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It's The Castle That Defines The Company

A look at the iconic castle that lies in the heart of Magic Kingdom in Disney world, detailing the history and influences of the castle and what there is inside of it. Also stating how this castle is iconic to the degree that it has become a company logo.

By: Thomas Whitehead
Category: Travel
Posted: Nov 25, 2010
Updated: Nov 25, 2010
Views: 81


Not many people realise that the castle located in Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld is based upon the one that features in one of their popular animated films. It is the castle from the film Cinderella. Yes one of the overlooked things in this legendary film has a homage to it. People all year round visit Orlando staying in Disneyworld vacation homes just to get a good look at it.

This is a castle that took inspiration from real castles such as the Fontainebleau, Versailles and the chateaus of Chenonceau, Chambord and Chaumont, as well as Castle Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, and Alcázar of Segovia, Castile and León. All of these castles have been around for a long time with the latter being over 9 centuries old. The chief designer, Herbert Ryman also looked at the sleeping beauty castle at the California, as this castle was opened in 1955.

The construction for the Cinderella lasted 18 months and the end result saw the that height of the castle is a staggering 190 feet. This is over double the height of the Sleeping Beauty castle in California and almost 30 feet higher than the castle at Disneyland Paris. The thing about the castle that makes it seem bigger than it is, is by a special optical illusion. Also just like the Cinderella castle in the film it does have a moat which hold roughly 3.37 million gallons of water but it cannot raise its drawbridge which is something the Sleeping Beauty Castle can do. There are 27 towers on the castle and each of them bar two have numbers on them denoting what number they are. The towers 13 and 17 were put on because there isn't anywhere in the park that you could see them from

There is the common perception that you can't enter the castle, that it for show but that is wrong. A suite was being built at the top the family and some of the top executives. But this vision wouldn't come through as Walt Disney died five years before the park was opening and it wasn't seen through but rather turned into an office.

There are three lifts inside the castle and only one of them is guest use while the other two are used by the staff that work in the castles. Although there was a planned suite that didn't come to fruition there is the Cinderella suite which has been used for guests to stay but only as a prize during the Year of a Million Dreams Celebration. This saw guests getting the opportunity to spend a night in the castle, this was done by a random chance of the guests being approached by a Disney cast member and being told they have won. There is also a restaurant inside where you will be visited by a few of the Disney Princesses and can take a picture with them. There is also the beautiful interior to marvel at such as specially crafted mosaics and 14 carat gold tiles. It is said that the mosaic mural contains over 500 different colours.

The Disney castles themselves have become icons and official logos for the company as they are linked instantly with the Disney brand. If you watch a Disney film one of the first things you will see is one of the castles in some shape or form for example in PIXAR films they have animated the Sleeping Beauty castle for in true 3D glory with fireworks in the background and the castle gates opening. Also they as logos for the companies Subsidiary companies such as the Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Television and Disney Music Group.

This is one of the centre pieces of not only Magic Kingdom but the whole Disney corporation this castle along with the Sleeping Beauty castle stand alongside Mickey mouse as terms of recognition and are just one of the reasons why the company has an extravagant and prestigious image.



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