The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (37 page)

When
Walt
the businessman launched a television program called
Disneyland
in 1954 to share the park’s development with the public, he was raising money to continue constructing the park, proving its viability to potential sponsors, and building incredible anticipation for the park’s 1955 opening.  Naturally enough, he chose
Sleeping Beauty Castle
as the program’s prominent opening logo.

Sleeping Beauty Castle
as a pretty façade was an
Opening Day
attraction.  On July 17, 1955, the castle drawbridge was lowered publicly for the first time, and Guests crossed the moat and entered
Fantasyland
.  Looking much taller than 77 feet thanks to forced perspective techniques, the castle, located at the extreme south of
Fantasyland
and the extreme north of the
Hub
, is still the main entrance to
Fantasyland
. It was considered by
Walt
, the
Imagineers
, and many Guests
to be the heart of the park and, on a deeper level, the heart of
Walt
’s dreams and empire.

For the next two years there w
ere nothing but beams and supports in the upper reaches of
Sleeping Beauty Castle
.  According to
Disneyland
lore, some overly enterprising Guests tried to climb up into the empty castle superstructure, really just a shell, and had to be evicted before they injured themselves.  A coterie of feral cats moved into the empty superstructure.

Walt
eventually approached some of his most creative minds, including
Eyvind Earle
, the colorist and creative lead on
Sleeping Beauty
, and
Disney Legends
Bob Gurr
and
Harriet Burns
, and asked them to create a castle attraction that was to be imaginative and interactive.  The feral cats (and their fleas) were humanely removed from the premises; you can see some of the cats’ descendants in the park today, particularly near the
Hungry Bear
in
Critter Country
.

The resulting seri
es of winding stairs, corridors, and eye-popping
tableaux
from the
Sleeping Beauty
story was unveiled on April 29, 1957 as the
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
.  Actress
Shirley Temple
, accompanied by her children, dedicated it. 
Temple
had a prior
Disney
connection:  As a famous child actress, it was she who presented a special Oscar to
Walt
in 1939 for his studio’s groundbreaking 1937 animated masterpiece,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
.  The Oscar statue was one-of-a-kind, with a regular-sized Oscar figure and seven tiny Oscar figures representing the
Seven Dwarfs
.

The
film
Sleeping Beauty
, with its deep landscapes, ravishing color palette, high level of detail and soaring, slender gothic vertical lines, didn’t open until 1959, four years after the castle and two years after the walk-through attraction were unveiled.  The film, released on the cusp of the unruly 1960’s, was old-school in its story telling approach, with an emphasis on a simple, focused, well thought-through story uncluttered by too many subplots or cartoony sidekicks.

The narrative was old-school, but the film broke new ground artistically and technologically. 
Live-action study techniques gave the characters, particularly in the waltz sequences, a sophisticated fluidity unmatched by past
Disney
masterpieces.  If you’re interested, the
Sleeping Beauty
50
th
Anniversary Platinum Edition DVD is a treasure trove of information about the development of both the walkthrough attraction and the animated film.

Many people saw the film in 1959, and many people enjoyed the castle walkthrough from 1957 onward.  The walkthrough’s
tableaux
were colorful and cleverly constructed to present images of depth and breadth in spaces that were actually small and cramped.  The dioramas boasted optical illusions such as the mirage of a stack of spinning wheels seeming to really burn, and the three good fairies sprinkling magical pixie dust on baby
Princess Aurora
in her cradle.

Guests were able to call into a deep well, and hear their voices echo back.  A final
sinister effect was the periodic appearance of
Maleficent
’s menacing shadow at the final bend in the hallway.  Apparently the sight of this shadow was so frightening to some small children that they would refuse to walk forward, resulting in additional bottlenecks in an attraction that, being a self-guided walkthrough with a lot to see, was already a bit of a traffic jam.

In the 1970’s someone had the idea to replace the charming, kinetic dioramas with what were, essentially, posed dolls in static settings.  However good the intention (apparently this was an effort to “modernize” the attraction
to appeal more to 1970’s Guests, and to make the
tableaux
correspond more closely to the narrative flow of the film), as time passed it became clear that the new
tableaux
were too dull to draw more than a trickle of viewers.  The attraction was sealed off, and, as
Imagineer
Tony Baxter
so eloquently said, put into a deep sleep like
Sleeping Beauty
herself.

In 2006,
Imagineers
reawakened the walkthrough with a creative kiss.  Poring over reference drawings from the original, superior walkthrough design, they rebuilt the
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
in 2008, reopening it shortly after
Sleeping Beauty
’s 50
th
Anniversary DVD release.  Guests who, like me, wished they could explore the inside of
Sleeping Beauty Castle
can do so once again, experiencing the reawakened and enhanced vision of the original
Imagineers
.

I was in the park early on the first morning that this attraction was re
launched.  Sometimes when
Disneyland
launches or reopens an attraction, they do it quietly.  That was the case for the walkthrough revival.  It was only because I’d done some research that I knew to be in the park that morning, and I made a point of making
Sleeping Beauty Castle
one of my first stops.  A typically cheerful and pleasant
Fantasyland
Cast Member stood by the walkthrough entrance, which is on the southwest side of the castle courtyard.  There was no line or crowd, so I asked hesitantly if it was OK to go inside.  The Cast Member beamed and waved me in.

It was a thrill to
climb the narrow stone staircases, to view the reconstructed
tableaux
, and walk the quiet castle corridors.  It was everything I expected from the extras on the
Sleeping Beauty
DVD, and more.  As I exited, I caught sight of
Maleficent
’s sinister shadow moving across the wall.  For a kid who was first enchanted by the film at age three, to enjoy that immersive walk-through at age 40 became one of my most treasured experiences at
Disneyland
.

For the next few weeks, as word spread that the attraction had reopened, lines grew longer and longer, snaking through the southwest arches and over the castle
grounds.  It became a frustrating experience for Guests as the lines moved as slow as molasses through the attraction.  Not only did it take a long time (up to 60 minutes) to enter the attraction, but then you were squashed between other Guests, moving at an excruciating snail’s pace until you finally staggered out of the exit and inhaled a big breath of fresh air.

That
’s the type of overcrowding that’s to be expected in the opening weeks of an attraction’s revival, and lines thinned as time passed.  Now, except on holidays such as Christmas, or the most crowded summer days, the lines for
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
are brief and manageable.  If you loved the film, you’ll want to take the time to experience this attraction.  But if the film and the characters mean little to you, you can safely skip it.

For the optimal experience,
visit soon after park opening, so that you almost have the attraction to yourself.  It’s when the corridors are quiet and you’re not rushed that you have the time to really examine each
tableau
and see what imaginative triumphs they are.

Like all of
Disneyland
’s major attractions,
Sleeping Beauty Castle
has attracted its share of myths, urban legends, and mysteries.  Among
Disneylandphiles
, there is much ado and a fierce ongoing debate about the purpose and meaning of the small gold or bronze spike embedded in the courtyard just inside the main castle arch. 
Disneyland Tour Guides
, former and present Cast Members,
Imagineers
and Guests have weighed in on this contentious issue; you’ll find it discussed in a number of the books listed in this book’s bibliography, and if you Google “golden spike
Disneyland
” you’ll find a slew of websites where the debate rages.

There
’s no question that there’s a golden or bronze nail, spike, or disc embedded in the paving of the courtyard’s southern entrance, and there’s no question that if you stand above it and look back toward
Main Street
, your sight line bisects the
Hub
and the street.  I’ve seen the spike and looked toward the
Hub
and
Main Street
myself, on many occasions.

The debate surrounds the
purpose
of the marker.  Even
Disneyland
employees and insiders can’t seem to agree, though most involved in the debate passionately defend their own position and tend to address those that disagree with them as outrageous cretins.

Does this marker denote the
original
geographic center of the park, prior to the construction of
Mickey’s Toontown
, or the
present
center of the park, since
Toontown
’s construction, or was it a survey marker used to ensure that the view from the
Sleeping Beauty Castle
entrance arch perfectly bisects
Main Street
, or a survey marker that meant something no one still living can recall?

While the geography of the park, both present and previous, seems to put the kibosh on the
center-of-the-park theories, it supports the concept of a survey marker to keep the castle aligned with
Main Street
.  Certainly, once you start looking for them, you’ll notice that there are survey markers embedded in the pavement all over the park.

In the January 26, 2010 edition of
Disney Insider
,
Dave Smith
,
Disney
’s
Chief
(and now
Emeritus
)
Archivist
explained that the survey marker was never meant to mark the center of
Disneyland
; it was a point from which to measure the
visual intrusion
impinging upon the park. 
Smith
can be considered the last word on this topic–but there will doubtless still be those who try to keep this question alive!

W
hen you visit
Disneyland
, why not take a moment to find the castle’s golden spike?  Snap a photo of it.  Look back toward
Main Street
.  Enjoy the views from
Sleeping Beauty Castle
, which remains the eternal heart of the park.

Note that a
s the southernmost attraction at
Fantasyland
and a centerpiece of the
Magical Fireworks
show,
Sleeping Beauty Castle
and its walkthrough attraction are not only closed during the fireworks each evening, they’re cordoned off, and no Guests are allowed nearer than the
Hub
.  The castle reopens after the fireworks conclude. 
Did You Know?
  There used to be one black swan and one white swan in the castle moat.  They were gifts to
Walt
, presented by then-MGM Studios president Dore Schary. 
Did You Also Know?
The original
Corridor of Goons
at the top of the castle had keyholes through which Guests could peer to see frightening eyes peering back at them.  This effect was created by carefully positioned bits of mirror that reflected back the Guests’ own eyes.  The
Goons
aspect of the attraction was so popular that it brought foot traffic to a standstill, and so was sealed up for almost 50 years.  Today’s
Imagineers
revived it but in a somewhat different format.  See what happens, for example, when you try to open one of the menacing-looking doors! 
Did You Also Know?
  The area north of the
Hub
, right in front of the
Sleeping Beauty Castle
, is a picturesque spot for concerts and filming and is often utilized as such.  In autumn of 2008, for example, the
Disney
sensations the
Jonas Brothers
performed a concert there.  It was free for park Guests to observe, and was filmed for inclusion in
Disney
’s 2008 Christmas television program. 
Did You Also Know?
Cinderella Castle
in
Walt Disney World
now has a
Dream Suite
where lucky Guests, randomly chosen, can stay. 
Sleeping Beauty Castle
at
Disneyland Paris
has a dungeon where a dragon lives. Called
La Taniere du Dragon
(the
Dragon’s Den
), Guests access it via a tunnel to the left of the castle’s main entrance.  Expect glowing green lights, steaming dragon breath, and the dragon itself, a giant, scaly, spiny beast that glares cruelly at Guests as it writhes.  Not for very tiny Guests or the faint of heart.  
Did You Also Know?
  Speaking of fire-breathing dragons … Do you know why it takes so long to reopen
Sleeping Beauty Castle
and
Fantasyland
’s southern attractions after the nightly fireworks conclude?  Someone from the fire marshall’s office has to inspect the area and confirm that no smoldering sparks or embers will start a blaze. 
Statue Vision:
  Notice those cute little statues (owls and rabbits), animal characters from
Sleeping Beauty
, decorating pillars along the edge of the moat?  They hide a secret.  When the fireworks show begins, the statues and the lids they sit atop silently swing open, and high-tech spotlights hidden within the pillars illuminate the castle.  When you pass the statues, look carefully and you’ll see the lids’ hinges. 
Evil Vision:
  Are you a fan of the dark fairy
Maleficent
?  Prepare to be dazzled by
Disney
’s 3D live-action feature
Maleficent
, due in theaters in July, 2014.  Oscar-winning effects wizard
Rick Baker
is handling, well, the effects.  Oscar-winner
Angelina Jolie
will portray the green-skinned title villain.  At the 2013
D23 Expo
in
Anaheim
,
Jolie
revealed that
Maleficen
t has always been something of a fashion icon for her—expect the live-action Maleficent to have style to spare. 
Elle Fanning
will play
Princess Aurora
. 
Young Aurora
will be portrayed by none other than
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt
, daughter of
Jolie
and husband Brad Pitt.
FastPass:
  No.  There’s no
FastPass
for this self-guided walkthrough tour, and it’s difficult to see how one could be established given the nature and configuration of this attraction.  However, lines are typically manageable, especially early in the morning. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  I think it’s really creative and really pretty and cool, and little kids will stop and want to see it.  It’s not just something boring, it’s really cool and fun.