Why Disneyland's Castle Is Small
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- The number one thing I hear from Walt Disney World fans is "why is Disneyland's castle so small?" actually its not small at all, its just the right size. The other castles are the ones that are just too big! In all seriousness we explore the reasons why Sleeping Beauty Castle is the size that it is.
Click here for the full history of Sleeping Beauty Castle:
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Credits:
LMG Vids, Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
• [2020] Sleeping Beauty...
4k WDW, Relaxing Walk Around Magic Kingdom
• Relaxing Walk Around M...
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My email: alexthehistorian55@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER: I am not a University-educated historian, Alex the Historian was a nickname I got while working at Disneyland as a tour guide. After 5 years of using it as a stage name for my channel, it would be detrimental to the channel to suddenly change the name.
I’m glad all the park castles are different in design and size. Variety is the spice of life!
That last line got me right in the heart. I nearly cried. I hope no one at Disney would ever be willing of making the mistake of re-modeling Walt's castle.
The only possible way I can imagine Disneyland making the castle larger is if it collapsed or became structurally unsound. Even then I think the basic look would be kept the same just more height and forced perspective tricks.
What would Walt do... if he could do it all over again.
It's not even the castle he wanted! They were limited due to budget! They need to remodel it and make it the castle he envisioned!
@@terenarosa4790 That’s like saying, we should tear down the Eiffel Tower because it’s too rusty. If we thought this way, we’d never have anything of historic significance. “Let’s make the Statue of Liberty bigger.” Or, “Let’s make the Leaning Tower of Pisa not lean anymore.” Also, being tight on budget and time is not the same thing as not liking the final product. Walt absolutely loved the final product.
They should never ever ever touch the Disneyland castle. It’s history and specifically, Walt’s history. If you want a bigger castle for your insta, go to the other parks.
@@terenarosa4790How did he want it to look?
@@rygregory I don't post my Disneyland pictures on Instagram. I want a bigger one for the EXPERIENCE.
I like the size of Disneyland's castle, it makes the castle look cute
but I LOVE the mountain backdrop of Hong Kong's castle, the backdrop was better when it was the Sleeping Beauty Castle. It was aesthetically pleasing
Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle has always been my favorite. It’s charming and beautiful 💕
Very special castle. Perfect in every way.
Your video proved that bigger isn't always better. People on the east coast may frown at the size of our castle but they don't understand or really appreciate the wonderful history of Disney and where all the Disney parks came from, including Walt Disney World. Thanks for that insight 👍
Well said!
Thank you, Alex for bringing history and magic to our beloved Sleeping Beauty Castle. Changing the existing castle would lose the history and make it feel more commercial.
Alex, thank you for this outstanding presentation. While I knew the majority of the information presented, the treat for me was your inside knowledge about how Sleeping Beauty Castle will not be enlarged in the future, due to the historical value of the structure in addition to the perceived public reaction to such modification. Thank you again for sharing your intimate knowledge of Disneyland Resort with all of us fans and supporters.
You're welcome!
Many lifetimes ago, I was in my High School band. We went to Disneyland and played a few pieces in front of the castle.
Size doesn't matter. The original is a masterpiece and perfect icon of the Disney company. The WDW castle is also a masterpiece but the current color styling is hideous beyond belief. It's seriously an eyesore. The Paris castle is magnificent. The Shanghai castle is an abomination, as is the stuck-on Hong Kong disaster. I have a friend who hates how small the DL castle is and insists they need to raise it by putting a hill underneath. I told him that was stupid, they just need to lower everything else in the park.
Your friend clearly puts no weight on history. Disneyland’s castle is the one and only castle that Walt had a hand in and actually walked through himself. It’s basically a Disney historical landmark. And for that reason, it is my favorite and should never be raised nor razed. The one at Disneyland Paris is my close second basically because it still feels quaint and it’s quite stunning.
As for the other castles, the Chinese castles are both meh. The Tokyo and WDW ones are also meh because neither are unique from each other. I wish WDI would’ve stuck to the cuter storybook-like castles instead of building behemoths.
Nicely put! Although I had hopes of having a larger castle in Anaheim just to be caught up with the other parks, I’m quite convinced now or at least I can accept this reality a lot easier because of your reasoning. ✌🏼☺️
I didnt hear so many complaints before the new paint job. The grey paint made it look farther away and thus larger, the new one puts it right in your face and makes it look super small.
Well one thing was for sure, the old Imagineers like John Hench never liked the old color scheme, he thought it was dull and didn't match the charm of Disneyland. They just never replaced it because it was never that important to them, at least until 2005.
@@AlextheHistorian Wasnt it designed to be dull though? That's what the same colors it has now would look like if they were more distant, and more atmosphere was in between the observer. I think its way too bright now, i'm hoping they will fade soon, but they dont seem to be deteriorating at all.
The original paint scheme was designed to be dull. The new paint scheme won't dull like that for 20 years, and thsts the point, they dont want it dull anymore
I love living in Cinderella Castle and seeing the faces of all the people I'm ripping off
Bob Chapek I've heard about the new Disneyland Resort expansion, and the new website Disneyland forward.
Please make sure that you guys stay focus on that project, because Disneyland and Disney California Adventure deserves new connections. For the Simba parking lot and the Downtown Disney parking lot.
And yes I also want to see a brand new Disney shopping, dining and entertainment Resort Hotel to replace the Toy Story parking lot.
Please make sure that you and the Disney imagineers don't give up with the project, make sure you get a lot of supporters from the Disneyland forward website. And with a lot of supporters, way ahead in the near future and the continuing future. Make sure that the new Disneyland Resort expansion gets done right away.
Because I really want to see some new changes for the Disneyland Resort, I don't want to see any classic Disney attractions from both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure to be replaced.
I don't want to see the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage to go away, and I don't want to see autopia go away either
Bob Chapek also I am a huge fan of The Muppets, I'm very pleased with the new Muppet Show Muppets now. And I'm also very happy with the return of Jim Henson's classic The Muppet Show.
However I am extremely unpleased with the removal of Muppet Vision 3D at Disney California Adventure.
Mickey's philharmagic is a good show and it's okay, but I want to see The Return of Muppet Vision 3D.
Because Muppet Vision 3D was Jim Henson's last production he ever worked on, and a basic tribute to him as well. That's why it's called Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D.
So if you have the Disney imagineers to return Muppet Vision 3D for Hollywoodland in Disney California Adventure, make sure that Muppet Vision 3D makes its way into stage 17.
Because stage 17 would be used for special events and so forth, because it used to be an interactive attraction based on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire game show. But now that that's gone, and I think it's really lame and a waste of time to put special events in stage 17.
A permanent attraction needs to go inside stage 17, and it has to be Muppet Vision 3D.
I really want My Muppet Vision 3D to come back to Disney California Adventure, and to be placed permanently inside stage 17
See you at Disneyland! BRING MONEY.
You would never live in any Disney castle let alone spend more than 5 minutes in the park unless you absolutely had to.
I went there twice from Australia over the last 20yrs I dont care how big it is at 51years old i still think its the happiest place on Earth
I came across your video on the trains and now im hooked in again andf planning my 3rd trip hahaha
Awesome video. Now, I never wonder why the Castle was small, but this has be invaluable. Thank you
When I was a kid, Disneyland seemed so huge, like it truly was it’s own world... now days, seeing people pick it apart in satellite images I can believe how much they crammed in such a small space and still give the illusion of it being big...
Alex, another "great" watch. Now that I'm through binge watching all your past works I really look forward to something new, and you are doing a great job of it. My first time in the walk-thru I was so young that I turned around and walked out, it seemed a bit creepy at the time. Again thanks for your time and hard work, oh and you narration.
The castle is so beautiful
When it was recently repainted it should have been slightly enlarged.....as Walt originally intended before budget issues got in the way.
There was more to it though, it wasn't just budget, they realized the previous plan was too big for Disneyland. Walt himself liked the castle just the way it was. And making the castle bigger serves no purpose.
@@AlextheHistorian It's out of scale with the rest of the park since so many things have been added. It's underwhelming to say the least.
Really like these short q and a videos you are doing!
Well done sir
Alex the Historian Sleeping Beauty Castle used to be an eyesore back in the early days of Disneyland.
But then years later Space Mountain, and even the Matterhorn became a real eyesore of Disneyland.
So the only way to see Sleeping Beauty Castle is if you would stay at the front Tower of the Disneyland Hotel, or even Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. If you get a room at one of the upper floors.
And if you where to go to Howard Johnson's hotel, or even the Sheraton Hotel. You can even see Sleeping Beauty Castle across the way, if you were at one of the upper floors.
Nowadays Sleeping Beauty Castle is a eyesore from the skyscraping hotels
Eyesore means "ugly to look at". But I get what you're trying to say.
Nice video, thank you! I wonder what Cinderella Castle was like before the hub expansion. I mean they took significant space away from areas around it to expand the hub, so going by your theory, the castle would have had to look smaller or disturbed Main Street. I know the trees in the 80s/90s made the castle look smaller, but those trees used to be smaller too. 😃
It's interesting that you mention how forced perspective can work both ways, because that might be part of why this issue gets brought up so much in the first place. When Disneyland first opened, the forced perspective that the castle employed to seem taller was furthered by the fact that nothing else in the park even came close to it in terms of height (well, except for the original Moonliner in Tomorrowland, but the park was laid out so that it was very difficult to see both at once anyways).
But over the years, the trees around and behind the castle have grown so tall that they dwarf the castle nowadays. It definitely looks prettier than it did in 1955, no arguments there, but it kind of counteracts some of the forced perspective tricks you were talking about and makes the castle look weirdly both too big and too small. I actually rather like the effect, since it gives it a sense of both grandness and intimacy, but it's probably contributed to the ever-increasing number of people who complain about its size.
Of course, the fact that all of the other parks have bigger castles now probably factors into that too, but I thought it was worth noting anyways. It's kind of cool how the changes to a structure's surroundings can change how we view it over time, even when the structure itself stays the same.
Yes! Why are the trees taller than the castle??? From the fireworks viewing area of the castle the trees on the left are so tall and also partly block some of the show. If they're not going to heighten the castle perhaps they should remove those trees and put smaller ones.
Bigger is not always better. Our castle is unique and it should always remain the same.
I don’t care how small that castle was but it was a great Illusion and I love Disneyland So much.
Appreciate what you do... consistent quality ! 🧡🌞
Thanks!
Honestly, people are gonna hate me but I believe they should make the sleeping beauty castle bigger or add something to it like a restaurant and a private vip suite in it, it’s too small to me, and I’m from California, when you look at the other castles it’s too small, I would say keep the design and colors but make it bigger, cause it really needs something to spice it up, and before Disney fans start saying things like “Disney would turn over in his grave if they change the castle or do anything to the castle” let’s remember that Disney said “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to
grow as long as there is imagination left in the world”. And I believe maybe he would have updated the castle, then again maybe not but I believe that the castle should not be an exception to that Disney quote
It looks big on TV but when you see it, its small, I have to agree with Disneyland Anaheim its the very first disneypark so just leave it be.
I love our little castle here in so cal 🥰💞❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
i honestly wouldn't mind if they rebuilt the castle how it was originally intended to be before the budget forced compromises
Great job history without appearing as history! A wild idea, Cinderella's roller coaster! Just think the final drop from the highest point on the castle! woosh 😂
I’ve never been to Disneyland but I want to just to see Sleeping Beauty Castle
I like it more than Cinderella Castle. Sleeping Beaty Castle is inviting and "home-ey". And being able to explore the walk through is a really nice experience
I have visited Disneyland, Disney World and Tokyo Disney. I prefer the original Disneyland because I know that at some point in time Walt stood there and planned it that way.
No he didn't. They were limited due to budget. This wasn't his original plan. If he were alive today he would improve it.
@@terenarosa4790 I wrote that I PREFER Disneyland to Orlando or Tokyo Parks because Walt Disney planned and designed it. It is the ONLY Disney park that Walt had built and stood inside. No other Disney park has had Walt's personal input or presence within it.
I swear if I don’t stop getting Disneyland ads while watching the videos
nice video :)
Thanks!
I adore your channel.
Thank you!
Disneyland's castle is older then the others castles in the world
Honestly the short stature of the castle makes it look wider and larger. Cinderella just looks like a traffic cone comparatively.
Great topic for a video 🤙🏻
Alex the Historian if they didn't change the castle at Hong Kong Disneyland years later, it could have been better and really cool if the castle would not only be a small replica of the Disneyland castle.
But the castle could have had the original design, no not the design of the castle where he would be very big.
I'm talking about the first small-scale design of the castle that was painted by Herbie Ryman, and that was originally put together in a model.
Because the front end of the castle was supposed to be in the back, but Herbie didn't like the way he did the painting and the model was made. So he took the top of the castle and put it backwards. Which Walt Disney accepted.
And of course some people nowadays say that Sleeping Beauty Castle was built backwards, with the top of the castle.
So when they made the castle at Hong Kong Disneyland, they should have had the front part of the castle to go backwards. So it would look like the first small-scale design of the castle, that was painted by Herbie Ryman. And if they could have done that idea back in 2005, it could have been a whole different Castle That was supposed to be at Disneyland. Without changing the castle at Hong Kong Disneyland years later
Yeah but the reason Disney wouldn't build Hong Kong's castle with the top facing backwards is for the same reason Herb Ryman turned the model around, he didn't like it. It's not a very good looking side of the castle.
@@AlextheHistorian yeah I remembered listening to Herbie's interview from the Disneyland 50th Anniversary documentary.
In my mind I thought well I'm sorry mr. Ryman, but I did like the original design that you painted. And I'm sure that some other Disney fans loved the original design that you painted as well, before you switched the model at the top of the castle.
So I've always thought that they should have used the original first final small-scale design of Sleeping Beauty Castle for Hong Kong Disneyland, that could have looked way different than Sleeping Beauty Castle from Disneyland.
I even showed a picture of the original small-scale design of Sleeping Beauty Castle, and talked about it to who knows how many Disney fans. And ask them do you think this could have been better for Hong Kong Disneyland, and they all told me yes.
So even though Herbie Ryman didn't like the first small-scale design of the castle that he painted, the design of it could have been built for Hong Kong Disneyland. And I'm sure that they would be a battle of Disney fans saying I don't like the way the castle looks, but there would be more Disney fans saying, oh I like the castle don't complain about it. Besides it looks way different than the one from the original Disneyland.
So basically if any of that could have happened, they would be a massive support of the original design of the castle if it could have been built for Hong Kong Disneyland. With the front side of the castle facing backwards, there would have been some Disney fans that would show their support if that design of the castle could have been built for Hong Kong Disneyland.
And even though Herbie Ryman would not like it from Hong Kong Disneyland, that would look like his original design of the castle. He would stay focus on the castle at Disneyland, and would tell everybody that the final design was his masterpiece. That he appreciated so much, ever since changing the top of the castle when he was put together as a model from the beginning. And then he made a final painting design of it, so he would stay true with the castle at Disneyland.
And he would not like if the castle was built on its original design for Hong Kong Disneyland, but there would be Disney fans that would like that original design if it could have happened for Hong Kong Disneyland. And both castles could have been way different, but would be built in the same shape. So the castle at Hong Kong Disneyland would not get a renovation years later.
But nowadays to the castles are way different, and basically I had deal with it and that's the way I like it.👍😉❤
I just wish they can change the Cinderella castle at Tokyo Disneyland, not changing the entire castle with new designs. But with a paint job instead, and if that ever happens it should look like the colors of Sleeping Beauty Castle from Disneyland. So Cinderella castle from Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland could look the same but look way different with their paint schemes. And basically I would have to deal with that idea, and basically I would like the way it would be if it ever happens👍😉❤
Hands off the original SB castle. It's perfect as it is 😉
Hi Alex. You know Ive enjoyed your posts for years now. I’ve suggested, in the past that you do something on the history of the Autopias, including the Midget version. I have yet another suggestion that would require very little “deep” research. How about making a Set of videos, dedicated to the Ticket Book System. Not in the way others have done it, simply by talking about how tickets worked. Rather you could actually go to one or two periods in time that used Tickets and focus on the actual attractions that each Letter covered, though you might have to combine the A and B. I’ve never seen it done this way and from someone who, for the longest time, had to plan trips around the ticket books, thinks it would be a fun approach. Thanks for listening, thanks for what you give us.
Peace
Doing the history of the Autopias is one thing, but talking about which attractions had what tickets can be a can of worms, because as you know, certain rides changed tickets several times throughout the years. Simply selecting two points in time will not be enough for viewers, I would get a barrage of comments saying "why didn't you mention how the rides changed tickets in _ year." or "why couldn't you just go a bit further and talk about pricing and ticket bundles". People get so technical over that stuff and next thing you know I'd have a lot of dislikes on the video.
@@AlextheHistorian it was just a thought. Hope all is well and always looking forward to what you produce. Appreciate the shout. Never did find out if you know my son Joshua ( different last name ) Levine. He was a Cast Member when you were in New Orleans and Critter country.
Oh I'm sorry, I thought I had already told you, I dont remember a Joshua Levine. I would need to see a picture to be honest, I'm bad at putting names to faces.
@@AlextheHistorian no sweat. Peace and be healthy.
Why is your history of sleeping Beauty Castle video gone?? It was my favv 🙋🏼♂️
All my videos had to be deleted due to copyright issues. But one-by-one I have been remaking them. So it will come back, better than before.
Disneyland's castle "fits" the size of the rest of the park perfectly. Magic Kingdom's castle is certainly beautiful (Tokyo Disneyland is a virtual copy of Florida). Paris has arguably the most beautiful of any Disney castle. I am, however, not a fan of either Shanghai or Hong Kong's castles, where -- in both castles -- bigger is NOT better.
you're right ! everything else, put it on DVD see it at home and upgrade everything else
Wonderful
Well done..
I will admit, i was a bit underwhelmed when I saw it, probably because i was spoiled by the Florida one.
So if you could see the castle a mile away, when did Disney build the berm??
The berm has been there since day 1, but the berm isn't that tall, it ranges from 10 feet high to 30 feet high, but the castle is 77 feet, so it was easy to see it from over the berm!
it's fine as it is
I recall years ago seeing an image of the castle at the Hong Kong park & doing a double-take. Was that in Calif or China? Unsettled reaction. It's good HK's centerpiece is no longer identical to the 1955 one. 2 fountains have since been installed in the castle's moat in Anaheim. Unsure about their affect on the theming. Most people won't care or even prefer them. If they were simple one-stream geysers, they might just skate by. Instead, they're multi-stream & remind me of a fountain at a miniature golf course or an office park in Irvine. Might have been better if Disney's management hadn't spent the money for the fountain's installation.
The fountains are temporary and were installed as part of the decorations for the company's 100 year celebration. They will be removed after the celebration
@@AlextheHistorian Good to know. Actually, if they were simple single-stream geysers, they might give an interesting distinction to the Anaheim park. I now feel like I'm changing my tune. LOL.
I was disappointed when I saw the small castle . Well not really disappointed just not impressed :)
I've been going to Disneyland since i was a baby and i want them to make it bigger! Not even by a lot! I just hate feeling like I'm looking at a toy! It's so tiny! (I live near Disneyland btw. I'm not some out of state visitor.)
If they made it real size it would probably take up half the park.
@@PlayWaves1 i never said to make it real size. I just want it taller. Tall towers.
Is this castle abondon
The question is why do WDW fans and vloggers always comment on the size of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, as if there is some kind of contest in their minds?
I just found the Disneyland Castle used to belong to Snow White. Then it became Sleeping Beauty aka Princess Aurora
I'm not sure where you saw that, but since construction started on the castle, it was always meant to belong to Sleeping Beauty. Tomorrow I am posting a video about the history of the castle.
No matter what, Disneyland is the original park.
Disneyland already done things lately to make me upset let's just say for example apirl 15th smh.
The first thing actually was cats.🐅🐅🏰🏰
Lol 😂
I like the Cinderella castle better myself
I wish it had also been built at Disneyland too.
🪿
I always thought the Disneyland castle is ugly and I still think it is sorry if you like it though
I have a niece near Disney World. She and family go to the park all the time, but she’s obsessed with going to Disneyland in Anaheim to see the original park. She loves anything original Disneyland Disney, even the New Orleans style Haunted Mansion. I honestly prefer the Disney World exterior for that one.
Alex the Historian does the Disneyland Google Auto Complete interview.
The algorithm demands it. Feed the algorithm! 🤖
Do you have suggestions on content? Cause I will gladly hear them.
@@AlextheHistorian , your video is the perfect quick video answer to someone who started typing "Why is the Disneyland castle..." and the auto-complete added "small". Which reminded me of the video series "Wired" does using the algorithms auto-complete to interview celebrities. ua-cam.com/video/AHzbPH19sIU/v-deo.html
Clicking away at Google typing "Why, What, Who, Where, When, How, and Disneyland" in varying Combinations could be quite the chore to find the ideas that haven't been answered.
Again more criticism, but no suggestions in return. My channel has a series called Disneyland History Today, its a show that not only gives the history of Disneyland rides, but also reveals a lot of information that is hard if not impossible to find. I suggest watching those videos. Unfortunately people nowadays don't have the patience to sit through even a ten minute long video, so I've resorted to adding this new short-video series to my channel to help entice more people to my channel and get them to watch my better content. While this episode may not impress you, I think you'll find that others I plan to make will delve deeper. But if you have suggestions for new episodes, again, I'm all ears.
@@AlextheHistorian, my only criticism is the UA-cam algorithm that prioritizes ad views over quality content (congrats on the 15k!). I think it was a good video. I remember watching and thinking... "He didn't mention the cats in the castle", but you have to make cuts to keep things short and concise (very hard when you love every historical fact).
I think you have a good idea of making shorter versions of your existing videos. I like the long form content, but agree that non disney fanatics might not want to spend 40 minutes to learn about the basketball hoop on the Matterhorn.
I have been watching your videos for years. I started watching Matterhorn Matt's podcast because of you. I thought a parody in the style of the "Wired" Auto-complete interview on Matterhorn Monday, but how easy is it to keep the answers short.
I would say don't take my advice, I'm just a nobody on the internet. You are in a much better position to know your content. My only content suggestion was searching "Who, what, where, when, why, How" in combination "Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Disneyland, It's a Small World, etc." Knowing what people search for frequently on those terms reveals what you need to draw them in. It's sifting through the garbage that is the challenge.
Thank you. To be honest I worried about these videos. First years I refused to make "cheap content" like Top 10 videos and stuff because I thought that was too easy, its the lazy way to get popular. And I still believe that, but my history videos were not pulling in the crowds, I tried everything to improve them but it was clear that if I want to reach a wider audience, I have to offer something faster to produce, something that can reel in new viewers, so I created this series, but I'm still going to keep making full history videos and even delve deeper into who Walt Disney was...I just needed content that could hook new people in, and its working. And the mini series is still offering some education into Disney.
Just add one other very slightly larger tower on the main towers roof. It doesn’t need to be remodeled or even a huge tower. Just a little one, just a little one 🤏