Back in the 90s (and before), Disneyland reserved the “off season” to do major refurbishments to structures and attractions. These days there is no off season, so guests are likely to find sections of the happiest place on earth “under construction” almost any time of year.
Imagine, then, how odd it was to walk down Main Street and find Sleeping Beauty Castle swathed in tarps during the Summer of 1996. But that’s just what happened. Aside from anything else, it marred the background for the relatively new Partners Statue in the center of the park.
A closer look revealed that the castle was not only covered up, it was also walled off. And the walls extended all the way out to the curb line to the south.
There wasn’t much more to see from the other side of the castle, even though some of the canvas covering was open.
A view from the west revealed that the moat was drained, and workmen appeared to be everywhere. Perhaps the other side, where Snow White’s Wishing Well was located, would offer a better view.
The east side did offer a glimpse behind the castle canvas. There was also a new railing for the little bridge leading to the wishing well. If you look closely, you can also see Herb Ryman’s little spruce tree, just to the left of the entrance of the bridge.
The view from the east side, looking west, finally revealed what was going on behind the wall. Workmen had removed the entire surface of the castle forecourt, and were busily laying out some sort of metal armatures over what appeared to be a freshly leveled subsurface.
But what had become of the familiar pavement that had been in place as long as I could remember? It was a compass rose (a graphic of a compass), inlaid in a field of coral colored terrazzo. The points, edged with thin strips of brass, were composed of panels alternating in black and gray, giving them a slightly 3D effect. The entire pavement was enhanced by a border of flat stone pavers. Why, I wondered, would they remove a detail that had been in place since the opening of Disneyland in 1955?
As it turns out, the forecourt was not in place when Disneyland opened to the public. A comparison of a plan view (drawn by landscape architect Ruth Shellhorn in May, 1955) with a present-day view shows that the entrance had been substantially altered.
Originally, it was a straight path, leading directly from the hub to the drawbridge, with expanses of open lawn on each side. The path narrowed as it got closer to the castle, to enhance the forced perspective used throughout Disneyland. Early photos show that path and the lawns.
And now the forecourt was being altered again. Back in 1996, it was hard to imagine what could possibly improve on the original. But the new design has proved very popular through the ensuing years.
The new compass rose included eight cardinal points, against a field of gray. The points are pink and blue, which is appropriate for a castle dedicated to Sleeping Beauty. Thin brass strips are now bright brass accents. There are also small, randomly placed starbursts. The entire compass is encircled by a broad border in which brass lettering carries a quotation from Pinocchio: “When you wish upon a star your dreams come true.”
Enhancements in that last photo were added by the PhotoPass team. And for those who are curious to see the complete design, not long after the new forecourt was revealed, the entire compass rose appeared as a handsome pin. But all of this was, of course, still in the future that day the walls went up around the Sleeping Beauty Castle forecourt, thirty years ago at Disneyland.
