Variations on the Magic Kingdom come and go, and each has their own charms, their own strengths and weaknesses. Making each one unique can be a challenge- from the original big risk project of Walt's park, to the people eating massive scale of Shanghai Disneyland, to the intimate by necessity Hong Kong Disneyland, the Imagineers have done their best under stressful situations to produce destinations that sparkle with Disney magic.
In the City of Light, Paris, France, Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant stands above all else for sheer elegance with its style and design coming straight from the animated masterpiece Sleeping Beauty. The artwork of Eyvind Earle comes to life- complete with a fire breathing Malificent dragon in the dungeon.
Accessed by an understated entrance on the left side of the castle, La Taniere du Dragon (The Dragon's Dungeon) draws guests in by the thousands.
Did you know the dragon's dungeon can also be reached by a secret entrance from the Merlin L'Enchanteur shop? Although the entire park is filled with great and thoughtful design for Disney theme park fans, this little touch may be one of my very favorites.
The stained glass window at the top of the article is another design detail well worth mentioning. If you access the railroad by the Main Street U.S.A. train station, you notice there is one window for each of the park's main themed lands. If you look closely at this window, you'll find that even the lower cavelike entrance to the dungeon was not a detail so small as to be overlooked. But such is the art of Disneyland Paris.
Under the guidance of Tony Baxter, the park drew from the work of top notch Imagineers to make it a modern masterpiece. Credit Imagineers Eddie Sotto for his stunning take on Main Street U.S.A. and Tom Morris for adding even more charm and whimsy to Fantasyland.
(Window photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company. Other photographs copyright Mark Taft.)
The secret passageway in Merlin's
is directly beneath the airship.
The way back up to the shop from the dungeon
is easier to find.
The stained glass window at the top of the article is another design detail well worth mentioning. If you access the railroad by the Main Street U.S.A. train station, you notice there is one window for each of the park's main themed lands. If you look closely at this window, you'll find that even the lower cavelike entrance to the dungeon was not a detail so small as to be overlooked. But such is the art of Disneyland Paris.
Under the guidance of Tony Baxter, the park drew from the work of top notch Imagineers to make it a modern masterpiece. Credit Imagineers Eddie Sotto for his stunning take on Main Street U.S.A. and Tom Morris for adding even more charm and whimsy to Fantasyland.
(Window photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company. Other photographs copyright Mark Taft.)
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