• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • TravelingDad

Traveling Mom

Traveling tips, deals, info from moms and families

  • COVID-19
  • Road Trips
    • ROAD TRIPS ACROSS THE USA
    • ROAD TRIP PLANNER
    • ILLINOIS ROAD TRIPS
    • TEXAS ROAD TRIPS
    • GEORGIA ROAD TRIPS
    • CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIPS
    • NORTHEAST ROAD TRIPS
    • MIDWEST ROAD TRIPS
  • Destinations
    • Northeast
    • Southeast
    • East Coast
    • Midwest
    • South
    • Southwest
    • Northwest
    • West
    • US Cities
      • New York City
      • Chicago
      • Los Angeles
      • Orlando
      • San Diego
      • San Francisco
  • Disney
    • Disneyland
    • Walt Disney World
    • Disney Worldwide
    • Disney Cruise
    • Discount Disney World Tickets
  • Outdoors
    • Skiing
    • National Parks
    • RV/Camping
    • Beaches
  • Travel Resources
    • Babies and Toddlers
    • Free Things to Do
    • Packing
    • Discount Attractions Tickets
    • Discount Disney World Ticket
    • Discount Universal Tickets
    • Grandparents
    • Cruising
    • TravelingDad
  • Search
  • COVID-19
  • Road Trips
    • Road Trips Across the USA
    • Road Trip Planner
    • Illinois Road Trips
    • Texas Road Trips
    • Georgia Road Trips
    • California Road Trips
    • Northeast Road Trips
    • Midwest Road Trips
  • US National Parks
  • RV and Camping
  • Beaches
  • Disney
    • Disneyland
    • Walt Disney World
    • Disney Worldwide
    • Disney Cruise
    • Discount Disney World Tickets
  • Cruises
  • Skiing
  • Free Things to Do
  • Traveling with Babies and Toddlers
  • Traveling Grandparents
  • TravelingDad
  • US Destinations
    • Northeast
    • Southeast
    • East Coast
    • Midwest
    • South
    • Southwest
    • Northwest
    • West
  • US Cities
    • NYC
    • Chicago
    • Los Angeles
    • Orlando
    • San Diego
    • San Francisco
  • International
  • Travel Resources
    • Book A Trip
    • Discount Attractions Tickets
    • Discount Disney World Tickets
    • Discount Universal Tickets
    • Packing
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Mobile Menu

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
You are here: Home / Top Destinations: Disney / Fun Facts About Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World
Photo: Angela Tiffin, History Buff TMOM

Fun Facts About Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World

May 20, 2014 //  by Angela Tiffin//  Leave a Comment

FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Photo:  Angela Tiffin, History Buff TMOM
Photo credit: Angela Tiffin / History Buff TravelingMom
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy, TravelingMom may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
TravelingMom is hosting an exciting giveaway for a Skylight digital photo frame ($159 value)! ENTER HERE

The image of Cinderella’s castle at Disney World in Orlando is an American icon.  For some of us, the magic started years ago on Sunday nights with The Wonderful World of Walt Disney. The image of the castle to the tune of “When you wish upon a star…” was a much anticipated weekly event.DisclosureTMOM

To see the castle for the first time is a thrill at any age (I was an adult before I took my first trip to Disney World). At 189 ft, it still presides over its subjects in the Magic Kingdom like true royalty and after many years remains the tallest structure in the park. The castle’s magnitude is no accident, the builders used forced perspective by scaling down each level to create the illusion of even greater height.

Photo:  Sarah. K. Picard
Photo credit: Sarah. K. Pittard / Solo TravelingMom

The design of the castle at Disney World partially resembles the one animated in Disney’s 1950 film. Some say that its designers drew inspiration from the palaces at Versailles and Fountainebleau in France but its iconic turrets, spires and gargoyles are most certainly gothic in origin and more resemble castles from Eastern Europe. The Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian region of Germany is thought to have had a big influence on the design.  Really, the castle design has details from many different styles and time periods, which is what makes it so magical.

Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division Washington, LC-DIG ppmsca-00179
Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division Washington, LC-DIG ppmsca-00179

As guests pass through the castle, they see murals depicting the story of Cinderella.  The murals, designed by Dorothea Redmond (who was also a production designer for some of my favorite films), are 15 ft tall by 10 ft wide and it is reported that more than 300,000 pieces of colored Italian glass were used, including some tiles that had sterling silver and 14K gold in them.

The Cinderella story is a European folktale that has seen many adaptations and iterations. French writer Charles Perrault wrote one of the earliest and most popular versions in 1697, entitled Cendrillon.  This version also introduced another icon: the glass slipper. Disney will be releasing a live-action film  of Cinderella in 2015 that is sure to be hit. Although as mothers, we may not always be happy about some of the messages in Cinderella (being swept away by a prince) however, the story has many good lessons like kindness and forgiveness.

During a recent trip to Orlando, my family I were hosted at the Boardwalk Resort and, while relaxing by the pool, we watched the staff engaging the children in a game of trivia. When it came to facts about Cinderella’s castle, we were ruefully ignorant. One of the questions posed was: how many bricks were used to build the castle? A trick question because the answer is none. It was built with steel, plaster and fiberglass, with a concrete foundation.

I gathered some additional trivia about the castle in case you find yourself in just such a predicament.

Fun Facts About Cinderella’s Castle

  • Date of Construction: 1971
  • Height: 189ft
  • Towers and Spires: 18 total (15 blue and 3 gold)
  • Murals: 5, each 15 ft x 10 ft
  • Gargoyles: 13
  • Dungeon: the castle does not have one but there are underground storage areas
  • Moat water content: over 3 million gallons of water
  • Secret Suite:  When the castle was designed, a suite of rooms was planned for Disney’s family but he died and it was left empty for years until 2007 when it became the “Dream Suite” during a promotion where for 1 year, a family was chosen at random from the park to stay in the suite.

If you know any additional facts, please add them in the comments.

 

FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn

Category: Top Destinations: DisneyTag: theme parks

You May Also Like

  • Autograph books from the Disney outlet store
    Secret Disney Outlet is the Best Place to Buy Disney Souvenirs
  • Disney World hotels with playgrounds port orleans french quarter
    Disney World Hotels with Playgrounds
  • Disney's Pop Century resort review
    Disney's Pop Century Resort Review: Is it Right for Your Family?
  • Have you seen the new Minnie Lfyts at Disney?
    Running at Disney: How to stay fit at Disney World
  • man carrying a backpack at disney world
    How to Stay Cool at Disney World, Even in the Summer
  • two girls at Disney World with matching shirts
    Fun DIY Disney Family Shirt Ideas
Previous Post: «Lemon Blueberry Muffins Lemon Blueberry Muffin Recipe
Next Post: Moscow, Idaho – Off the Beaten Path »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Ask Us!
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Manage Push Notifications
  • Site Admin

Copyright © 2021 Traveling Mom · All Rights Reserved