractions will open this year in Glendale, Ariz. as part of the new Mattel Adventure Park. Those experiences will be based upon the toy brand, though, rather than the Greta Gerwig film.

See the full 2023 Nielsen ratings report here.