By the Numbers: Sleeping Beauty Castle

77

Height of Sleeping Beauty Castle, in feet. The Castle was designed to appear taller through the use of forced perspective, a technique in which elements such as windows are larger at ground level and get progressively smaller the higher they get. This tricks the eye into thinking they’re further away. But that’s not the whole story…

2

Number of perspective tricks used in Sleeping Beauty Castle. In addition to forced perspective, Disney incorporated a lesser-known design scheme called atmospheric perspective during a 2019 refurbishment. This technique takes advantage of the fact that colors can change as light travels through air. The explanation is a bit tricky, but we’ll give it a go. Blue light scatters as it travels through the atmosphere (which is why the sky is blue, in case you ever wondered!). As a result, distant objects like mountains appear bluer due to all the blue light being reflected in front of them. Over time, our brains get used to this phenomenon, and if we see an object tinted blue, our brain assumes it’s further away. (There’s more science to that, but you get the basic gist). In Sleeping Beauty Castle, warm pink hues are used in the lower towers, and blue is gradually added to lighten the colors as you get toward the top.

180

Number of degrees the Castle was turned before construction began (basically, it was flipped to face in the opposite direction). Why? As Imagineers were preparing a 3D model of the Castle for final approval, Herb Ryman temporarily rotated the model just as Walt Disney walked into the room. Walt saw it and remarked, “Oh, I like that a lot better.” And thus, the Castle was turned around!

2

Number of times the drawbridge at Sleeping Beauty Castle has been raised. It was first raised on Disneyland’s opening day and again in 1983 for the grand opening of the newly reimagined Fantasyland. (Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom also has a bridge, but this one is unable to be raised.)

1956

The first year that fireworks were launched into the skies above Sleeping Beauty Castle.

1961

The year that Tinker Bell took her first flight from Sleeping Beauty Castle. Tinker Bell was portrayed by Tiny Kline, who was hired to glide down a wire connecting the Matterhorn to Sleeping Beauty Castle. She continued to do so until she retired from playing Tinker Bell in 1964.

5

Number of turrets that were adorned with stylized crowns (each representing a decade in the park’s history) as part of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Main photo © and courtesy of Mike Billick, all other photos © Disney