Disneyland Reopening Castle Walk

[Cheshire Figment]

At the NFFC Convention in Anaheim a little over a week ago Imagineering announced that in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Sleeping Beauty they are redoing the story tunnel under Sleeping Beauty Castle.

They have found a lot of the original work was only boarded up when it was closed and not removed. As the walk-through was designed and opened prior to the movie there were some differences. This new rework will make the walk-through more in line with the movie.

As there are steps at both the entrance and exit which cannot be removed, there will be a special viewing area (similar to the one at the DL Nemo Ride) which will allow a person who cannot navigate the stairs to see everything that is visible to people who can physically do the walk-through.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Did they close the existing walk-thru some time ago? I had never heard.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

It has been closed for at least 20 years. The space has been used for storage.

 

[MomofKatie]

Did they close the existing walk-thru some time ago? I had never heard.

I believe it was after 9/11. Don't know if it was because of security concerns, cutbacks due to downturn in tourism, or what.

*Oh- apparantly, I am wrong. Thought I heard it was in 2001- sorry!!

 

[YoHo]

It hasn't been closed for 20 years, because I walked through it in December of 2000. I don't remember the details, but I believe it was closed, because it needed a major overhaul to be safe and prior to the 50th, major overhauls simply did not happen.

 

[CanadianGuy]

It hasn't been closed for 20 years, because I walked through it in December of 2000. I don't remember the details, but I believe it was closed, because it needed a major overhaul to be safe and prior to the 50th, major overhauls simply did not happen.

I gotta agree with YoHo here.. it hasn't been that long.. UNLESS there is an older space.. recently rediscovered or something.

I too walked thru sometime between 97 and 2000 so.. it's not been 20 years.



Knox

 

[Another Voice]

The walk through was closed in October of 2001 because of "security". Persistant rumors are that the interior was rotten and had to be replaced - in exactly the same way 'Space Moutain', 'Mark Twain', the fort on Tom Sawyer's Island, and the carousel had to be completely rebuilt. But since the tour is very ADA non-compliant, wasn't selling anything, and rarely open - it was just easier to leave the thing closed.

Of course, there's a BluRay disc to hock now and the princess mega franchise needs a good boost, so suddenly there's money for it.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I'm sorry. I guess that I thought it had closed much before that.

But at least here is the official announcement with information.

In a presentation at the Disneyland Opera House July 17, Senior Vice President of Creative Development at Walt Disney Imagineering Tony Baxter announced the much anticipated return of the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through attraction.

"It is fitting that we are announcing the return of a classic on the 53rd anniversary of Disneyland," Tony said.

Fifty-one years after its initial debut as an attraction, Sleeping Beauty Castle will once again open its doors to guests and feature an updated and enhanced telling of the story of Sleeping Beauty. Using technology that was unavailable during the attraction's initial run, the newly imagined walk-through will showcase scenes and special effects that reflect the original design of the attraction from the 1950s and '60s. For the first time ever, guests who are unable to climb stairs or navigate the passageways of Sleeping Beauty Castle will have the opportunity to experience the walk-through virtually in a room on the ground floor of the castle.

The original walk-through attraction opened April 29, 1957, almost two years after the opening of Disneyland and around two years before the premiere of Walt Disney's animated feature Sleeping Beauty. Inspired by the images and story of the upcoming animated feature, the crafting of the show was handled by Walt Disney Imagineer Ken Anderson and animation art director and color stylist Eyvind Earle, the man credited with giving Sleeping Beauty its distinctive medieval style. The initial attraction featured a series of pictures, montages and novelties that told the story of Sleeping Beauty. The interior of the attraction was expanded in 1968 and redesigned in 1977 before closing in 2001. The 1977 redesign featured miniature dioramas, including moving figurines similar to the window displays in the shops on Main Street, U.S.A.

The new version of the walk-through is set to be open for the 2008 holiday season and will feature special effects that bring to life the magic of Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, and the more sinister spells of the evil Maleficent.