Disneyland Paris has taken passholders behind the construction walls at Sleeping Beauty Castle. The resort posted a behind-the-scenes video of the castle bridge restoration this week and says the bridge is getting ready to reopen after nearly six months of work.
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The video went up on Disneyland Pass, the resort’s Instagram account for annual passholders, to mark 35 years since the castle was first unveiled to the public. The caption says the bridge “s’apprête à rouvrir,” or is set to reopen, after nearly six months of work. It does not give a date.
The Three Fairies Under Your Feet
The biggest new touch is a compass rose in the center of the bridge, made of natural stone with brass inlays in the colors of the three fairies who watch over Aurora. Flora’s red branches and Merryweather’s blue ones point in opposite directions, a nod to their famous quarrel over the color of Aurora’s dress. Between them, a green arc for Fauna, the mediator, links the two.
A brass medallion in the center shows Aurora’s crown ringed with thorns. A brass fleur-de-lis marks north, a nod to the four brass letters that marked the directions on the bridge when the park opened. Those letters were removed in 2010, according to Disneyland Paris.
What Changed On The Bridge
The rest of the work is less flashy but much bigger. The structure under the decorative elements was rebuilt, along with the arches, corbels and spandrels. The old stamped concrete is gone, replaced with granite paving laid in 2,735 pieces cut to follow the curve of the bridge. The limestone balusters along the sides were rebuilt and waterproofed against spray from the fountains below. The drawbridge got a new tropical timber deck, and the stone-look finish was sculpted by hand and painted in five shades to match the castle.
When Can Guests Cross It?
Disneyland Paris first showed off the finished bridge on October 12, exactly 35 years after the castle was first unveiled to the public in 1991. That announcement said the bridge was set to reopen but did not give a date, and Disney still had not named one as of October 24.
The new video still does not put a day on it, but Disney is now telling its own passholders the wait is almost over. If you are visiting soon, check the Disneyland Paris app before heading to the castle to see whether the bridge is open.
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