They lord over every Disney theme park. The insider term for these structures is something Imagineers call a wienie, a monument that grabs the eye and subconsciously pulls the observer toward that area. Disney fans know them by a simpler name: Castles.
These buildings are gigantic in size, although not as big as you might believe. They’re also the linchpin architectural constructs that Walt Disney intended to drive business to his theme parks. Among his other amazing skills, Uncle Walt held a prescient understanding of how consumers think. He knew that they’d feel drawn to the castle, wanting to approach the building and feel like royalty, if only for a time. Disney castles are amazing and a source of continued intrigue among Disney lovers. Here are seven stunning facts about the various Disney castles.
Two basic models for 60 years
Image: DisneyWhen Disneyland opened in 1955, Walt Disney was firmly in command of every detail at the park. One of his visions was a real-life iteration of Sleeping Beauty Castle, which he modeled after a famous Bavarian structure named Neuschwanstein Castle. Since money was tight, he employed forced perspective to increase the stature of the building. Using this tactic, the castle seemed much larger than its actual size, which we’ll discuss in the next section. The original model is so popular that Disney has duplicated it at two other parks, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland.
Sixteen years later, Uncle Walt was gone, and his brother Roy was left to build another castle, this time at Magic Kingdom. Cinderella Castle has become a staple of every Walt Disney World trip, and it’s the most visited Disney castle in the world. It’s also the prototype for Tokyo Disneyland’s castle as well. In 2016, Disney finally invented a third version of the castle theme. Shanghai Disneyland features Enchanted Storybook Castle, whose theme is more inclusive. Rather than focusing on a single Disney princess, it celebrates all Disney royalty.
Building a castle takes time
Image: DisneyActually, the more accurate statement is that building a castle takes longer now than it did in the 1950s. Walt Disney commissioned construction of Disneyland almost a year to the day before the park opened. Yes, he built an entire park in 364 days, while Pandora – The World of Avatar took six years on its own. That’s how much the building process has changed over the years. What’s impressive about Sleeping Beauty Castle is that it didn’t start until the latter half of the project, meaning it took roughly half a year to construct.
Cinderella Castle took a lot more time, although two good reasons explain why. Disney built the entire structure in 18 months. They were in no hurry since that project was way ahead of schedule, unlike many others at Walt Disney World prior to opening. They could have rushed, but why should they? It was ready in July while the park wouldn’t debut until October. The other reason it took longer is an obvious one. It’s way, way, waaaaaaay bigger than Disneyland’s castle wienie.
Castles can close
Image: DisneyWhile all sorts of superstitions exist about the structural integrity of various Disney castles, a weather event has never forced one of these buildings to close. The company’s constant desire to plus attractions, however, has shut down its most storied castle. Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland stayed in operation from 1955 until 2001, offering a walkthrough to guests. In 2001, allegedly as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Disney closed this event and kept it closed until 2008. During the seven years it wasn’t open to the public, Imagineers relished the chance to update the inner workings of the facility. The renovated Sleeping Beauty Castle features live animation flowing seamlessly with the original, static room designs.
As for Cinderella Castle, it stayed open in the wake of 9/11. The government interceded to protect the building, though. The FAA placed a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) across Walt Disney World, with a special focus on the castle. Nothing was allowed to fly in this area, the only concession needed to protect the facility. As for the rumor that Disney can break down Cinderella Castle in the event of hurricane weather, I really shouldn’t even have to say this, but it’s not true.
Size matters
Image: DisneyIf you’re someone who ascribes to this philosophy, Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland isn’t your favorite. At 77 feet tall, it’s the smallest Disney castle, although it technically ties Hong Kong Disneyland for the title since the latter park has recreated Sleeping Beauty Castle. For reasons explained below, Hong Kong’s moving away from this version, though.
The four other Disney castles are more than twice as high. Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris sits nine stories higher off the ground than the original, as it is 167 feet tall. Narrowly edging it in height is Cinderella Castle at Tokyo, which is 168 feet high. The original version of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom towered above the others as the largest Disney castle from the time of its introduction in 1971 until last year. At 189 feet, its reign seemed assured until Shanghai Disneyland came along and topped it at 197 feet.
King Stefan once hosted a banquet
Image: DisneyTheme park tourists know that the finest dining at Walt Disney World occurs at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Sure, a few other restaurants offer better cuisine, but there’s nothing else in the world like eating inside Cinderella Castle. More than 20 years ago, people knew the place by a different name, though.
Park planners (rightfully) worried that eating with Cinderella didn’t sound high-brow. After all, she’s a peasant who only gets to eat whatever’s left after her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters are finished. From a certain perspective, Cinderella is a Charles Dickens character, complete with gruel for dinner. Given the prices Disney wanted to charge for a meal at Cinderella Castle, they didn’t think the (eventual) princess was the best option.
Image: DisneyInstead, Disney chose a different royal family as the host of the banquet. King Stefan, the father of Sleeping Beauty, became the name character of the most impressive meal at Magic Kingdom. Why Disney picked someone outside the Cinderella mythology is a bit of a mystery. Guests still wanted to eat at King Stefan’s Banquet Hall since they knew it meant a meal at Cinderella Castle. They just didn’t understand the theming. In 1997, Disney acknowledged their mistake, switching to the (much) more appropriate current name, Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Disney parks are competitive
Image: DisneyFor years, Hong Kong Disneyland has struggled with the perception that it’s a lesser Disney park. That’s due in part to the cost-cutting moves in place during the park’s construction. Claiming the first Disney offering in China, Hong Kong Disneyland officials thought that guests would come to interact with Mickey Mouse, negating the need for huge expenditures. They even built a cookie cutter castle for this reason.
Then, Shanghai Disney Resort opened in 2016. Its castle is immaculate and probably the finest in the world today. Suddenly, Hong Kong’s team felt threatened and understandably insecure about their offering, which is basically a replica of the original Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Hong Kong Disneyland is renovating their castle and the surrounding hub to overcome the current castle deficit. Disney execs are just as susceptible as the rest of us in their compulsion to keep up with the Joneses, even when the Joneses are also Disney execs.
The ultimate in castle living
Image: DisneyThe dream of every Disney fan is to spend a night at one of the beloved castles. Technically, that’s possible, although the odds are admittedly poor. Disney does have a “Dream Suite” available at Cinderella Castle. It’s only available to contest winners or others specifically selected by Disney to spend the night there. The suite is basically the greatest night possible at Walt Disney World, as guests feel the same way that Walt Disney did when he spent the night at his park.
At Disneyland, that wasn’t inside Sleeping Beauty Castle, though. Uncle Walt had an apartment on the second floor of the Main Street Firehouse. Disneyland has a couple of “Dream Suite” options, too. They’re just not at the castle. One is called the Fairy Tale Suite at Disneyland Hotel, and it features an homage to Sleeping Beauty Castle as a bathroom mosaic that basically takes up an entire wall.
The Disneyland Dream Suite was built for Walt Disney as an expanded space for him and his family, but he died before it was finished. Since 2008, a few lucky guests can stay at this location above the actual Pirates of the Caribbean attraction inside the park. While very cool, it’s just not the same as spending a night inside Cinderella Castle. Nothing is.
David Mumpower is the author of the Disney Demystified series, which you can buy here.
