Original
Sleeping Beauty Castle Makeover
SLEEPING
TO
BE THE CENTERPIECE OF �THE
HAPPIEST
HOMECOMING ON EARTH� CELEBRATION
To Receive Elegant
Overlay For Golden Anniversary
,
,
2004
its drawbridge first welcomed guests in 1955
at
has become
an international symbol of Disney magic �an adored Fantasyland landmark of
hopes and dreams, becoming one of the most photographed icons of the 20th
century. On May 5, 2005, as
Disneyland kicks-off its 50th anniversary �The Happiest Homecoming
on Earth� celebration, the park will officially unveil a whole new look for
Sleeping Beauty Castle; a transformation into a breathtaking centerpiece for
this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Gowned
in swaths of richly colored royal banners, bejeweled with precious stones,
trimmed in gold and topped by five regal turret �crowns,� representing each
Disneyland decade, Sleeping Beauty Castle will glow with magic as never before.
By day, this majestic showpiece will be the stage for numerous fanciful
celebratory moments.
�Sleeping
is the
crown jewel of
and it�s our desire to highlight it
with a new, regal d�cor treatment befitting such a milestone anniversary,�
said Kim Irvine-Allison, Art Director, Walt Disney Imagineering, who is
overseeing the Castle�s makeover. �We�re
not altering the castle, it will still be very recognizable, but we are
enhancing its look by adding a festive and elegant overlay that will dress the
Castle in even finer glory.�
As
night falls the Castle will be transformed into an animated, kaleidoscopic
canvas of ever-changing whimsical colors and charming imagery, creating an
all-new evening spectacle never before seen in a
. The
Castle will experience different looks and depictions throughout the evening,
beginning at dusk and extending through the new �Remember . . . Dreams Come
True� fireworks spectacular and then continuing until the close of the park.
�By using state-of-the-art, high powered and precise projection systems
we can turn the Castle to shimmering gold, make it appear to be wrapped with a
big bow or we
can have
animation of 101 Dalmatian puppies running across the face of the Castle,
leaving behind
their black spots on every tower and turret,� said Scott Givens, vice
president of entertainment, Disneyland Resort. �It
is simply going to be an amazing visual, an experience wholly unique to
.�
For
50 years
has stood
as the symbol of
and, in a larger context, a symbol of
�Disney� overall. Beginning with
the �
� TV
series in 1954,
has been
the gateway title graphic to various incarnations of the Disney anthology TV
series including the present �Wonderful World of Disney.� The
imagery of
is so
symbolic of Disney that it is also part of the logos for Walt Disney Home Video,
Walt Disney Pictures and the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts division of The
Walt Disney Company.
The
pinks and blues of the regal, Germanic-style castle (designed by Disney
Imagineer Herb Ryman and inspired, in part, by
in
) are a nod
to the princess for whom the castle is named. Sharp
eyes will notice such details as Walt Disney�s family crest above the
entrance, 22-karat gold-leafing adorning the spires, �squirrel� water spouts
inspired by Princess Aurora�s woodland friends and hand-rendered fresco
paintings depicting scenes from the Disney animated masterpiece Sleeping
Beauty (considered by many to be the most beautifully rendered of all Disney
animated films).
Sleeping
is more
akin to a real castle than any of its Disney counterparts around the world due
to its real functioning drawbridge (only utilized twice � on the opening day
of
and the
rededication of Fantasyland in 1983).
Another
notable difference between the castles is in regards to height and size.
Sleeping
Beauty Castle is significantly smaller (77 feet from moat to tallest tower) than its
sister castles because during its construction Walt Disney had recalled stories
concerning the building of European castles. Often,
the huge castles were built to intimidate the peasants. Walt
believed a smaller castle would appear friendlier and more appealing. So
as the other Disney castles may be spectacular in their height and scale, the
stature of
is charming
and elegant.
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