Cinderella Castle
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- This is an article about the castle at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland. For the castle at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland, see Sleeping Beauty Castle
Exterior
Inspiration
Cinderella Castle was inspired by several French castles, among them the Château d'Ussé in France [link][link], Fontainebleau, Versailles and the chateaus of Chenonceau, Chambord and Chaumont. Inspiration also came from the classic Walt Disney animated feature Cinderella.
Construction
The Magic Kingdom
Cinderella Castle was completed in July 1971, after about 18 months of construction, and reaches to a height of 189 feet tall -- nearly twice the size of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. However, a method called forced perspective was used to make Cinderella Castle appear even larger than it already is. As it becomes taller, its proportions get smaller. For example, using this method, the top spire of the Castle is actually close to 1/2 of the size it "appears". Major elements of the Castle were scaled and angled to give the illusion of distance and height, a method frequently used in Disney theme parks around the world.Cinderella Castle appears to be made of white and grey stone with turquoise roofs on their turrets; the tallest spire on each appears to be gold-leafed. However, no bricks were used; the inner structure was constructed of six-hundred tons of steel, then covered with a shell of fiberglass, all secured to a concrete foundation. The turrets and towers also have internal steel framing and were lifted by crane, then bolted permanently to the main structure. Contrary to a popular legend, the Castle cannot be taken apart in the event of a hurricane. It was, however, built to withstand hurricane winds of at least 90 miles per hour. Cinderella Castle is also surrounded by a moat, which contains approximately 3.37 million gallons of water; however, unlike the drawbridge at Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland, Cinderella Castle can not raise its drawbridge. Thirteen intricately carved, winged gargoyles appear on the outside of the castle.
Cinderella Castle was designed so that it was tall enough that it could be seen from the Seven Seas Lagoon in front of the Magic Kingdom, where many guests took ferries from the parking lot to the gates of the park. In theme park jargon, Cinderella Castle was conceived as the primary visual magnet that draws new entering guests through Main Street, U.S.A. towards the central hub, from where all other areas can be reached.
Tokyo Disneyland
It is generally considered to be a carbon copy of the Magic Kingdom's castle, however from 1986-2006, "Cinderella's Mystery Castle Tour" was a popular attraction featured within the castle. In June 2006, the castle was repainted, to differentiate it from Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom. The castle now has gold trimmings, the rooftops have been painted a different shade of blue, and the white stone of the turrets now has a tan/dirty-pink colour.
Special decorations
-->Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom has been temporarily re-decorated on a few occasions.
- To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort on October 1, 1996, Imagineers transformed the front of Cinderella Castle into an 18-story "birthday cake." Complete with red and pink "icing," giant candy canes and 26 glowing candles, the castle served as the centerpiece for the 15-month long celebration. Designed by Walt Disney Entertainment Florida and later constructed by the Imagineers, this was no small undertaking. It took more than 400 gallons of pink paint to cover the castle, which was decorated with multicolored "sprinkles," 26 cables, ranging in height from 20-40 feet tall, 16 two-foot long candy stars, 16 five-foot candy bears, 12 five-foot gumdrops, four six-foot Life Savers, 30 three-foot lollipops, and 50 two-foot gum balls. Additionally, more than 1000 feet of pink and blue inflatable "icing" was needed to finish it off. The castle was not as popular as expected though, due to its gaudy and over-the-top appearance - there reportedly were more than 200 canceled weddings because of the giant pink castle. On January 31, 1998, the castle was transformed back to its original state.
- On Nov. 16, 2004, the castle was modified to appear as though it was strewn with toilet paper, and Stitch is King was posted on a turret as faux graffiti to mark the grand opening of Stitch's Great Escape! that day. The material was removed after the park closed that evening.
- The castle's latest redecoration commemorates the Happiest Celebration on Earth in honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary and was formally unveiled on May 5, 2005. The castle's exterior is now adorned with polished gold trim and accents, swags, banners and tapestries. Golden statues of Disney animated characters also have been added to the exterior, including Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Wendy circling the tallest spire. Other statues include Kaa and King Louie from The Jungle Book, Simba, Pumbaa and Timon from The Lion King, Sebastian and Flounder from The Little Mermaid, the Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, and Victor, Hugo and Laverne from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Just above the front archway is an enormous "stained-glass" mirror modeled after the one in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The mirror changes images every 40 seconds to feature each Disney castle and the date its park opened: Disneyland, 1955; the Magic Kingdom, 1971; Tokyo Disneyland, 1983; Disneyland Paris, 1992; and Hong Kong Disneyland, 2005. The decorations will remain during the Happiest Celebration on Earth until it concludes in 2006.
At night
When the sun sets, the castle is illuminated in sixteen million colors, thanks to LEDs situated in the balconies and turrets of the castle. The castle itself plays a role in the Magic Kingdom's fireworks show, Wishes, in which it changes color in synchronisation with the dramatic music of the display.At the park's closing, the nightly 'Kiss Goodnight' is performed, in which Roy O. Disney's dedication speech for the Magic Kingdom is played all over the park alongside classic Disney music which changes with the vivid colors of the castle. When the park closes before 11pm, the show is performed again at 11pm providing entertainment for guests of Disney resort hotels bordering the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Interior
The Magic Kingdom
Mosaics
Inside the Castle's archway, a series of five mosaic murals tells the story of Cinderella. Designed by Imagineer Dorothea Redmond and crafted and set in place by a team of six artists led by mosaicist Hanns-Joachim Scharff, the 15 by 10 foot, ornate panels are shaped in a Gothic arch. The murals took more than two years to complete, and contain hundreds of thousands of pieces of Italian glass and rough smalti (glass made specifically for mosaics traditionally used by Italian craftsmen) in over 500 colors. Many of the hand-cut tiles are fused with sterling silver and 14 carat (58 %) gold, and some are as small as the head of a tack. If you look closely at these ornate murals, you will notice that each of Cinderella's wicked stepsisters appears with a little added color - one sister's face is clearly "red with anger," while the other sister is a little "green with envy," as they watch Cinderella try on the glass slipper.Shopping
Under the archway, the Castle is home to the newly renovated Fantasy Faire, a gift shop that features specialty items relating to the Castle, particularly glass & crystal ornaments.
The hidden apartment
Inside the upper levels of Cinderella Castle, there is a penthouse that was intended to be an apartment for Walt Disney and his family when they were in Florida. After Walt Disney died in 1966, the apartment was left unfinished - for a period, Roy O. Disney was due to take up residence there but decided against it, in respect for his brother. Instead, the penthouse served as the operations area for Vista United Telecommunications (switchboard operators). Up until 2006, it served as dressing rooms for the entertainers performing in the shows at the Castle Forecourt Stage.On June 7, 2006, it was announced by Disney that the apartment would be completely decorated and upholstered as a 'royal bedchamber', which can sleep upto four people. It will become available as a once-in-a-lifetime experience during the Year of a Million Dreams celebration taking place at all eleven Disney theme parks, and an overnight stay in the apartment will be a prize randomly awarded to a guest at the Magic Kingdom, or indeed any park at the Walt Disney World Resort. More details will become known as the celebration opens and someone stays in the apartment.
Cinderella's Royal Table
Cinderella's Royal Table, formerly known as King Stefan's Banquet Hall, is a restaurant inside the castle. Located on the second floor, guests can take the circular stairway or elevator to this royal dining hall, where the younger guests are "princes" and "princesses," and the older ones are "lords" and "ladies." Walt Disney Imagineers had originally wanted to give the restaurant a regal name, and since there are no well-known characters from "Cinderella" that met their criteria, they instead took a little dramatic license and chose the name of Sleeping Beauty's father, King Stefan. The name was changed on April 28, 1997, as to not confuse tourists.If you look around the elegant restaurant, with its stained glass windows and medieval décor, you will notice more than forty coats of arms on display. Each of these is an actual family seal, and represent some of the many people that played a major role in the design and construction of Walt Disney World, including Roger Broggie, Sr. (Imagineer and railroad aficionado who aided in the design of many attractions), Marc Davis (animator and theme park designer), Roy O. Disney (Walt's brother), John Hench (who designed the castle), Diane Disney Miller (Walt's daughter), Dick Nunis (former Chairman of Walt Disney Attractions), and Marty Sklar (Imagineering vice chairman and principal creative executive who worked alongside Walt Disney).
Cinderella's Royal Table is also the location of the "Once Upon a Time" character breakfast. This family-style breakfast features characters of Disney's Royal Family such as Cinderella, her Fairy Godmother, and their friends Belle, Snow White, and Peter Pan.
Tokyo Disneyland
See also
External links
- * Satellite image from [WikiMapia], [Google Maps] or [Windows Live Local]
- * Street map from [MapQuest] or [Google Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image from [TerraServer-USA]
| Icons of the Disney Parks and Resorts | |
|---|---|
| Disneyland Resort: | Sleeping Beauty Castle | Grizzly Peak |
| Walt Disney World Resort: | Cinderella Castle | Spaceship Earth | The Sorcerer's Hat The Tree of Life |
| Disneyland Resort Paris: | Sleeping Beauty Castle | The Earful Tower |
| Tokyo Disney Resort: | Cinderella Castle | Mount Prometheus |
| Hong Kong Disneyland Resort: | Sleeping Beauty Castle |
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