© vintagedapperday.com 2015 to Present
Cinderella’s Castle was completed in July 1971, after about 18 months of
construction. The castle is 183 feet (56 m) tall, as measured from water-level.
Most sources quote the height as six feet taller when measuring from the
concrete bottom of the moat, which itself is 6 feet (1.8 m) deep at the bridge.
Cinderella’s Castle is more than 100 feet (30 m) taller than the Sleeping Beauty
Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. A set-building trick known as forced
perspective makes the castle appear larger than it is. At higher elevations, its
proportions to full scale are reduced for elements such as stones, windows, and
doors. This castle was the largest Disney theme park castle until the completion
of the Enchanted Storybook Castle in Shanghai Disneyland Park.
Cinderella’s Castle is designed to reflect the late-Gothic, flamboyant style of
the 1400s. Unlike Disneyland's castle, no gold is used on the exterior; all gold
colors are anodized aluminum. Despite its appearance, no bricks were used in
its construction; the inner structure consists of six hundred tons of steel-braced
frame construction, with a 10-inch-thick (250 mm) reinforced concrete wall
encircling the structure to the full height of the outermost stone-like walls. All
of the steel and concrete works are supported on a concrete drilled caisson
foundation. Much less fiberglass is used than is popularly believed. Rather, most
of the exterior is a thick,
very hard fiber-reinforced gypsum plaster that is supported by light-gauge metal studs.
Most fiberglass work is reserved for the exterior walls of more ornate upper towers.
The roofs are not fiberglass, either. They are shingled in the same type of plastic that
computer monitor shells are made from, attached to a cone of light gauge steel
sheeting over the steel sub-frame. These towers were lifted by crane, then welded and
bolted permanently to the main structure. Contrary to a popular legend, the castle
cannot be taken apart or moved in any way in the event of a hurricane. It would take
months to disassemble, it would be too dangerous to operate the 300-foot (91 m) crane
required in windy conditions, and there would have to be a more structurally sound
building to keep it in. As with every other building at Walt Disney World, it was simply
efficient enough in design to handle a hurricane. It can easily withstand the 125 mph
(200 km/h) wind speeds in Central Florida.
Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney
World was inspired by a variety of real and fictional
palaces. These included Fontainebleau, Versailles and the
châteaux of Chenonceau, Pierrefonds, Chambord,
Chaumont and most obviously the Castle Neuschwanstein,
Bavaria. The chief designer of the castle, Herbert Ryman,
also referenced the original design for the castle in the
film Cinderella and his own well-known creation — the
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in California.
Ray and Joanie have been to Neuschwastein twice.
Neuschwanstein is not old. It was started in 1869.
Neuschwanstein Castle - English: “New Swanstone”
Southern Bavarian: The palace was commissioned by
Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and in honor of composer
Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his
personal fortune and by means of extensive borrowing,
rather than Bavarian public funds. The building design was
drafted by the stage designer Christian Jank in 1869 and
realized by the architect Eduard Riedel.
Fontainebleau
Chenonceau
Pierrefonds
Neuschwanstein, Bavaria
Christian Jank 1869 designer
Cinderella’s Castle is obviously the most photographed building in
the Magic Kingdom and provides beautiful pictures from every side.
It becomes the background for any number of pictures, including
those of family groups, vacation shots and of course the fireworks
at night. Many couples have used the castle as the backdrop for
their wedding proposal as well. The interior of the castle entrance
is lined with ornate mosaics on the walls and high archways that
resemble limestone or marble.
Ray and Joanie were privileged to receive an invitation for annual passholders to look tour the private sleeping quarters in the upper interior
of the castle. For years it was believed that there had been a private quarters built in the top of the castle for Walt Disney to occupy when
he was in the park. According to those who worked on the castle suite, the suite was never finished. Walt Disney died years before the park
opened. The Cinderella’s restaurant has always occupied a spot on one of the upper levels of the castle, but the part that is now the suite
had been used for many years as a storage and break room area only. In 2009, as a part of the Year of a Million Dreams theme for Walt
Disney World, it was decided that the castle storage area should become a suite to be used as one of the prizes given away daily. A family
was chosen at the beginning of the day and given the “royal treatment”, ending the day with a stay in the Cinderella suite. Guests were
escorted into a private doorway which led to a private elevator to the suite. The only access or exit was provided by a special cast member.
As you can imagine, because the suite is exclusive and one-of-a-kind, it is elaborate and lavishly decorated in the manor befitting the
castle. The entrance to the elevator is a small room with classic tables and tapestries and a clock that, of course, always shows
midnight. The walls are done in what looks to be fine sculpted marble and there is a subtle lighting to illuminate the area.
Once you exit the elevator, you are in a small foyer before being led into the actual suite. The room contains a beautiful floor
mosaic depicting the Cinderella coach. There is a small cabinet against one wall which contains the glass slipper, Cinderella’s crown
and a few other small items reminiscent of the story. The entrance door to the suite is a large carved door that is a dark brown
mahogany color. A very large chandelier with crystal and brass hung from the ceiling.
The suite consists of two king-sized canopy beds with carved headboards. There are small night stands beside each bed and a
large armoire which provided closet space for your stay. One night stand holds an old fashioned telephone for your convenience.
One bed also had a comfortable sized writing desk next to it if you want to write a postcard home, you would have a convenient
place to do it. The canopies are heavy tapestry cloth with large amounts of carved wood making the structure. Opposite the
beds was a large fireplace with what looked to be a painting above it. This painting actually turned into a television by use of a
remote control, so that you could watch tv from the bed.
Adjacent to the sleeping quarters is the bathroom. There were double hammered copper sinks, a good sized shower, a private
commode area, and a large jetted tub. The room came with monogrammed towels with the royal insignia on them. There was a
fancy filigree lighting fixture overhead, and sconces on the wall by the sinks.
To the other side of the bedroom was another doorway which led to a sapacious sitting room. The room was very light and had six
very large stained glass windows from which you could overlook part of the park below. The room included a sofa and a couple of
overstuffed chairs and another television. All of the fabrics and appointments in the room were heavy and rich and added to the
elegance of the suite. Tapestries lined most of the vacant spaces on the walls, consistent with what the castle would have had in
Cinderella’s time. The majority of the light came from the large windows and from wall sconces. The ceilings were all done in
ornate mosaics and carvings.
The door to enter the suite is in the hall as you walk through the center of the castle. After you get inside you see the elevator that takes
you up to the suite.
The elevator opens into the main foyer. The only windows are in the
entertainment center room and are of stained glass.
The TV looked like a painting and then it turns into
a TV.
Photo from online to show the full view of the sitting room
with a wide angle lens.
The wood carvings are all hand done. Check out the ceilings and
how they copied the European look. As is true of most Disney
rooms, the castle suite only sleeps 4 people.
The bathroom has that old European look
with the copper sinks and the old
faucets. You have a make-up table at the
end of the room.
Ray held one of the towels with the big C monogram for Cinderella on it. He said he had to get one
picture with something from the suite.
The foyer contained an Italian-stylized table with an ice
bucket and four goblets on a silver tray. The suite would
be ready for the guests’ comfort as soon as they arrived.
In the suite, beside one of the beds was a writing desk. Disney
furnished stationary and writing instruments with which you could
write a letter home. Above the desk was a showcase containing
fine porcelain and small paintings consistent with the decor of the
room
The ceiling of the sitting room had wooden detail, and was hand painted with designs in the
panels between the wood.
There were very elaborate ceiling lights in the bathroom, lighting
the main part of the room. There was also a carved wooden header
above the commode, draped with heavy fabric to add one more
elegant touch to the already elegant room.
The walls surrounding the jetted tub held mosaics showing the road to the castle and some scenery from
the surrounding countryside. There was also a niche with what looked like stained glass on one wall.
The shower contained a large rain shower
head and a hand-held shower head for
individual taste. The fixtures all looked
like antique brass and porcelain.
Tapestries pictures from nature and animals as well as a large
pumpkin, much like the pumpkin the fairy godmother used to make
Cinderella’s coach.
The dark wood walls contain the focal points of very
detailed tapestries hinting at some of the scenes from the
Cinderella movie.
When the Year of a Million Dreams ended, it had been rumored that the suite would then be used to house guests from the Make A Wish
foundation. We don’t know whether the suite was ever put to use for that purpose. We know that several millionaires had requested to
stay in the suite and would pay whatever Disney wanted, but as far as we know, those requests were all denied. At this time we do not
know if the suite has ever been used after the original year that it was opened.
© vintagedapperday.com 2015 to Present
Cinderella Castle was completed in July 1971, after about 18 months of
construction. The castle is 183
feet (56 m) tall, as measured
from water-level. Most sources
quote the height as six feet
taller when measuring from the
concrete bottom of the moat,
which itself is 6 feet (1.8 m)
deep at the bridge. Cinderella
Castle is more than 100 feet (30
m) taller than Sleeping Beauty
Castle at Disneyland in
Anaheim, California. A set-
building trick known as forced perspective makes the castle appear larger
than it is. At higher elevations, its proportions to full scale are reduced for
elements such as stones, windows, and doors. This castle was the largest
Disney theme park castle until the completion of the Enchanted Storybook
Castle in Shanghai Disneyland Park.
Cinderella Castle is designed to reflect the late-Gothic, flamboyant style
of the 1400s. Unlike Disneyland's castle, no gold is used on the exterior;
all gold colors are anodized aluminum. Despite its appearance, no bricks
were used in its construction; the inner structure consists of six hundred
tons of steel-braced frame construction, with a 10-inch-thick (250 mm)
reinforced concrete wall encircling the structure to the full height of the
outermost stone-like
walls. All of the steel
and concrete works
are supported on a
concrete drilled
caisson foundation.
Much less fiberglass is
used than is popularly
believed. Rather,
most of the exterior
is a thick, very hard
fiber-reinforced
gypsum plaster that is
supported by light-
gauge metal studs.
Most fiberglass work
is reserved for the exterior walls of more ornate upper towers. The roofs
are not fiberglass, either. They are shingled in the same type of plastic
that computer monitor shells are made from, attached to a cone of light
gauge steel sheeting over the steel sub-frame. These towers were lifted
by crane, then welded and bolted permanently to the main structure.
Contrary to a popular legend, the castle cannot be taken apart or moved
in any way in the event of a hurricane. It would take months to
disassemble, it would be too dangerous to operate the 300-foot (91 m)
crane required in windy conditions, and there would have to be a more
structurally sound building to keep it in. As with every other building at
Walt Disney World, it was simply efficient enough in design to handle a
hurricane. It can easily withstand the 125 mph (200 km/h) wind speeds in
Central Florida.
Cinderella Castle was inspired by
a variety of real and fictional
palaces. These included
Fontainebleau, Versailles and the
châteaux of Chenonceau,
Pierrefonds, Chambord, Chaumont
and most obviously the Castle
Neuschwanstein, Bavaria. The chief designer of the castle, Herbert Ryman,
also referenced the original design for the castle in the film Cinderella and
his own well-known creation — the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in
California.
Ray and Joanie have been to Neuschwastein twice. Neuschwanstein is not
old. It was started in 1869.
Neuschwanstein Castle - English: “New Swanstone” Southern Bavarian: The
palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and in honour
of Richard Wagner. Ludwig paid for the palace out of his personal fortune
and by means of extensive borrowing, rather than Bavarian public funds.
The building design was drafted by the stage designer Christian Jank in 1869
and realized by the architect Eduard Riedel.
Fontainebleau
Chenonceau
Pierrefonds
Neuschwanstein, Bavaria
Christian Jank 1869 designer
Cinderella’s Castle is obviously the most photographed building in
the Magic Kingdom and provides beautiful pictures from every side.
It becomes the background for any number of pictures, including
those of family groups, vacation shots and of course the fireworks
at night. Many couples have used the castle as the backdrop for
their wedding proposal as well. The interior of the castle entrance
is lined with ornate mosaics on the walls and high archways that
resemble limestone or marble.
Ray and Joanie were privileged to receive an invitation for annual
passholders to look tour the private sleeping quarters in the upper
interior of the castle. For years it was believed that there had been a
private quarters built in the top of the castle for Walt Disney to occupy
when he was in the park. According to those who worked on the castle
suite, the suite was never finished. Walt Disney died years before the
park opened. The Cinderella’s restaurant has always occupied a spot
on one of the upper levels of the castle, but the part that is now the
suite had been used for many years as a storage and break room area
only. In 2009, as a part of the Year of a Million Dreams theme for Walt
Disney World, it was decided that the castle storage area should
become a suite to be used as one of the prizes given away daily. A
family was chosen at the beginning of the day and given the “royal
treatment”, ending the day with a stay in the Cinderella suite. Guests
were escorted into a private doorway which led to a private elevator
to the suite. The only access or exit was provided by a special cast
member.
The elevator opens into the main foyer. The only windows are in the
entertainment center room and are of stained glass.
The door to enter the suite is in the hall as you walk through the
center of the castle. After you get inside you see the elevator that
takes you up to the suite.
Tapestries contain pictures from nature and animals as well as a
large pumpkin, much like the pumpkin the fairy godmother used to
make Cinderella’s coach.
As you can imagine, because the suite is exclusive and one-of-a-
kind, it is elaborate and lavishly decorated in the manor befitting
the castle. The entrance to the elevator is a small room with classic
tables and tapestries and a clock that, of course, always shows
midnight. The walls are done in what looks to be fine sculpted
marble and there is a subtle lighting to illuminate the area.
Once you exit the elevator, you are in a small foyer before being led
into the actual suite. The room contains a beautiful floor mosaic
depicting the Cinderella coach. There is a small cabinet against one
wall which contains the glass slipper, Cinderella’s crown and a few
other small items reminiscent of the story. The entrance door to the
suite is a large carved door that is a dark brown mahogany color. A
very large chandelier with crystal and brass hung from the ceiling.
The suite consists of two king-sized canopy beds with carved
headboards. There are small night stands beside each bed and a
large armoire which provided closet space for your stay. One night
stand holds an old fashioned telephone for your convenience. One
bed also had a comfortable sized writing desk next to it if you want
to write a postcard home, you would have a convenient place to do
it. The canopies are heavy tapestry cloth with large amounts of
carved wood making the structure. Opposite the beds was a large
fireplace with what looked to be a painting above it. This painting
actually turned into a television by use of a remote control, so that
you could watch tv from the bed.
Adjacent to the sleeping quarters is the bathroom. There were
double hammered copper sinks, a good sized shower, a private
commode area, and a large jetted tub. The room came with
monogrammed towels with the royal insignia on them. There was a
fancy filigree lighting fixture overhead, and sconces on the wall by
the sinks.
To the other side of the bedroom was another doorway which led to a
sapacious sitting room. The room was very light and had six very
large stained glass windows from which you could overlook part of
the park below. The room included a sofa and a couple of
overstuffed chairs and another television. All of the fabrics and
appointments in the room were heavy and rich and added to the
elegance of the suite. Tapestries lined most of the vacant spaces on
the walls, consistent with what the castle would have had in
Cinderella’s time. The majority of the light came from the large
windows and from wall sconces. The ceilings were all done in ornate
mosaics and carvings.
When the Year of a Million Dreams ended, it had been rumored that
the suite would then be used to house guests from the Make A Wish
foundation. We don’t know whether the suite was ever put to use for
that purpose. We know that several millionaires had requested to stay
in the suite and would pay whatever Disney wanted, but as far as we
know, those requests were all denied. At this time we do not know if
the suite has ever been used after the original year that it was
opened.
The wood carvings are all hand done. Check out the ceilings and how
they copied the European look. As is true of most Disney rooms, the
castle suite only sleeps 4 people.
The TV looked like a painting
and then it turns into a TV.
Photo from online to show the full view of the sitting room
with a wide angle lens.
The ceiling of the sitting room had wooden detail, and was hand
painted with designs in the panels between the wood.
The foyer contained an Italian-stylized
table with an ice bucket and four goblets
on a silver tray. The suite would be
ready for the guests’ comfort as soon as
they arrived.
In the suite, beside one of the beds
was a writing desk. Disney
furnished stationary and writing
instruments with which you could
write a letter home. Above the
desk was a showcase containing fine
porcelain and small paintings
consistent with the decor of the
room
There were very elaborate ceiling lights in the bathroom, lighting
the main part of the room. There was also a carved wooden
header above the commode, draped with heavy fabric to add one
more elegant touch to the already elegant room.
The bathroom has that old European look with the copper sinks
and the old faucets. You have a make-up table at the end of the
room.
Ray held one of the towels with the big C monogram for Cinderella on
it. He said he had to get one picture with something from the suite.
The walls surrounding the jetted tub held mosaics showing the road to
the castle and some scenery from the surrounding countryside. There
was also a niche with what looked like stained glass on one wall.
The shower contained a large rain
shower head and a hand-held
shower head for individual taste.
The fixtures all looked like antique
brass and porcelain.
The dark wood walls contain the focal points of very detailed
tapestries hinting at some of the scenes from the Cinderella
movie.
