Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough

[MegaDisney]

According to Disneyland News Today:

Late last week, a construction wall appeared around the long-locked exit to the diorama inside Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. Imagineers and construction workers were spotted entering and exiting the space, which was closed nearly seven years ago due to post-9/11 terrorist fears.

While the on-site Imagineers remained mum, some construction workers revealed that the work is to restore the Sleeping Beauty Walkthrough.

No official word on WHEN it will reopen, However rumors from Fantasyland Management and WDI that it should reopen by Christmas OR Early 2009. It will still have NO ADA access.

[NotaGeek]

:clappy:

Thanks for the info Bryant!

[Briar-Rose]

Yay!!! :yay: I was so sad when they stopped the walk-through!!!

[MatterhornMiss]

It was pretty neat to be able to walk through the castle. I'd love for it to reopen. I stopped asking cast members when it would when they started replying they didn't know people were once able to walk through. I thought I had read it was closed for security reasons; I guess that much was true. I wonder if that will have any effect on the attraction.

[CogsworthWest]

I can remember walking through it, but it would sure be nice for a new generation to get to see inside the castle. I'm sure lots of kids have wondered what's inside....:)

[quest4dl]

We just returned and we 'walked through' the castle. Is everyone referring to walking around inside the castle? :confused:

[tinkwest]

We just returned and we 'walked through' the castle. Is everyone referring to walking around inside the castle? :confused:

You used to be able to enter the castle, walk up and over the drawbridge archway and down to the exit on the other side. Throughout the winding stairwells you could read the story of Sleeping Beauty and view diorama type scenes. This attraction has been closed for about six or seven years now.

[Carol]

DISNEYLAND PREPARES TO OPEN SLEEPING BEAUTY CASTLE WALKTHROUGH

July 17, 2008 - Anaheim, CA - The interior of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland will open in time for the December holiday season, offering guests a “reawakened” version of its classic walkthrough presentation kissed with vibrant scenes of Aurora, her charming prince, the evil Maleficent and other characters from the beloved fairy tale film.

“It is fitting that we are announcing the return of a classic on the 53rd anniversary of Disneyland,” said Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President of Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering, who unveiled a model of the castle on July 17, the birthday of Disneyland park.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” and the excitement generated by the anniversary of the motion picture spurred interest in the return of the Disneyland attraction.

Also celebrating the milestone 50th Anniversary of “Sleeping Beauty” is Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, which will release a two-disc Platinum Blu-ray™ Hi-Def disc, making “Sleeping Beauty” the first Walt Disney animated classic title to be released in high definition, as well as on two-disc Platinum DVD. A bonus feature on the new release will be “The Original Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through Attraction With Walt Disney Imagineering,” an immersive experience recreating the original castle walkthrough.

On April 29, 1957, nearly two years before the premiere of Walt Disney’s animated feature “Sleeping Beauty,” the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough opened with an in-park ceremony featuring Walt Disney and actress Shirley Temple who, some 20 years earlier, had presented Disney with his special Academy Award – one Oscar and seven little ones – for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

The crafting of the 1957 walkthrough show fell to Walt Disney Imagineer Ken Anderson and animation art director and color stylist Eyvind Earle, credited with giving the motion picture “Sleeping Beauty” the distinctive and colorful look of storybook illustrations in medieval style. An entirely new look appeared in 1977 when the attraction’s redesign featured miniature dioramas, including moving figurines similar to the window displays in the shops on Main Street, U.S.A.

When the attraction is unveiled later this year, the “show” will differ from the dioramas of the 1980s and ‘90s, returning to the unique style of the original 1957 show and motion picture. Enhanced with new scenes and special effects magic, the re-Imagineered attraction will employ technology not available in the 1950s to represent scenes from the story of Sleeping Beauty, including the magic of good fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, and the more sinister spells of the evil Maleficent.

For the first time, guests who are unable to climb stairs or navigate the passageways of the Castle will be able to experience the walkthrough “virtually” in a special room on the ground floor of the Castle.

[MegaDisney]

Thanks for posting this Carol! I was worried that the re-opening was just a rumor!

[Aisling]

I can't wait! I've missed this so much and last year in Paris I was thrilled to see they had a really cool castle walkthrough, but it made me miss ours that much more. I'm so happy and excited it's back!

[Cinderelley]

How exciting! I might have to make a trip back to Disneyland. Our last trip was less than pleasant, and then they closed the walk-through. There wasn't too much to draw me away from WDW. Now there might be.

[Tinkerbell'sFlight]

I can't wait to see it again!