There are few things that are more beautiful than a Disney castle at night. The bastion of light and beauty that stands out in the dark in a Disney Park is absolutely magical. Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris is one of the most beautiful Disney castles around the globe. It also happens to be even a bit more beautiful now after recently having its lighting package upgraded. Disneyland Paris shared about how this came about.
“Over the last few months, we worked closely with the Design & Delivery and Entertainment teams to install all-new LED spotlights around Sleeping Beauty Castle. We wanted to bring an extra touch of magic to this architectural masterpiece that our guests love photographing at night, by illuminating it with spotlights that make its columns and the golden elements adorning its turrets stand out,” shared Jérémy Declerck, Lighting Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris.
The process to reimagine this elevated lighting experience took several months and went through multiple stages. This included artistic design, coordination with involved teams, nighttime installation, programming, and then technical adjustments. The results is that when night falls, over 200 new spotlights come together to enhance Sleeping Beauty Castle. This comes after the castle had its own refurbishment in 2021. The reimagining of the lighting package is the perfect cherry on top of Sleeping Beauty Castle’s refurbishment project.
Walt Disney Imagineering Paris took great care to create a new 360-degree lighting setup during this project. They sought to pay homage to Sleeping Beauty Castle’s original lighting in the park by going through archive images. They also drew inspiration from the lighting that adorns the Castle which appears at the beginning of Disney’s feature films.
“After upgrading the outdoor lighting equipment of several attractions such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Les Voyages de Pinocchio, Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains, and more recently, La Tanière du Dragon, we have just reached another milestone in the enhancement of Fantasyland’s lighting atmosphere,” added Jérémy Declerck.
There are also some fun details to look for with the new lighting for Sleeping Beauty Castle. This includes a subtle nod to the iconic scene in Sleeping Beauty where the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, argue over the color of Princess Aurora’s dress. Look closely and notice that one of the castle’s windows will change colors repeatedly, “We’ll make it blue. Oh, no, dear, pink!”
What do you think about the enhanced lighting for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris? Have you been there? What do you like most about this park? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
