The Sleeping Beauty Castle bridge at Disneyland Paris is set to reopen to guests after nearly six months of work, and its return lines up with the castle’s birthday. Sleeping Beauty Castle was unveiled 35 years ago on October 12, 1991, and Disneyland Paris marked the anniversary by showing off a bridge that was restored from its structure up to its paving.
Thousands of people cross the bridge every day, and much of what they walk on is new. The biggest addition is underfoot: a compass rose set into the middle of the span.
A Compass Rose For Flora, Fauna And Merryweather
The compass rose is made of natural stone with brass inlays in the colors of Aurora’s three good fairies. Merryweather’s blue branches and Flora’s red ones point in opposite directions, a nod to their fight over the color of Aurora’s dress, and a green arc for Fauna sits between them as the peacemaker. A brass medallion in the middle shows Aurora’s crown ringed with thorns, and a brass fleur-de-lis marks north.
That fleur-de-lis is a small throwback. When the park opened, four brass letters on the bridge marked the cardinal directions. They were taken out during a 2010 refurbishment.
🔧 Behind the scenes look at the Sleeping Beauty Castle bridge refurbishment which includes:
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) October 12, 2026
– rebuilt structure
– new waterproofed granite paving
– hand sculpted synthetic stone
– a new compass rose
– paint, patina and landscaping pic.twitter.com/xwsAdi699W
What Changed On The Bridge
The old stamped concrete is gone. In its place is granite paving, laid in 2,735 individual pieces cut to follow the curve of the arch, which Disney says is easier to maintain and better looking while keeping guests comfortable.
Below the deck, crews rebuilt the structure that holds up the decorative work, along with the arches, corbels and spandrels. The limestone balusters were rebuilt and waterproofed against spray from the fountains below, the wooden balustrade posts were replaced, and the drawbridge got a new tropical timber deck. The stonework on the sides and under the arches is sprayed synthetic stone, sculpted and painted by hand in five shades to match the rest of the castle. New paint, patina and landscaping finish it off.
Stefano Servi, a stage architect at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, said the goal was to “restore the bridge to its former glory” while keeping the details that give it character, and that experts in historic monument restoration helped with the castle.
35 Years Of Sleeping Beauty Castle
The castle was revealed at an event called Rendez-Vous au Château for press, Cast Members and their families, six months before the park opened in April 1992.
The castle itself had its last big makeover in a 12-month refurbishment finished in time for the resort’s 30th anniversary. The bridge’s return comes during the Disney Halloween Festival, which is running at the park now.
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