EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC AND SECRETS OF CINDERELLA CASTLE
BY CATHERINE HILES
BACKGROUND PHOTO BY JUDD HELMS
Even if you ’ ve never visited Walt Disney World in person , you likely recognize the iconic Cinderella Castle that dominates the landscape of Magic Kingdom . And if you ’ ve seen it in real life , you know that feeling of seeing it for the first time ( or even the hundredth time ).
But Cinderella Castle is more than just an Orlando landmark — it ’ s an historic building filled with interesting secrets , hidden magic , and fun and memorable attractions . For all its innovation , the castle has been included in the Top 100 Buildings in Florida list by the American Institute of Architects .
A STORIED HISTORY The history of Cinderella Castle mirrors the history of Walt Disney World . Built over an 18-month period in 1970 , it opened to the public on October 1 , 1971 , as the centerpiece of the park .
You may have heard that the castle is based on Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany ’ s Bavaria region . This is true , but that castle wasn ’ t the only one Disney Imagineers used as inspiration . They also took stylistic cues from medieval castles in France , Spain , the Czech Republic , and Poland .
Cinderella Castle looks like it ’ s built with bricks , but Imagineers actually used concrete , steel , and cement to create a strong foundation that can survive the hurricane-force winds common in Florida . Architects covered the structure with plaster and fiberglass , and Imagineers painted the exterior to resemble bricks , then decorated it in light blue , gold , and gray paint .
In total , Cinderella Castle has 27 turrets , though it was originally meant to have 29 . Imagineers decided not to build turrets # 13 and # 17 because they would not have been visible from anywhere at ground level . However , the turrets are still numbered 1 to 29 , with numbers 13 and 17 missing from the sequence .
Sometime in the 1980s ( though there ’ s no written record of exactly when ), the stage at Cinderella Castle began to
100 MAGICAL ISSUES