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Location: Entrance to Fantasyland in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park

Opening Date: October 1, 1971

Castle Height: 189 feet (tallest structure in the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park)

Construction: Cinderella Castle took approximately 18 months to build and was completed in July, 1971. The castle is made of concrete, steel, cement, plaster, and fiberglass. No bricks were used in the construction.

The inner castle is structural steel covered with fiberglass.
The foundation is concrete filled with foam for weight conservation
Description: Cinderella Castle is the world renowned magical icon of the MAGIC KINGDOM® Park, as well as serving as the inspirational symbol for the entire WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. It represents a romantic conception of a French palace-fortress.


While the base of the castle resembles a medieval fortress typifying the Romanesque architecture and castles of the 11th through 13th centuries, the upper portion of the castle reflects the stately Gothic forms that were prominent in later centuries.

As one glances toward the towers and turrets stretching upward, Cinderella Castle symbolizes the evolution from fortress to Renaissance palace.

The castle is painted in traditional colors of grey, blue, and gold.

For inspiration, WDI researchers turned to the famous palaces of Charles Perrault's France, still showplaces of Europe. Their design took the form of a romanticized composite of such courts as Fontainebleau, Versailles, and a dozen famed chateaux of the Loire Valley.

- Charles Perrault was the French writer who is best known for his book of fairy tales collected more

than 300 years ago, including the original story of "Cinderella" ("The Glass Slipper").
POINTS OF INTEREST:

Apartment: The area located just above Cinderella's Royal Table restaurant inside the castle was originally intended to serve as an apartment for Roy Disney Sr. and his family while staying at the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. With the advent of Roy's death in 1971, the apartment was never built. Instead this area first served as the operations unit for Vista United Telecommunications (WALT DISNEY WORLD® switchboard operators). At the present time, it serves as the dressing rooms for the entertainers performing in the shows at the Castle Forecourt Stage.

Castle Cake: In honor of celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort, Cinderella Castle was transformed into a giant castle cake. It was designed by Walt Disney World Entertainment, and the architectural details were carried out by Walt Disney Imagineering. The castle cake served as a centerpiece for the daily 25th Anniversary celebrations for 15 months, beginning on October1, 1996 and continuing through January 31, 1998. At the conclusion of the 25th Anniversary Celebration, Cinderella Castle was transformed back to its original traditional blue-and-gold-spired, storybook splendor.


Decorations covering the castle cake included the following: more than 400 gallons of pink paint that covered many flat portions of the castle, including sprinkles that were painted purple, blue, yellow, pink, green, orange, and red; 26 candles, that were 20 to 40 feet tall; green candy stars, gum drops, Life Savers, lollipops, gum balls, and red candy hearts all made of foam; and more than 1000 feet of pink and blue inflatable "icing."
Castles Around the World
The castle icon exists at all four Disney theme parks worldwide The MAGIC KINGDOM® Park at the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort Cinderella Castle - 189'
DISNEYLAND® Park Sleeping Beauty Castle - 67'
TOKYO DISNEYLAND Park Cinderella Castle - 189'
DISNEYLAND® Resort Paris Theme Park Sleeping Beauty Castle (Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant)


Cinderella's Royal Table: A circular stairwell or a themed elevator will transport guests to Cinderella's Royal Table, the elegant restaurant located on the second level of the castle. Guests dine here and are treated like royalty. Hosts and Hostesses address the younger Guests as "princes" or "princesses," while adult Guests are addressed as "lords" or "ladies."

King Stefan's Banquet Hall: Prior to April 28, 1997, Cinderella's Royal Table was called King Stefan's Banquet Hall.

The castle restaurant opened with Cinderella Castle on October 1, 1971.

The castle restaurant was originally named after King Stefan, Sleeping Beauty's father in the fairy tale and animated feature film "Sleeping Beauty." Since there were no well-known characters from "Cinderella" that met the criteria, the Walt Disney Imagineers chose the name King Stefan's Banquet Hall to give the restaurant a regal name, thereby making use of creative license.
Coats of Arms: There are more than forty coats of arms on display inside Cinderella's Royal Table, located on the second level of the castle. Each coat of arms refers to someone who has played a significant role in the heritage and history of the Walt Disney Company.

Below is a selected list of noteworthy people whose family names are represented:


Roger Broggie, Sr.

Marc Davis

Roy Disney, Sr.

John Hench

Diane D. Miller

Dick Nunis

Marty Sklar


Columns: The columns situated in the walkways that curve around either side of the forecourt to Cinderella Castle are decorated with mice and birds from the Disney animated feature film "Cinderella."

These characters were sculpted by Blaine Gibson, who also sculpted the "Partners" Statue on Main Street, U.S.A. and the Cinderella Wishing Well Statue located on the walkway between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
Gargoyles: 13 Gargoyles appear on the outside of the castle

Hidden Mickeys: It has often been thought that the carved railings leading up to Cinderella castle feature upside-down Hidden Mickey Mouse designs. It has also been rumored that the shadows cast by these same carved railings create Hidden Mickey Mouse designs. Neither one of these theories is true. The three-circle design that can be seen on the railing is actually an architectural ornament known as a trefoil (pronounced tree-foyl). Trefoils were often seen in the architecture of this time period.

Hurricane Myth: The castle cannot be dismantled in the event of a hurricane. The main building has an internal grid of steel framing, 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. The castle can withstand hurricane winds of at least 90 miles per hour.

Moat: There are approximately 3.37 million gallons of water in the moat that surrounds the castle.

Mosaic Mural: Inside the main hall, the tale of "Cinderella" is displayed on five glittering mosaic murals, with each ornate panel in the shape of a Gothic arch 15 feet high and 10 feet wide.

The mosaic was designed by Disney artist Dorothea Redmond at WDI and created and crafted by a team led by the world-famed mosaicist Hanns-Joachim Scharff.
- Both Dorothea Redmond and Hanns-Joachim Scharff are given credit on the mural.

The five murals contain hundreds of thousands of pieces of glass, many of them fused with silver and 14-carat gold.
- Smooth-faced Venetian glass and rough-surfaced smalti (enameled or glazed glass)

traditionally used by Italian craftsman were incorporated into the design.

More than 500 colors were used to create the murals
- 400 "regular colors" and an additional 100 used as "accent colors."

A team of six people took more than two years to complete the murals.

After careful observation, Guests can see that each of Cinderella's stepsisters appears with her own special facial tint. One sister displays a red tint to show that she is "red with rage," while the other sister displays a green tint to show that she is "green with envy," as they both watch Cinderella try on the glass slipper to reveal a perfect fit.
Portcullis: A decorative portcullis (iron grating suspended by chains hung over a gateway of a fortified place, normally used to prevent passage) that is permanently raised is located above the gateway to the main hall.

Tinker Bell's Flight: Tinker Bell embarked upon her first flight from Cinderella Castle on July 4, 1985.


Tinker Bell "flies" 750 feet, averaging 15 miles per hour and taking approximately 34 seconds for the trip.
Towers & Spires: There are 18 towers with their corresponding spires on Cinderella Castle. They were pre-fabricated near the site, then slated, gilded, and hoisted into place.


10 towers/spires rise up to approximately 90 feet in height above the castle keep.
8 towers/spires are located at the keep level and below
3 of the spires are gold in color and the remaining spires are blue in color.