Credit: Ed Aguila, Inside the Magic; u/angelfan_named_angel via RedditA shocked fan watched as a truck hauled pieces of Sleeping Beauty Castle past them on a Southern California roadway on Wednesday. The snowy turret toppers, placed on the Disneyland Park icon during the holiday season, seem to have been taken down after the Disney park closed on January 16.
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There’s nothing quite like Sleeping Beauty Castle glimmering with white lights and sparkling snow, but the holidays aren’t the only time the first Disney Castle is transformed. Walt Disney Imagineering has designed limited-time banners, temporary color schemes, and other creative additions to the Disney Princess’s home for the Disney100 celebration, Disneyland Resort’s 60th Anniversary, and more.
All good things must come to an end. After all, these magical Sleeping Beauty Castle transformations wouldn’t be as exciting if they were permanent!
One lucky Disney Park fan got a unique chance to say goodbye to the last remnants of Disneyland Park’s holiday season. Reddit user u/angelfan_named_angel captured this photo of a truck carrying three snowy turret toppers to an offsite storage facility in Southern California:
Holiday Castle Tops
Though unprotected from view, the tops appeared securely strapped to the truck bed. Each seemed to have a metal loop hanging from its peak, most likely used by Walt Disney Imagineering to lift them off of Sleeping Beauty Castle safely.
One commenter provided insider information about the turrets’ destination.
“Those are heading to a warehouse off of Miller in Anaheim,” u/Rare-Ad-7897 claimed. “…I work on the team that installed those and took them down.”
Related: Walt Disney World “Takes Down” Cinderella Castle
Naturally, Disney Parks fans had questions for someone who helped decorate The Happiest Place on Earth. But to protect Disneyland Resort’s magic, they couldn’t reveal any secrets. Still, they shared their favorite parts about their job.
“The biggest secret to our success is the people,” the user said. “…It’s definitely really special what we do.”
Do you prefer Disneyland Park, Downtown Disney, and Disney California Adventure Park during the holiday season or the rest of the year? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.