No trip to Disneyland Paris is complete without a visit to the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle for that all-important castle snap.
Located at the heart of the resort's Disneyland theme park in Fantasyland, the world-famous pink, blue and gold castle has long been a hit with Disney fans as it offers an instant dose of magic when you walk down Main Street U.S.A.
The Disney landmark has just undergone a major makeover, its biggest refurbishment since the theme park opened in 1992, including revamping its iconic turrets, and giving the castle a fresh lick of paint ahead of Disneyland Paris's 30th anniversary celebrations kicking off from March 2022.
However, it's not just the exterior that's impressive - the castle is filled with hidden details, stained windows in tributes to Sleeping Beauty, and even a terrifying dragon for brave guests to discover.
We take a look at some of the coolest facts and secrets you may not know about the Disneyland Paris castle below...
It's the only Disney castle in the world with a dragon
Most people will take a snap of the castle, wander through parts of the exhibition above ground, and then head to the rides - but if you wander down to the castle basement, you'll come face to face with a terrifying, fire-breathing dragon!
The 79ft-long creature, one of the biggest Audio-Animatronics® characters designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, can be found 'sleeping' throughout the day, although it's also been known to wake up and roar at visitors who explore its lair.
It faces north for a specific reason
Like all Disney theme park castles, the Sleeping Beauty Castle faces north. This is to ensure that the sun never passes behind the castle, which means theme park goers can get a perfect snap in front of the landmark at any time of the day, from Main Street U.S.A.
There are hidden details throughout
When the Imagineers first created the Sleeping Beauty Castle, they slipped in a whole host of references to France. If you look closely you'll be able to see fine gold leaf snails that look like they're climbing on the spires, while the geometric gardens are inspired by 'The Lady and the Unicorn' tapestry.
It's the most visited castle in Europe
Disneyland Paris is Europe's top tourist attraction, attracting millions of visitors each year - and as such, its Sleeping Beauty Castle is actually the most visited castle in Europe! (Although if you are after more traditional ones, these fairytale-worthy castles in Europe are well worth adding to the bucket list).
There are 14 shades of pink on the castle
Its pink facade is iconic, but it's actually made up of 14 different shades to bring the castle to life. In fact, it took 1,200 litres of paint to paint the castle by hand in its recent renovation.
It measures 141ft in height
The castle is 141ft-high, with its tallest tower reaching about 55ft. In total, the castle is estimated to weigh 15 tons.
It features Disney's coat of arms
There's a stone arch which links the western part of the castle with the La Chaumière des Sept Nains shop, which bears the Disney coat of arms. The name Disney is derived from the village of Isigny-sur-mer which, by transformation would have become Isigny to be anglicised as 'Disney'.
You can find out more on disneylandparis.com.
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