How Do I Stay Overnight In The Castle?

[Fantasmic303]

RE: The Disneyland Suite

That's the one they're advertising as the one "planned for Walt Disney himself", not the Castle Suite. Though there IS an apartment that belonged to Walt above the Fire House on Main Street in Disneyland right near the entrance, the NEW suite is actually located in New Orleans Square. It has been the Disney Gallery for several years, and was closed in August to prepare it for the YOAMD prize, "rebuilt" based on the blueprints.

If you've ever been to Disneyland, the Gallery is/was located above Pirates. It was a really neat place to visit because each room housed artwork and displays, and it was rarely crowded so it was a nice place to escape the craziness. We were fortunate enough to enjoy the Fantasmic balcony buffet from the gallery twice, and both were really special evenings. On our Walk in Walt's footsteps tour, they told us that the apartment was built for Walt and his family after they outgrew the one over the firehouse. It had more rooms and was in the middle of the excitement, so it could be better suited for entertaining. If you look at the balcony overlooking the square, you'll notice an "RD" and "WD" in the scrollwork, for Roy and Walt. They even showed us how Walt had put plans in for several electrical outlets in every room because Lillian liked to move the furniture around, and he always wanted to be able to have a reading lamp nearby! You could walk through all the rooms and onto the verandah and feel like you were a million miles away.

Even though the visits I made there were while the space was, basically, retail, you could feel that it was special. The last time we were there in July, we noticed that there are artist renderings of what the furnished apartment would look like, even down to the color/furniture swatches that Lillian had (supposedly) picked out!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

There is talk about after the YOMD is over, making the suite available for people if they want to pay for it, but I don't think they've worked out the logistics of that, hence no details have been announced, and they may just decide to do something else with it after the YOMD is over.

To the best of my knowledge (aka according to the Imagineer at our Lunch with a Disney Imagineer last fall), most likely the Suite will ultimately be used as a feature on one or more behind-the-scenes tours.

My input: It just wouldn't be feasible to use it as a hotel room. There was some talk about using it for Make A Wish / Give Kids the World families - but how would which family be determined each night (and who would decide)?

 

[Disney1976]

Is the castle suite that's awarded in YOMD the same suite that was originally built for Walt Disney himself? I see on commercials the mention of such a Walt Disney suite, but I can't tell if it's at DW or DL, or if it's even in the castle.

The one at DL is not in the castle...I believe it's in a building right over the entrance of the park.

Am I right?

Just wanted to add that I had always heard that the original plan was for Walt and his family to have a suite built in Cinderella Castle, but of course, with his passing before WDW's opening that never happened. I had heard (and someone correct me if I am wrong) that for several years in the 1980's Disney reservations actually used the space as a working office. That's kind of neat if it's true - to think that people were calling to make reservations to see WDW, and the people taking the calls were actually inside the castle the whole time! With the expansion of WDW, the call centers are now of course in two locations, one in Orlando and one in Tampa.

 

[indians3452]

I would love to go, as most people said, to just say i went. But like someone else said, not being able to go out, having a CM their with you. Yeah not my cup of tea but like i said, how many people can say "I sleep in Cinderella's castle?"

 

[Princess_Belle]

We stayed in the castle in September and there is NOOOOO WAY you will ever be able to spend a night in the castle by buying it! Our castle attendant told us that a celebrity offered to pay $70,000 a night but was turned down. If it ever became available to book disney could charge whatever they wanted and the super rich (celebs) would pay it! But it is likely to be used in the Make-A-Wish foundation according to the guide who was showing us around.

 

[TheGoofster]

I wonder if you are picked to spend a night in the castle, if you could ask for an upgrade?

 

[GoofyaboutMickey]

I don't care about staying in the castle suite but I sure would love to tour it and see it in person. It looks so gorgeous in pictures!

Now that's a tour I'd gladly pay for

 

[Joanna71985]

I don't care about staying in the castle suite but I sure would love to tour it and see it in person. It looks so gorgeous in pictures!

Me too! I would love to just walk around inside.

 

[Bugdozer]

Lets see...Poly Consierge is $670. nightly...and there are "windows" to look out. I'm probably the only person that doesn't see a night in CC as a great thing.
No view/windows, no leaving room to stroll grounds, a CM on hand all night (room service & guard, I guess)..then morning escort..nah...you can have my night !!

I don't care about staying in the castle suite but I sure would love to tour it and see it in person. It looks so gorgeous in pictures!

Hi,

We were fortunate to be able to have a tour of the room on my son's make a wish trip. We did not stay in it-got to see it. It is amazing and beautiful. So much detail went into it. There are windows to look out and it gave me chills to look down upon fantasyland. We were told the winner also got a private park tour after park closing. It truley would be a once in a life time experience. It truly is something out of a dream.

Bug