Details, Lore, and More Hidden Gems Revealed For Disney Castles

Think you know Disney castles? Think again because during “Beyond the Spires: An Insider Look at Disney Castles,” Imagineers shared some knowledge that other Imagineers didn’t even know. Hosted by Michelle Khare, creator of “Challenge Accepted,”

Imagineers Wyatt Winter, Jason Grandt, and Katie Gibbs were joined by Former Imagineering Creative Executive Tom Morris and James Silson, Show Director with Disney Live Entertainment, to share their most in-spire-ing moments in the history of building Disney Castles. 

Here’s the highlights: 

What’s a panel about castles without a look at one of the newest castles, and a palace, coming to Disneyland Paris? Michel Den Dulk, Portfolio Executive Creative Director, joined Destination D23 from the World of Frozen project site to share a look at Arendelle Castle and Elsa’s Ice Palace along the North Mountain. 

Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom is getting a new color palette, inspired by the classic and original look of the castle. The updated paint will feature grays, creams, blues, and touches of gold aiming to enhance the castle’s architecture. 

Michelle kicked off the panel with a question that really gets to the heart of the discussion: How do Imagineers even build castles? The short answer is meticulous research, design, and construction. 

Imagineers researched the craft behind building castles, studied the design and architecture of iconic castles around the world. They then modernized the process to recreate authentic structures that also function as an icon for the park, while standing the test of time. Every part of the castle—from the foundation to the paint on the tallest spire—needs to be durable. That’s why, unlike traditional castles, Disney Castles are constructed using concrete, steel, cement, plaster, and fiberglass to build the structure.  

Once completed, each castle serves as a uniquely designed experience for guests—with one commonality: the Disney Family crest. Walt Disney’s ancestors lived in France, and their last name was derived from their French hometown, Isigny-sur-Mer, shortened to “d’Isigny” and later anglicized to “Disney.” The Disney Family crest, originating in France, was added to Sleeping Beauty Castle above the entrance in the 1960s after the family discovered the design. Since then, it’s been included on every Disney Castle. 

Imagineers love including design nods like this to the incredible people who have contributed to the legacy of this company. At Walt Disney World, Disney Legends John Hench and Herb Ryman are included in the mosaic mural within Cinderella Castle. Herb is presenting the slipper to Cinderella, while John looks down at him. 

For Enchanted Storybook Castle in Shanghai, Imagineers designed a poignant nod to the Disney family with four swans adorning the archways leading into the castle. The four swans are named after the women in Walt Disney’s life — Flora, his mother; Lillian, his wife; and Diane and Sharon, his daughters. 

When Imagineers worked on Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant at Disneyland Paris, the architect had an idea to include a nod to French cuisine… snails! On two of the gold-decorated towers, snails are climbing up the ribs, seemingly trying to get away from French cooks. 

If there’s one thing Imagineers like doing, it’s putting cakes on castles! The most well-known being the Cinderella Castle Cake, the iconic overlay for the 25th Anniversary of Walt Disney World in 1996, but it wasn’t the first cake castle! That honor belongs to Disneyland Paris with its Strawberry Shortcake Castle in 1993 for the park’s first anniversary. 

By the time both of these cakes came to be, cake overlays had been a long time coming. Imagineers originally ideated a cake overlay for Carousel of Progress in 1988 for Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday. 

Imagineers closed out the panel with a sneak peek at the next episode of “We Call It Imagineering: Building Castles” — now playing on the Walt Disney Imagineering YouTube!

Hearing from the Imagineers behind Disney castles is a reminder that these icons are so much more than stunning landmarks — they’re living symbols of storytelling, innovation, and artistry. All brought to life by the passion of Imagineers who dream, design, and build with generations of guests in mind. As this panel reminded us, castles aren’t simply built — they’re crafted with care to embody the magic at the heart of every Disney park. 

Want to hear more about what’s being dreamed up, designed, and created? Follow the Imagineers every step of the way on YouTube and Instagram and stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes stories on the Disney Parks Blog.