Imagine you have just arrived at Magic Kingdom Park and you have stepped onto the bustling town square of Main Street, U.S.A. In a blink of an eye, you are transformed back to yesteryear…a simpler time of gas lamps, horse drawn trolleys, and turn of the century architecture. You pause for a moment as you take in the sights and sounds around you. For most of us, it feels as if we have finally arrived home. The street curves around a town square park and continues up along the Main Street shops. Anticipation is growing as you search the top of the skyline for that iconic symbol of Disney World because at this moment you have yet to see the castle.

The wait is a short one…the junction where the streets reconnect, leading you down Main Street, U.S.A., offers a breathtaking view of Cinderella Castle. The castle is within sight and is only a short walking distance away but looks larger than life. In the eyes of children, they are in the presence of a real castle! For many, it is a dream come true. So how did Imagineers bring a fairy tale castle to life? 

Construction

• Completed in July of 1971, the Castle took a total of 18 months to build. 
• At 189 ft tall, Cinderella’s Castle is the second tallest castle out of the six castles in the Disney theme parks around the world.

• If it reached heights of 200 ft, the FAA would require an aircraft warning light to sit on top of the tallest spire.

Castle Exterior

• There are 27 different sized towers found on the castle. Originally, Imagineers designed 29 towers and to this day, the towers are named 1-29 but good luck

  

  finding tower 13 and 17 as they were scrapped pre-construction because they would be unable to be seen anywhere in the park and deemed pointless.

• For some reason, turrets that have since been added are not included in the tower numberings.
• Royal blue roofing and gold turrets adorn the castle.
• The moat around the castle holds a whopping 3.37 million gallons of water!

• Next to the castle, on the way to Tomorrowland, guests can

  

  find Cinderella’s wishing well nestled in a corner. The well depicts the scene in the movie when her mice friends attempt to make a dress for Cinderella, so she can attend the ball. A quiet place with benches to relax, this spot offers a picturesque view away from the crowds. In typical Disney magic making fashion, all coins collected from the well are given to charity.

Castle Interior

• Unlike the castle suite that is invite or giveaway winner only, Cinderella’s Royal Table, a fine signature/character dining experience can be visited by all. Just make sure you make a reservation, as this restaurant, is a popular choice by Disney Guests. Cinderella, Prince Charming and others interact with guests while dining for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
• The ground floor offers a walkway for all guests to enter Fantasyland. A brief walk along the drawbridge draws you into the interior walkway arch through the castle. This is a walk everyone should try at least once as the walls are covered with five intricate mosaic murals made up of 300,000 pieces of Italian glass and completed with real gold and silver laced throughout. The mural tells the story of Cinderella through 500 beautiful colors.

  

  A closer look at the evil step-sisters shows Drizella, green with envy and Anastasia, red with anger. This small detail is another example of how Imagineers transform the art of storytelling. The creation of these gorgeous murals was no small feat. It took two years, six craftsmen, and the hand cutting/shaping of each individual piece of glass. Each 15 ft high and 10 ft wide sections started as an enlarged drawing by Disney Legend, Dorthea Redmond, and covered with fabric netting. The artist, Hanns-Joachim Scharff, then hand placed and glued each individual piece of glass, silver and gold on top of the drawing. The mural was completed once each section was cemented into the walls

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Created on September 27, 2020 By offstagewdw

Cinderella Castle

1 / 3

The castle can be disassembled and moved in the event of a hurricane. 

True

Myth

Walt Disney World is smack dab in the middle of the state of Florida, a state susceptible to seasonal hurricanes. Imagineers developed a pretty cool way to protect the castles from the dangerous winds that are associated with a hurricane. While the castle may look to be made of brick & marble, it is actually constructed with an inner structure of steel surrounded with a 10-inch concrete wall. To attain the look of marble, Imagineers created a façade made of plaster and in some areas, such as the towers, fiberglass. This gives the castle the timeless elegance it deserves while protecting it against 110 miles per hour wind.

2 / 3

Like it's Sleeping Beauty counterpart, the Cinderella drawbridge can be raised and lowered. 

True

Myth

3 / 3

There is a suite inside the castle for guests to stay in. 

True

Myth

Walt wanted an apartment to be built inside the castle for his family to use. Even though he passed before construction began, Imagineers honored his request by leaving a space that could be made into an apartment. Originally, it was used for telephone operators and storage space. It wasn’t until recently that this wish was fulfilled when the space was made into a suite. Now used for giveaways, the suite is decorated and furnished to resemble a royal bedchamber. Guests will feel like a queen or king in this lavish sweet with a royal bedchamber, salon and bathroom.

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Cinderella Castle is a symbol of beauty, romance, and magic for those young and old. Here is a place fairy tales come alive and dreams come true. I hope on your next visit, you are able to stop and take a closer look at the intricate details found inside and around the castle.