Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle is the iconic fairy-tale fortress that serves as the gateway to Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom theme park. It is not only one of the central icons of Walt Disney World Resort, but its romantic beauty has also come to represent all of the Walt Disney Company.

The castle is located in the heart of Magic Kingdom theme park-just above the central hub of the Park. Many Guests catch their first glimpse of the castle from Main Street, U.S.A. When you first see the soaring spires, ornate turrets and shimmering moat, you know you've left the world of today and entered a magical new land full of fun and fantasy.

While it may be initially startling to see a medieval castle rising 190 feet into the sky at the end of a street right out of classic small-town America, the dream-like magic of the contrasting images captures the promise of the enchanted adventures awaiting you.

Step inside Cinderella Castle, and it's like you're walking into a fairy tale come true. The castle is as beautiful inside as it is on the outside. Inspect an amazingly detailed mosaic mural-including tiles made of real 14-karat gold-and enjoy vignettes from the 1950 Disney animated classic, Cinderella. The mural contains one million pieces of glass in approximately 500 different colors.

Touring Tips

• If you've ever wanted to end the perfect day with the perfect final vision of fireworks exploding above Cinderella Castle, be sure to ask for a Disney Resort Hotel room with a view of the castle when making your reservations.
• Don't miss Tinker Bell's nightly "flight" from the Castle down toward Tomorrowland to kick off the evening's fireworks display. Tinker Bell flies 750 feet, averaging 15 miles per hour. It takes approximately 34 seconds for the trip.
• A circular stairwell or a themed elevator takes you to the second floor of the Castle so you can dine at Cinderella's Royal Table for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Younger guests are treated like royalty, called "princes" or "princesses," while adult guests are addressed as "lords" or "ladies." You might need to make reservations months in advance.

Facts

• A variety of real and fictional castles served as inspiration for Cinderella Castle-including Fontainebleau, Versailles and the chateaus of Chenonceau, Chambord and Chaumont.
• Measuring 189 feet high, the castle is the tallest structure in the Magic Kingdom.
• Guests had an opportunity to spend a night in the castle if they win the Giveaway. Guests could be approached by a Disney cast member at any time in one of the four theme parks and be informed that they won the prize. The chance to stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite was just one of the many prizes.
• 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.
• When the sun sets, the castle is illuminated in 16.7 million lights. The castle itself plays a role in the Magic Kingdom's fireworks show, Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams, in which it changes color in synchronization with the dramatic music of the display.
• Inside the upper levels of Cinderella Castle, there is a suite that was intended to be an apartment for Walt Disney and his family when they were in Florida. After Walt died in 1966, the apartment was left unfinished.

History

Cinderella Castle opened when the Magic Kingdom debuted on October 1, 1971. Painted in grey, blue, and gold, the Castle represents the Walt Disney Imagineers' concept of a French palace-fortress. The base of the Castle is medieval in nature, while the turrets and graceful spires on the the upper level represent the architecture of a more Gothic era.

The Castle was completed in July 1971, after about 18 months of construction. No bricks were used, and, contrary to a popular legend, the Castle can not be taken apart in the event of a hurricane. It was, however, built to withstand hurricane winds of at least 90 miles per hour. The inner structure is steel covered with fiberglass, 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.

Hidden Mickeys

• Looking at the castle from Main Street, there is a Hidden Mickey. It is in the main part of the castle, left of the tower, above the two windows and is upside down.
• While walking near the Castle, look at the lights, there is one light that has three circular lamps on it. At night these form a shadow of (or light up) a Mickey on the pavement below.
• The trim is actually many upside-down Mickey heads, But, if the sun is shining and you look on the pavement the Mickeys will be right side up.
• On Cinderella's castle, there are little "balconies", like the one that Tinkerbell flies from during the fire works. The front part of each balcony (that if someone was standing on it, and we were looking up at them, their legs would be covered by this part), has upside-down Mickey heads cut out of the stone.
• Just outside of the Castle, there is a Little Mermaid display in a store window. The bubbles that are in this display are in the old familiar shape.