Vote of the week: The best Disney castle?

October 17, 2008, 12:37 PM · Tip of the hat, again, to Tim W for the topic for this week's vote.

In the beginning, there was:

Neuschwanstein Castle

And, then, there were:

Sleeping Beauty's Castle
Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Cinderella's Castle
The Magic Kingdom's Cinderella's Castle

Cinderella's Castle
Tokyo Disneyland's Cinderella's Castle

Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant
Disneyland Paris's Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant

Sleeping Beauty's Castle
Hong Kong Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty's Castle

The original castle in Anaheim's Disneyland follows the Neuschwanstein model, which Disney copied again for its most recent castle, at Hong Kong Disneyland. Disney's second castle, at Florida's Walt Disney World, adopted a different look, which was copied almost identically for Tokyo.

Paris' castle is the only one without a twin, showing a blend of the other castle's colors and styles. It also the only castle, for the moment, with an attraction inside. (Anaheim's castle will reopen its walk-through later this year.)

Architecture aficionados, please share your thoughts in the comments.

Replies (17)

October 17, 2008 at 12:45 PM · I voted for DLP because it is the most unique and it has a Dragon in the Basement! The area in and around this castle is truly beautiful. It is the most immagnative castle of the all! However, all of them are great.
October 17, 2008 at 12:55 PM · I had to vote for the Cinderella castle in Orlando because I love the mosaics!
October 17, 2008 at 1:39 PM · As much as I love seeing Cinderella's castle every time i got to Orlando, Disneyland paris' is just so beautiful and whimsical.
October 17, 2008 at 1:43 PM · Gotta go with Cinderella's Castle at MK...it has a lot of special meaning to me and unlike some of the other castles, it towers above you and is such an amazing and recognizable landmark...the minute you walk into the park, you are drawn to its grandeur and its beauty...its the unltimate weenie
October 17, 2008 at 2:12 PM · Very true and,of the castles that I have visited in the Disney parks, MK comes closest to DLP's. Imagine the story of Sleeping Beauty in Stained Glass instead of the story of Cinderella in Mosaic. DLP also has square trees which is neat too!
October 17, 2008 at 8:18 PM · OK, just a little Disney humor...On the backside before you enter the rear entrance to the Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle, where the Carousel and Fantasyland is located, go through the small left archway passage, and on the 'of course' left side of that main/middle go-through of the castle. Just as you then come to the front fountain area, again look to your left...But 'Stop' walking and start looking. There you will see a few squirting fountains and one Dwarf named Dopey, who I'm not sure, but feel it may have been purposely position this way...Has appearance that 'he Dopey' is whizzing in the waters. The little streaming water is position to the left rear of Dopey, and as you stand there the water steam appears to be coming outta our little friend. Looking from the front side of the Castle this is not apparent at all, but from the rear looking out to the front...Whoops !
...Just thought I'd share.
October 18, 2008 at 5:18 AM · Ive seen most of them and I still like the WDW the best. Just wish theyd give up on all the junk..in front of it..
October 18, 2008 at 8:41 AM · I just realized the only one that does not have a copy is DLP's. I will say DL has a very small castle compared to the others.
October 18, 2008 at 11:09 AM · I had once read that the reason the castle at Disneyland Paris was so different from the others in design was so that it would not be a replica of already existing castles in the country and continent. Plus, they wanted it to look more like it was coming out of a story than an actual castle. It is quite interesting, though I had to go with Cinderella's castle MK.
October 18, 2008 at 4:17 PM · Gotta represent for the home team. I live in Orlando! Cindy's crib is the tops!
October 18, 2008 at 7:19 PM · Ok, i shouldev thought this through. Maybe instead of doing which castle was the best becasue i think its obvious everyone loves Cinderella's castle, just cuz its so iconic. Now i think i shoudlev done which had the best exhibit inside the castle. Disneyland's sleepign beauty walkthrough. Tokyos former villain walkthrough. MK's mosaics. And paris's dragon. Does HK have one? But ill save that for a later poll. after my next 2 ideas.
October 19, 2008 at 5:21 PM · Paris' is the most architecturally interesting, and has a beautiful landscape to accompany it.

Paris FTW.

October 20, 2008 at 3:40 AM · Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim.
It's the original concept and, for me, looks and feels like a castle that's actually been there for centuries.
October 20, 2008 at 2:21 PM · I think paris is the best. Because people from countrys such as austria and germany are bound to visit disneyland paris the designers had to really make a nice castle to stand out from all the real castles already in europe.
October 22, 2008 at 4:50 AM · It's Cindi's place in Orlando for me!
October 22, 2008 at 8:16 AM · If any castle is iconic, it is the original. That's the one that was the company logo, that's the one that opened up Walt's Sunday TV show for so many years. But the best is hands down Paris. If you didn't vote for that one, I must assume you've never seen it.
October 23, 2008 at 4:16 AM · Disneyland Paris has the best castle, (even though I like Orlando), as you can actually go inside and underneath to see the dragon that lives there. In Orlando all you can do is walk through the centre unless you can afford to eat in the restaurant!!!

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