A young girl from Kansas, dreaming of a place "somewhere over the rainbow" where her troubles are far away, finds her life turned upside down when a tornado whirls her away to a magical land. Upon arrival, her house inadvertently crushes a wicked witch, making her an instant heroine to the Munchkins who inhabit this vibrant realm. She inherits a pair of magical slippers and desires to return to Kansas. To do so, she must seek help from the enigmatic Wizard in the Emerald City. Guided by the Good Witch of the North and with Toto, her dog, in tow, she sets out on a yellow brick road that leads to the city.

Along the journey, she befriends a scarecrow in search of a brain, a tin man longing for a heart, and a cowardly lion who craves courage. Each of them sees the Wizard as the solution to their deepest desires, and so they unite with the young girl in the hopes that he will grant their wishes. Confronted by a series of challenges that test their bravery, brains, and heart, they come to realize that the qualities they seek may have been within them all along. The united front of this unlikely band of travelers solidifies as they face each obstacle, their shared goal of meeting the Wizard driving them forward on the perilous path to the Emerald City.