Did Walt design Cinderella Castle?

[Brian]

Hey folks, I've been around for a while but seldom post.

I am wondering, did Walt Disney design Cinderella Castle? I have always heard about his planning of Disney World but I don't know exactly how much he designed before his unfortunate death in 1966.

Thanks,

Brian

 

[steve2wdw]

Nope....sadly he was long gone by the time the actual design work took place. I think Herb Ryman conceptualized it in artwork.

 

[zooey]

Walt didn't have much to do with the Magic Kingdom at all. By the time it was being developed his interests had moved on to city planning and urban design. He was working on EPCOT the city when he passed, and while the Magic Kingdom was part of that plan, it wasn't his focus at the time and he most likely wouldn't of had much to do with it besides in concept and as a consultant.

 

[Brian]

Walt didn't have much to do with the Magic Kingdom at all. By the time it was being developed his interests had moved on to city planning and urban design. He was working on EPCOT the city when he passed, and while the Magic Kingdom was part of that plan, it wasn't his focus at the time and he most likely wouldn't of had much to do with it besides in concept and as a consultant.

That's what I had thought. Although, I can see some "Walt" in Magic Kingdom, even today.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

That's what I had thought. Although, I can see some "Walt" in Magic Kingdom, even today.

There definitely is. That's because there are themes and attractions borrowed from Disneyland. No question you can feel the spirit of Walt at WDW despite him never setting foot on it (completed)

 

[MarkTwain]

Cinderella Castle was designed primarily by Imagineer Herb Ryman, with some input by John Hench, the architect of Imagineering and one of the lead animators of Cinderella. There's actually a bit of debate as to whether Walt saw the concept before he died, but from I've heard, Ryman made the first pencil sketch just a few weeks after he died.

You can read more about this, as well as the debate I mentioned (featuring yours truly in the comment section ) right here.

 

[SobchakSecurity]

That's what I had thought. Although, I can see some "Walt" in Magic Kingdom, even today.

There's a lot of Walt there, but it's more spirit than actual design. WED had become a well-oiled machine anyway by the late 60s, so they didn't need Walt to micromanage and still designed an amazing park. Walt probably gave some overriding ideas (like a taller castle than Disneyland), but I don't think he was really involved in the nascent design process, because things like the Country Bear Jamboree ended up designed and built for opening day even though Walt never intended it for Florida.

I did read somewhere, maybe in his biography, that Walt was excited that the Florida location allowed Disney to make better use of something as mundane as water than Disneyland ever could. The actual quote was something along the lines of "similar to what we've done before, but with more water." And so, we have a hub with a meandering canal.

 

[dman1373]

well what about the apartment in cinderella castle. walt had to say he wanted that in there, thus they were forced to make the castle bigger.

 

[zooey]

well what about the apartment in cinderella castle. walt had to say he wanted that in there, thus they were forced to make the castle bigger.

That idea probably was just floating out there long before he died. They were working on Epcot for many years, and they knew that a "Disneyland East" park was going to be part of the design. So, they knew they were going to make a castle, and they discussed having an apartment inside for Walt, but it was never designed or logistically figured out until after Walt had died and WDW as we know it today was being developed. Also, there's always stories that sort of come out of the woodwork and then get picked up over and over and they become something that's mostly untrue. I don't know if the whole Walt's Apartment idea is one of those cases, but it could be.

 

[majorrfb]

I think I read (somewhere) that Cinderella's Castle design was borrowed from a Bavarian Castle with modifications :shrug:

 

[zooey]

I think I read (somewhere) that Cinderella's Castle design was borrowed from a Bavarian Castle with modifications :shrug:

It has elements inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle, and other European castles.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

DL's Sleeping Beauty is much inspired by Neuschwanstein. (Which is itself not an authentic castle, but a pastiche that's really only a few decades older than Sleeping Beauty's castle)

Cinderella's castle is more French in design. Most of the architectural features are derived from French gothic and renaissance elements. But not any single château in particular.

Pierrefonds for example: