Disneyland Paris unveiled the refurbished Sleeping Beauty Castle bridge just in time for the 35th anniversary of the castle’s reveal. It’s been undergoing refurbishment for six months.
Sleeping Beauty Castle Refurbished Bridge
Sleeping Beauty Castle, a.k.a. Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, was unveiled to the public during the Rendez-Vous au Château event on October 12, 1991. Now the castle’s bridge is ready to reopen with new decorative features after an almost six month renovation.
The structure supporting the decorative elements has been completely rebuilt, as have the arches, corbels, and decorative spandrels. The wooden posts of the balustrade have been replaced. The drawbridge has a new deck made of tropical timber.
The bridge deck was completely redesigned. The old stamped concrete has been replaced by granite paving, which Disneyland Paris says is easier to maintain and more attractive whilst also ensuring guest comfort. Laying the paving required a meticulous puzzle-like layout. The 2,735 individual pieces were fitted to follow the arched shape of the bridge.
The natural stone balusters made from Champagny limestone were also completely rebuilt and treated with a waterproofing agent to protect them from water spray from the fountains below.
To recreate the appearance of the stones covering the bridge’s elevations and the undersides of its arches, synthetic stone in paste form was sprayed onto a metal framework, before being sculpted by hand to create its relief patterns. Each piece was then hand-painted, using five different shades and various light and dark tones, in order to recreate the natural variations found in the stones of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
A brand-new compass rose made with natural stone and brass inlays adorns the center of the bridge. The color scheme is based on the three fairies who watch over Aurora. Merryweather’s blue branches and Flora’s red ones point in opposite directions, evoking their fight over the color of Aurora’s dress. Between the branches, a green arc creates a transition, representing Fauna and her role as a mediator.
The compass rose is completed by a central brass medallion depicting Aurora’s crown surrounded by thorns, as well as a brass fleur-de-lis indicating north. This detail is a nod to the four brass letters that originally marked the four cardinal directions on the bridge when Disneyland Park opened. They were removed during a 2010 refurbishment. The brass elements feature three different layers, with various finishes handcrafted by a specialist artisan to create subtle effects of depth and shine.
Patina and painting work, along with new landscaping, finish the transformation.
Stefano Servi, Stage Architect at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, said, “This renovation was made possible thanks to the involvement of numerous trades and the wealth of their expertise. We called upon experts in the restoration of historic monuments to take care of Sleeping Beauty Castle, which is, in its own way, a landmark of Disneyland Paris. Our aim was to restore the bridge to its former glory, whilst preserving the details that give it its character, so that it may continue to form an integral part of the Castle for many years to come.”
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