Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a fully refurbished bridge. Disney says the bridge is set to reopen to guests after nearly six months of renovation. It now has a rebuilt structure, new granite paving, and a brand-new compass rose at its center. Here’s the latest!
Sleeping Beauty Castle Bridge Refurbishment at Disneyland Paris
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- What Disney says it rebuilt on the Sleeping Beauty Castle bridge
- How the new compass rose ties back to Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather
- How the castle’s 35th anniversary ties in
Thousands of guests cross the Sleeping Beauty Castle bridge every day, and Disney says the renovation allowed a thorough restoration of the whole structure. The result is a bridge with new materials throughout and a new compass rose at its center.
35 Years of Care for a Disneyland Paris Landmark
Disney unveiled Sleeping Beauty Castle on October 12th, 1991, at the Rendez-Vous au Château event, which press, Cast Members, and their families attended. Since then, Disney says, the castle has regularly received maintenance, renovation, and enhancement work, which preserves its appearance while letting certain details evolve. The castle’s most recent big project was a 12-month refurbishment that reopened in time for the resort’s 30th anniversary. Disney first announced that work with a themed tarp to cover the castle.
The bridge work began with its bones. Disney says the renovation rebuilt the structure that supports the decorative elements, along with the arches, corbels, and decorative spandrels. It also replaced the wooden balustrade posts. The drawbridge now has a new deck of tropical timber.
Granite paving now replaces the old stamped concrete on the bridge deck. Disney says the granite is easier to maintain, more attractive, and comfortable for guests. Laying it required a meticulous layout, much like a jigsaw puzzle, with 2,735 individual pieces fitted to follow the bridge’s arched shape. Disney also completely rebuilt the natural stone balusters, made from Champagny limestone. It treated them with a waterproofing agent to protect them from water spray from the fountains below.
To recreate the look of the stones on the bridge’s elevations and under its arches, the team sprayed synthetic stone paste onto a metal framework. Hand sculpting then created the relief patterns. The team hand-painted each piece in five different shades, plus light and dark tones, to recreate the natural variations in the stones of the castle. Patina and painting work, along with new landscaping, round out the transformation.
Stefano Servi, Stage Architect at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, says the goal was to “restore the bridge to its former glory” while preserving the details that give it character. He adds that experts in historic monument restoration helped care for the castle.
A Compass Rose Inspired by Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather
A new compass rose of natural stone and brass inlays now sits at the center of the bridge. The rose echoes the colors of the three fairies who watch over Aurora. Merryweather’s blue branches and Flora’s red ones point in opposite directions, a nod to their famous quarrel over the color of Aurora’s dress. A green arc between them represents Fauna and her role as mediator. It creates a transition between the two branches.
The compass rose also includes a brass medallion depicting Aurora’s crown surrounded by thorns. A brass fleur-de-lis indicates north. Disney says that detail nods to the four brass letters that marked the cardinal directions on the bridge when Disneyland Park opened. The 2010 refurbishment removed those letters. A specialist artisan handcrafted the finishes on the three brass layers to create subtle effects of depth and shine.
Keep Reading
- Revisit Disney’s announcement of the castle’s 12-month refurbishment for the numbers behind that project, including 41,200 gold leaves applied by hand.
- See the scaffolding that wrapped the castle in early 2021 as that refurbishment got underway.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!