February 10, 2005
Sleeping Beauty's Castle
For anyone else (besides me) who isn't in the know, there is important work afoot at the friendliest place on earth. Starting May 5, 2005, Disneyland will commemorate its 50th Anniversary with a grand 18 month long celebration. To prepare for this event (which has been billed as the park's biggest party ever), Disney is planning to enhance existing and introduce a number of new attractions and features.
Each theme park will honor Disneyland's birthday by introducing new shows or attractions. With few exceptions, the 'new' additions to each park are simply concepts borrowed from other resorts. Unfortunately, however, this also means changes to long time icons that we have come to know and love. PreserveLA has learned that several perennial Disneyland favorites are being transformed into "fresh and exciting" new venues.
Currently under wraps is the centerpiece of the park, Sleeping Beauty's Castle. The new facade will be revealed as a kick start for the upcoming celebration. When finished, the castle will be enrobed in colorful gold fabric bunting and royal banners, and each of the five turrets will wear a 'crown' of glistening jewels said to represent each Disney decade. According to the masterminds at Walt Disney Imagineering, the enhancements will not physically alter the castle, and the overlay will be reversible.
This is good news for the future preservation of the iconic Sleeping Beauty's Castle, but isn't necessarily the case for other planned alterations to the park. Changes are also underway in Tomorrowland - to Space Mountain, and the Tomorrowland Railroad Station specifically - and to the Enchanted Tiki Room. The long-standing Disneyland history exhibit inside the Main Street Opera House, entitled "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," will also be displaced for at least the celebration's 18 month duration.
For a complete list of current and planned "attraction refurbishments" visit RideRefurbs.com. Details on the 50th Anniversary celebration are outlined in this article at MousePlanet.com from May of last year and a wide variety of other news sources. Also, be sure to visit Wdwinfo.com for photographs of Sleeping Beauty's Castle under wraps.
Looking for information on discontinued and otherwise lost Disneyland rides and attractions? YesterLand.com is an excellent resource and contains a large collection of photographs and information on the park's past incarnations. Prepare to be wistful!
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