The star of Disneyland Park, Sleeping Beauty Castle, is the emblematic building of our destination. Do you know all of its secrets? Here are a few of them, as told by our Disneyland Paris Ambassadors!
Why a castle?
Walt Disney imagined Fantasyland as a place where fairytales come true. To him, a castle was the best symbol to find a path to that fantasy world and an allegory of dreams and magic.
The inspiration
Castles at Disney Parks around the world are inspired by European architecture, but at Disneyland Paris the designers at Walt Disney Imagineering wanted to create something different. The inspiration comes partly from the illustrations in Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, as well as Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, which gives the impression of a castle coming out of the earth and spiraling upwards.
On the two gold-decorated towers, you can see golden snails going toward the top – a little hommage to a typical French culinary tradition from Burgundy!
The music
Have you ever paid attention to the music played in the castle? All the songs are themed on wishes. Like “When You Wish Upon A Star” from Pinocchio (1940) or “Once Upon A Dream” from Sleeping Beauty (1959).
A permanent exhibition
On the first floor, you will find the Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant which depicts the story of the Disney classic. You can see nine authentic d’Aubusson Tapestries produced by hand specially for our Park as well as nine stained windows created by Paul Chapman, who came out of retirement after helping to restore Notre Dame cathedral’s sainted windows.
A gigantic housemate
If you feel adventurous enough, you can go underneath the castle. You will find a 10-foot (3.05 m) tall and 79-foot (28 m) long dragon. When Disneyland Park opened in Paris, the dragon was the largest Audio-Animatronics® figure in the world.
