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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 Cinderella Castle is the Faux Fairytale Castle at the center of two Disney Theme Parks ; the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort and Tokyo Disneyland at the Tokyo Disney Resort . Both serve as worldwide recognised icons for their respective theme parks. EXTERIOR Inspiration Cinderella Castle was inspired by several French castles, among them the at Disneyland was inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria . ]] 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. Special Decorations Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom has been temporarily re-decorated on a few occasions.
At night When the sun sets, the castle is illuminated in sixteen million colors, thanks to LED s 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 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). It now serves as dressing rooms for the entertainers performing in the shows at the Castle Forecourt Stage . 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 |
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