Cinderella’s Castle is a widely recognized icon of the Magic Kingdom, and seeing the castle is a highlight of most trips to Disney World. It is visible from throughout the Magic Kingdom and from the Seven Seas Lagoon. You can eat in the castle, watch a show in front of the castle or use it as a landmark as you travel throughout the park.
Function
Cinderella’s Castle is a 189-foot-tall castle located at the front of Fantasyland and at the end of Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. The front of the castle is used as a stage for shows several times a day. The castle can also be used as a landmark throughout the park. Cinderella’s Royal Table restaurant and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique are located in the castle. Guests can also walk through the castle on their way to Fantasyland.
Features
The castle has 27 towers and is surrounded by a moat containing 3.37 million gallons of water. There is a drawbridge across the moat that cannot be opened. Guests can walk through the castle on a archway, but cannot see any interior of the castle without reservations at the Royal Table. The archway is decorated with five mosaics illustrating the Cinderella fairy tale. The tiles were hand-cut and the mosaics took 22 months to complete.
Considerations
If you would like to eat breakfast or lunch in the castle at Cinderella’s Royal Table with Cinderella, you must make reservations in advance. Dinner reservations are easier to get, but only the Fairy Godmother attends this meal. For the best chance of getting reservations, call (407) WDW-DINE exactly 180 days before you want to eat at 7 a.m. EST. It is often easier to get reservations on weekend mornings. Because of its popularity and the capacity is only 130 diners, reservations are often all gone by 7:02 a.m. the day that a date opens for reservations. You will need to confirm the reservation with a credit card.
Benefits
The suite on the fourth floor of the castle is used as a prize for the Year of Million Dreams Giveaway. The suite was originally built for Walt Disney’s family and was turned into office space after he died. In 2007, the suite was renovated to a luxury guest suite. Each day during the promotion, a cast member awards a lucky guest the opportunity to spend the night in the suite. The suite has decorations from the fairy tale, such as a mosaic of the pumpkin coach in the foyer floor and artifacts from the movie. In addition, the portrait of Cinderella over the fireplace turns into a large flat screen TV.
Misconceptions
Many park visitors assume that there is an attraction inside Cinderella’s Castle or that you can view the interior of the castle. Other than the restaurant and the boutique, the only other public area in the castle is the archway through the castle. Visitors often assume that they can eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table without reservations. This restaurant is very popular and books up months in advance.
