Following 12 months of work to renovate the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris, the iconic attraction is now open to the public once more. This is the biggest refurbishment project that has been done on the castle since it first opened in 1992, and has seen the addition of lavish new details.
“It was the first time we undertook something so monumental,” says Tracy Eck, art director at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris.
“Certain effects have even been improved so that the castle’s structure will be even more resilient in the upcoming years. It took nearly a year to complete these works on-site with all of the teams. Painters, electricians, gilders, craftspeople in charge of the tiled roofs… It was a hive of activity.”
Expert craftspeople
A team of experts worked on this project, to get the castle looking spick and span before the resort celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022. This included skilled craftspeople from across France, working on carpentry, roofing, painting and ironworking.
“Some of the suppliers with whom we were lucky to collaborate on this project only work on historical monuments. When they accepted this assignment, we realized that they viewed our castle as a historical monument that is a part of our heritage. It was very touching,” adds Eck.
Sleeping Beauty Castle is now recognized as a valued monument in France. There are many hidden references to the country throughout the castle, such as golden snails, and geometric gardens that take inspiration from the nation’s famous tapestries. 41,200 gold leaves were added by hand and 1,200 litres of paint were used, including 14 different pinks.
Disneyland Hotel refurbishment
In addition to this, Disneyland Paris has commenced work on the transformation of Disneyland Hotel. The existing furniture has now been removed from the hotel, and Disneyland Paris donated over 1,500 items to local community organisations.
When work is complete, the 5-star hotel will provide an improved guest experience that is more immersive than ever. It will feature a royal theme, with rooms taking inspiration from much-loved stories such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast and Tangled.
As well as new theming, the hotel’s amenities will be improved and new technologies introduced, such as online check-in and in-room connectivity. An extended pool, spa and gym will also be added, as well as an extra lounge.
The Princess for a Day experience will also be enhanced and the hotel’s food and beverage offering will be overhauled. Meanwhile, the outside of the hotel will say in keeping with its location, in Disneyland Paris’ Main Street, USA, but will see refurbishments to its facades, roofs, woodwork, parking area and entrance.
Disneyland Paris will be celebrating its 30th anniversary from March 2022, with special experiences planned across the resort. In the US, Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary event will run for 18 months, with ‘The World’s Most Magical Celebration’ kicking off on 1 October 2021.
