Is Monroeville Real? Visit Where Disenchanted Was Filmed IRL
You’ll need your passport or a wishing wand to get there.
It’s been 15 years since Giselle (Amy Adams) found her happily ever after in Enchanted, but as Pip the chipmunk says, there is an “after happily ever after.” Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Idina Menzel, and the hilarious James Marsden have all returned to tell this new tale, along with new characters and a brand new setting. After watching the Disney+ exclusive, fans may be wondering, is Monroeville real? It may not be a train ride away from NYC, but the place where Disenchanted was filmed is an actual place you can visit.
Spoiler alert: This post contains spoilers from Disenchanted. Most of Enchanted takes place in New York City, where Giselle is a fish out of water, but they quickly leave for the suburbs in Disenchanted. Attempting to find a home that feels more like Andalasia, the family settles down in Monroeville. There is a Monroeville in Pennsylvania, but this is not where production for Disenchanted took place. It’s also likely not the location of where Giselle, Robert, Morgan, and baby Sofia move to either, since it’s about 10 hours away from Manhattan by train. It’s established in the film that Robert is still commuting to work in the city each morning. Even though there are several jokes about having to get up early in the morning to commute, it’s likely he’s not waking up 10 hours early.
Where Was Disenchanted Filmed?
You’ll need a passport to visit the actual Disenchanted filming location. According to GoodtoKnow, Disenchanted was shot in Ireland — Enniskerry, Wicklow to be exact. It seems Disney traded in a small town in the U.S. for a small village in the UK.
It makes sense that Disney would choose Enniskerry for its quaint, Andalasia-like town with its cute city center that has a very Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls feel. There are even cafes and shops all around the town center that you’ll want to visit while staying in Enniskerry, so you and your friends may want to plan a Disenchanted vacation in 2023. If Ireland has been on your travel bucket list, visiting the IRL location of Monroeville may just be the motivation you need to start planning your trip.
You could even stay in Enniskerry at The Enniskerry Inn, which is both a pub and bed and breakfast. Solo travelers can stay in a single room for just €75 or $77 a night, while staying in the middle of town. As you walk out each morning, you’ll be where Giselle and her family drive through as they arrive in Monroeville and where she sings about her “Fairytale Life” after her wish comes true. Of course, the town may not be painted with colorful stores named “Smee’s Cheese” or “Mary Popover’s Bakery” like it was in Disenchanted, but you can still stop into Poppies cafe for a latte and homemade scone.
Greystones in Wicklow is where the Philips’ home is in Disenchanted, according to The Sun, so you may want to take a few days to explore all of Wicklow during your visit. The county is known as the “Garden of Ireland” with plenty of fairytale-like gardens to explore, including The National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh and Powerscourt Gardens.
Other Disenchanted Filming Locations
Production for Disenchanted didn’t just stay in Wicklow either. The Teal Mango also shared that Disenchanted filmed some scenes in Dublin, and Dempsey spent some time in the city while shooting there. On his Insta, he shared a photo of Leo Burdock, which is famous for fish and chips, so foodies will want to make a pitstop in the same location on their getaway. Director Adam Shankman even shared a snap on the ‘Gram with Menzel and Marsden while in Dublin filming Disenchanted.
The Teal Mango also revealed that Disenchanted used the Morristown Lattin in Kildare, Ireland, which looks like it could be a Monroeville castle. And after some initial screen tests, production shot some additional scenes in Buckinghamshire, England. This time around, they apparently used the town of Hambleden as Monroeville.
While you may not have a wishing wand like Giselle, planning a trip to the UK in 2023 to visit these Disenchanted filming locations and more may be just the fairytale dream come true you want.
