The Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough attraction is a classic part of Disneyland that can only be found in the original Disneyland. This attraction took a small walkway above Sleeping Beauty Castle and used it to retell the story of the classic Disney movie through a series of moving and animated displays. This opened shortly after the rest of Disneyland in 1957.
But in October of 2001, the attraction would suddenly close with no sign of ever being able to reopen.
Disney adjusted a lot of their parks policies and attractions after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and this attraction was likely viewed as too much of a risk in the immediate aftermath of the events, being located inside one of the most iconic structures in America.
It seemed this attraction might have been lost forever due to these unfortunate circumstances. On top of the attacks, the attraction had become more difficult to operate in recent years due to changing safety and disability standards as the space was too small for any kind of accessible ramp or elevator.
A narrow, dark hallway involving multiple staircases is also difficult to control guests in at any time, and with security permanently heightened this attraction was not as appealing to management.
But, this would not be the permanent end of the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough.
In 2008 the attraction would reopen with new upgrades that gave the displays new life. While keeping the same classic style, they utilized modern technology to add new effects to the relatively simple displays.
This renovation would also allow Disney the chance to also fix the accessibility issue with this attraction. They employed a similar strategy to the one they used on Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage by having a separate room where guests who cannot climb the stairs can watch a virtual version of the attraction.
This renovation saved a classic part of Disneyland history for a new generation, and it will hopefully keep entertaining guests in the park for years to come.
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