Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant |
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| Attraction type | Walkthrough | ||||||||||
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering | ||||||||||
| Theme | Sleeping Beauty | ||||||||||
| Height | 50.9 m (167 ft) | ||||||||||
| Audio-Animatronics | 1 | ||||||||||
 Wheelchair accessible |
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Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant (which means "The Castle of Sleeping Beauty" in French) is the famous fairy tale castle at the heart of Disneyland Park. It's like a magical centerpiece for the park. This castle is a bit like the first Sleeping Beauty Castle found at Disneyland in California, but it has its own special touches.
The castle has two main parts. In its base, there's a dungeon area where you can find an Audio-Animatronic dragon. Above that, there's a concrete balcony where you can walk through. This area features beautiful stained glass windows and tapestries that tell the story of Sleeping Beauty. You can also find several shops inside the castle that sell glass figures, ornaments, and other gifts.
Contents
Designing the Castle
A Unique European Castle
The castles at Disney's first three parks were inspired by real castles in Europe. But for Disneyland Paris, which is already in Europe, the designers had to think differently. They wanted to create a castle that felt special and unique, even with so many real castles nearby.
Many ideas were considered for the new castle. Some were similar to the existing Disney castles, while others were completely new designs. For example, they thought about building a tower that looked like something from Discoveryland.
Inspirations for the Design
Eventually, the team decided on a design by Imagineer Tom Morris. He took inspiration from old European art. This included pictures from a famous medieval book called Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. The Mont Saint-Michel monastery in France also helped inspire the castle's look.
The original fairy tale by Charles Perrault didn't describe the castle in detail. This gave the designers a lot of freedom. However, Walt Disney's 1959 film Sleeping Beauty did inspire some parts, like the unique square-shaped trees around the castle.
The beautiful stained glass windows you see in Sleeping Beauty's Gallery were made in London. Peter Chapman, who had helped restore the famous Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, oversaw their creation. The castle was finished in 1992, just in time for the park's opening on April 12. It stands about 50 meters (167 feet) tall.
Inside the Castle
The Dragon's Lair
One of the most exciting parts of the castle is the dragon that lives inside. This Audio-Animatronic dragon is about 27 meters (88 feet) long from head to tail. When the park opened in 1992, it was the largest animatronic figure ever built!
You can visit the dragon in an area called La Tanière du Dragon. It's a dimly lit cave where the huge dragon usually sleeps quietly. But sometimes, it wakes up, lets out a growl, and even puffs smoke!
Sleeping Beauty's Gallery and Shops
The castle also has a gallery called La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant. Here, you can see displays that tell the story of Sleeping Beauty. These displays include beautiful tapestries, stained glass windows, and figures.
On the ground floor, there are two shops. La Boutique du Château sells Christmas ornaments all year round. The other shop, Merlin l'Enchanteur, specializes in handmade glass figures.
Castle Makeovers Over the Years
Early Anniversaries
The castle has had several special makeovers for different celebrations. For the park's first anniversary in 1993, the castle was decorated to look like a giant cake. It had strawberries, icing, and candles! This cake look was removed after the celebration. Later, Walt Disney World's Cinderella Castle copied this idea for its 25th anniversary in 1996.
In 1997, for Disneyland Paris's fifth anniversary, the castle was decorated with carnival masks, jester hats, and bells. This was to promote the animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This fun decoration stayed until early 1998.
For the park's tenth anniversary in 2002, a large golden scroll with a big "10" was placed on the front of the castle. This celebration also marked the opening of Walt Disney Studios Park next door. The anniversary decorations were removed in 2003.
Later Celebrations
In 2007, the castle got another makeover for the park's fifteenth anniversary. Golden Disney characters were placed on the castle's turrets and spires, each holding a candle. Tinkerbell was on the highest spire. Every night, these candles lit up during a special "Candlebration" ceremony in front of the castle. A huge lit-up gold plaque with a large "15" was also hung on the front, similar to the tenth anniversary. The fifteenth anniversary celebration ended on March 7, 2009.
Soon after, on April 4, 2009, the park launched "Mickey's Magical Party." The castle was changed again, this time with a Mickey and Friends plaque over the main window. The spire tops were changed to three circles, representing Mickey Mouse. A new stage was built outside the castle for the "It's dance time... with Mickey and Friends" show.
In 2011, the castle was repainted with new colors. It was also restored and fitted with colorful LED lights. For the Disney Dreams nighttime show, the moat around the castle got water fountains. The upper window was replaced with doors that open to show a LED-lit star. The Central Plaza stage was also removed to give people a better view of the shows.
