Sleeping Beauty Castle

Infobox Disney ride
name=Sleeping Beauty Castle


caption=Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle, adorned with 50th Anniversary decorations.
park=Disneyland
land=Fantasyland
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type=Walk-Through
theme=Fairy Tale
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opened=July 17, 1955
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caption=The Hong Kong Version lit by fireworks
park=Hong Kong Disneyland
land=Fantasyland
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opened=September 12, 2005
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Sleeping Beauty Castle is the fairy tale structure at the center of Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland Park. It is based on Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle [ [http://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Central_Europe/Germany/germany7.htm Neuschwanstein ] ] , with some French inspirations (Notre Dame de Paris and the Hospices de Beaune especially).

Disneyland

Opened July 17, 1955, the castle is the oldest of all the Disney castles. It reaches a height of 77 feet (23.5 meters). Beginning April 29, 1957, visitors were able to walk through the castle and view several dioramas depicting the story of Sleeping Beauty. The walk-through experience was discontinued in 2001. On July 17, 2008 it was announced that the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-thru will reopen later in the year in time for the Holiday season at Disneyland and to coincide with the release of the 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition of Sleeping Beauty ( 1959 film) the following year. [http://www.disneylandnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=308]

During the 50th Anniversary

In celebration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, the castle (above) was repainted and five turrets were decorated with stylized crowns, each representing a decade in the park's history [ [http://disneylandnews.tekgroup.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=34&change_language=true Disneyland Resort Newsroom: Home ] ]

*The creation of Disneyland is represented by a pair of famous “Ears” peeking up over the horizon to see the wonders to come.
*“A World on the Move,” otherwise known as the “New Tomorrowland” of 1967, is represented by rocket ships and accented by opalescent planets.
*The beautiful Blue Fairy represents the debut of the beloved Main Street Electrical Parade.
*The Indiana Jones Adventure is represented by the evil Eye of Mara, guarded by mesmerizing snakes.
*The 50th Anniversary of Disneyland is represented by fireworks and Tinker Bell.

Facts

*The drawbridge of the castle used to be functional but was rarely used. It has only been publicly lowered on two occasions: when the park opened in 1955, and when Fantasyland was rededicated in 1983. The gears that control the drawbridge were removed during a refurbishment in 1996 and have not been replaced.Fact|date=February 2008
*While being filmed Walt Disney accidentally referred to the castle as Snow White's Castle. This blooper sparked false speculation among fans that the castle was originally going to be called "Snow White's Castle" but was changed to coincide with the release of Sleeping Beauty.Fact|date=May 2007
*The coat of arms over the entry archway is that of the Disney family. Fact|date=February 2008

*When the moat surrounding the castle is dredged, any money retrieved from it is given to charity.Fact|date=February 2008

*The Castle at first was blue like the Cinderella Castle from opening day but was then changed to what it is now (pink,gold,and light blue).

Hong Kong Disneyland

The Sleeping Beauty Castle located at Hong Kong Disneyland is of the same design as Disneyland's versionFact|date=February 2008. The paint scheme of Hong Kong Disneyland's structure is identical to that used when Disneyland's original opened in 1955Fact|date=February 2008. The final turret of Hong Kong Disneyland's castle was put in place on November 18, 2004,Fact|date=February 2008 and the castle opened to the public on September 12, 2005Fact|date=February 2008. It is notably smallerFact|date=February 2008 than all of its other siblings (it is the same size as the original Californian oneFact|date=February 2008, but the mountains make it appear smallerFact|date=February 2008), but Walt Disney was said that Disneyland castles should be kept small to be warmer and friendlier and not intimidate the guests.Fact|date=February 2007 It is the focal point for the daily firework display: "Disney In The Stars."

Logo usage

As Sleeping Beauty Castle is a Disney icon, it has become the basis for the logo of Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Television, Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, Buena Vista Music Group and Buena Vista International. It is also heavily featured in advertisements for the Wonderful World of Disney, on ABC and the Disney Channel.

External links

* http://www.disneydreamer.com/castle50.htm

References