Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant
Encyclopedia
Le château de la belle au bois dormant ("Sleeping Beauty Castle
") is a structure that stands at the centre of the Disneyland Park
at Disneyland Paris and is a continuation of a concept first seen at Disneyland in California
.
The Castle features two parts, a dungeon type area in the base featuring a Audio-Animatronic dragon
, and above, a concrete balcony walkthrough area with Sleeping Beauty stained glass
windows and tapestries. There are also several shops selling glass figures, ornaments and gifts.
Since Europe
is home to the castles that inspired the structures at Disney's first three parks, Imagineering reconsidered what kind of edifice would stand at the hub of its first European theme park
.
Many different concepts were created and considered, ranging from slightly modified versions of Disney's existing castles to radically new structures to stand instead in the castle's place. The team eventually settled on Imagineer Tom Morris' approach to the established Disney castle. Inspirations cited by Imagineering include illustrations from the book of hours
Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry and the Mont Saint-Michel
monastery in Normandy
. (As Charles Perrault
had not detailed the castle in his 1697 fairy tale
, Imagineering had few restrictions regarding its physical appearance. However, Walt
Disney Pictures's own 1959 film Sleeping Beauty
provided the inspiration for, among other things, Le Châteaus surrounding square trees.)
The realisation of the stained glass windows in London was overseen by Peter Chapman, who had previously worked on the restoration of Notre Dame de Paris
.
Finished in 1992, Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant stands 50 metres (164 ft).
The castle
is home to a dragon
, which at 27 metres (88.6 ft) from head to tail was the largest Animatronic figure ever built when the park opened in April 1992. The building also contains la Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant, a gallery of displays which illustrate the story of Sleeping Beauty in tapestries, stained glass windows and figures; la Boutique du Château, a shop selling Christmas
ornaments year-round; and Merlin l'Enchanteur, a shop specialising in handmade glass figures.
The castle has received several overlays throughout the years. First was the 1st Anniversary in 1993. During this celebration, the castle was dressed up as a cake complete with strawberries, icing and candles. This overlay was removed after the celebration ended. The cake overlay was later copied by Walt Disney World's Cinderella Castle in 1996 for the 25th Anniversary of the resort. This cake overlay was different from Disney Paris's overlay, but is of the same concept. The cake overlay for Cinderella Castle was removed in January 1998. In 1997 was the 5th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris. During this celebration, Sleeping Beauty's castle was dressed up in carnival masks, jester hats, frills and bells to promote the animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This overlay lasted until the beginning of 1998.
In 2002 was the 10th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris. For this celebration, the overlay was quite basic compared to the previous ones. The front of the castle was fitted with a golden scroll displaying a large 10. Also, the celebration saw the opening of Walt Disney Studios next door. The scroll and other Anniversary material in the park was removed in 2003.
In 2007, the castle received another overlay, celebrating the 15th Anniversary which started in 2007. It featured golden Disney characters displayed on the turrets and spires, each holding a candle, and Tinkerbell on the highest spire—the candles were 'lit' each night during a special 'Candlebration' ceremony which took place on a raised temporary stage at Central Plaza, in front of the Castle. A huge illuminated gold plaque featuring a large '15' was hung on the front of the Castle. This echoed the overlay that was featured for the 10th Anniversary in 2002. The 15th Anniversary and the 'Candlebration' ceremony finally ended after an extended stay on 7 March 2009.
The 15th overlay was to be shortly followed on 4 April 2009 by Mickey's Magical Party, a "theme year" celebration held at the park. The castle was once again overlaid with a Mickey and Friends plaque over the main window, and the spire heads were changed from being characters to being 3 circles "of ribbon" representing Mickey Mouse. A more permanent Central Plaza stage was built outside the castle to host the "It's dance time... with Mickey and Friends" show, which also puts into doubt the future use of the Royal Castle Stage. Mickey's Magical Party is due to end on March 7th and be replaced by Disney's New Generation Festival (that starts on April 2), continuing the recent usage of "theme years" that the resort has begun to favour. Although the use of the Central Plaza stage has been extended for another year, no overlay has been announced for the castle.
the castle was adapted into the game's starting and finishing level, Dark Beauty Castle. This version contained elements of the various Disney castles and even had statues resembling Disney characters.
Sleeping Beauty Castle
Sleeping Beauty Castle is the fairy tale structure castle at the center of Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. It is based on the late-19th century Neuschwanstein Castle,with some French inspirations .-Disneyland version:Opened July 17, 1955, the castle is the oldest of all Disney castles...
") is a structure that stands at the centre of the Disneyland Park
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Disneyland Park is a theme park at Disneyland Paris, a resort complex just outside of Paris, in the new town of Marne-la-Vallée, France. The first of two parks built at the resort, it opened as Euro Disneyland on 12 April, 1992...
at Disneyland Paris and is a continuation of a concept first seen at Disneyland in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The Castle features two parts, a dungeon type area in the base featuring a Audio-Animatronic dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
, and above, a concrete balcony walkthrough area with Sleeping Beauty stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows and tapestries. There are also several shops selling glass figures, ornaments and gifts.
History
- "Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland was inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle in Southern Germany. This European influence was fine for building a castle in Anaheim, but the fact that castles exist just down the road from Disneyland Paris challenged us to think twice about our design." —Tony Baxter, executive designer Walt Disney ImagineeringWalt Disney ImagineeringWalt Disney Imagineering is the design and development arm of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation and construction of Disney theme parks worldwide...
Since Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
is home to the castles that inspired the structures at Disney's first three parks, Imagineering reconsidered what kind of edifice would stand at the hub of its first European theme park
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Disneyland Park is a theme park at Disneyland Paris, a resort complex just outside of Paris, in the new town of Marne-la-Vallée, France. The first of two parks built at the resort, it opened as Euro Disneyland on 12 April, 1992...
.
Many different concepts were created and considered, ranging from slightly modified versions of Disney's existing castles to radically new structures to stand instead in the castle's place. The team eventually settled on Imagineer Tom Morris' approach to the established Disney castle. Inspirations cited by Imagineering include illustrations from the book of hours
Book of Hours
The book of hours was a devotional book popular in the later Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Like every manuscript, each manuscript book of hours is unique in one way or another, but most contain a similar collection of texts, prayers and...
Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry and the Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches...
monastery in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. (As Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
had not detailed the castle in his 1697 fairy tale
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
, Imagineering had few restrictions regarding its physical appearance. However, Walt
Disney Pictures's own 1959 film Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)
Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the fairy tale "La Belle au bois dormant" by Charles Perrault...
provided the inspiration for, among other things, Le Châteaus surrounding square trees.)
The realisation of the stained glass windows in London was overseen by Peter Chapman, who had previously worked on the restoration of Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
.
Finished in 1992, Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant stands 50 metres (164 ft).
The castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
is home to a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
, which at 27 metres (88.6 ft) from head to tail was the largest Animatronic figure ever built when the park opened in April 1992. The building also contains la Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant, a gallery of displays which illustrate the story of Sleeping Beauty in tapestries, stained glass windows and figures; la Boutique du Château, a shop selling Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
ornaments year-round; and Merlin l'Enchanteur, a shop specialising in handmade glass figures.
The castle has received several overlays throughout the years. First was the 1st Anniversary in 1993. During this celebration, the castle was dressed up as a cake complete with strawberries, icing and candles. This overlay was removed after the celebration ended. The cake overlay was later copied by Walt Disney World's Cinderella Castle in 1996 for the 25th Anniversary of the resort. This cake overlay was different from Disney Paris's overlay, but is of the same concept. The cake overlay for Cinderella Castle was removed in January 1998. In 1997 was the 5th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris. During this celebration, Sleeping Beauty's castle was dressed up in carnival masks, jester hats, frills and bells to promote the animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This overlay lasted until the beginning of 1998.
In 2002 was the 10th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris. For this celebration, the overlay was quite basic compared to the previous ones. The front of the castle was fitted with a golden scroll displaying a large 10. Also, the celebration saw the opening of Walt Disney Studios next door. The scroll and other Anniversary material in the park was removed in 2003.
In 2007, the castle received another overlay, celebrating the 15th Anniversary which started in 2007. It featured golden Disney characters displayed on the turrets and spires, each holding a candle, and Tinkerbell on the highest spire—the candles were 'lit' each night during a special 'Candlebration' ceremony which took place on a raised temporary stage at Central Plaza, in front of the Castle. A huge illuminated gold plaque featuring a large '15' was hung on the front of the Castle. This echoed the overlay that was featured for the 10th Anniversary in 2002. The 15th Anniversary and the 'Candlebration' ceremony finally ended after an extended stay on 7 March 2009.
The 15th overlay was to be shortly followed on 4 April 2009 by Mickey's Magical Party, a "theme year" celebration held at the park. The castle was once again overlaid with a Mickey and Friends plaque over the main window, and the spire heads were changed from being characters to being 3 circles "of ribbon" representing Mickey Mouse. A more permanent Central Plaza stage was built outside the castle to host the "It's dance time... with Mickey and Friends" show, which also puts into doubt the future use of the Royal Castle Stage. Mickey's Magical Party is due to end on March 7th and be replaced by Disney's New Generation Festival (that starts on April 2), continuing the recent usage of "theme years" that the resort has begun to favour. Although the use of the Central Plaza stage has been extended for another year, no overlay has been announced for the castle.
Popular culture
In Epic MickeyEpic Mickey
Epic Mickey is a 2010 Mickey Mouse action-adventure platforming video game designed by Warren Spector and developed by Junction Point Studios for the Wii console...
the castle was adapted into the game's starting and finishing level, Dark Beauty Castle. This version contained elements of the various Disney castles and even had statues resembling Disney characters.
Photo Pages
- Photos Magiques - Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant / La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant / La Tanière du Dragon / La Boutique du Château / Merlin l'Enchanteur / La Confiserie des Trois Fées