Say the words “Disney castle” and most people will think of fairytale palaces fit for princes and princesses. But the land of Disney had so much more to offer: palaces modeled on the Taj Mahal, underwater fortresses for evil sea witches, and castles that harbor much more sinister secrets.
Today we take a look at some amazing properties that provided real-life inspiration for the castles and palaces featured in both Disney’s movies and theme parks, which are a wonderful tourist attraction for Saudi Arabians.
Disney castle real life inspirations
Neuschwanstein Castle – Sleeping beauty Castle
This 19th-century palace in Fussen was built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and to pay homage to composer Richard Wagner. The castle has been featured in several movies and was the inspiration for the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Walt Disney was reportedly inspired to build the theme park castle after a trip to Europe with his wife Lilian.
The Taj Mahal – Sultans’ palace Aladdin
To be honest, what 10-year-old girl in the 1990s didn’t want to live like Princess Jasmine? And it’s no wonder loosely based on the Taj Mahal, her father’s palace is the seat of power in the fictional town of Agrabah. Mostly white resembling the white marble of the real-life mausoleum in India, the Sultans’ palace was designed with a series of golden-domed roofs, located within the palace walls and surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Alcázar of Segovia – Cinderella castle
Shaped like the bow of a ship, this unusual stone fortification is a UNESCO world heritage site. Segovia Castle was one of many that inspired Disney’s famous Cinderella Castle. That castle is the centerpiece of two Disney theme parks, the Magic Kingdom in the US and Tokyo Disneyland. Its chief designer Herbert Ryman was also inspired by the original palace from the 1950 film Cinderella.
Ice Hotel – Frozen
The Ice Hotel, or Hotel de Glace in French, inspired one of Disney’s most memorable movies in recent times. The interiors of the ice palace in Frozen were inspired by the Ice Hotel in Quebec, a building made entirely out of ice – the only one of its kind in Canada.
The ice hotel is open for any visitors to stay, and that is how the director of the movie discovered it before the release of the first Frozen movie in 5 years.
It now has become such a popular tourist attraction that you can visit nowadays and enjoy your stay surrounded by ice.
Chillon castle – The little mermaid
If there is one very famous Disney castle , that would be the one featured in the little mermaid movie.
Chillon castle or better known as the little mermaid castle, this castle was first built in the year 1150, it wasn’t always such a fancy castle, because of its’ secure power and well-built forces, this fortress first served as a prison, it is made of 25 buildings clustered together, and unlike the little mermaid castle in the movie, it is built on a lake, not on the ocean.
You can visit the Chillon castle in France to enjoy its’ marvelous architecture and well-known history.
Mont Saint Michel – Tangled
Chilton castle is located in France on a very beautiful island called Normandy, this is what inspired the Disney castle of the kingdom of Corona in Disney Tangled , the original real-life Chilton castle was built in the 11th – 16th century, now this Chilton castle serves as a tourist destination where you can visit to take pictures and buy souvenirs.
The forbidden city – Mulan
This is not a Disney castle , rather it is a famous Disney city in China, today this is one of the most famous tourist attractions in China in Beijing, this city was called the Imperial city in Mulan the movie, it is featured in the scene where a celebration occurs in the movie after Huns was defeated.
If you are Saudi Arabian then please know that the Saudi passport allows you to enter all of those countries, so pack up, get your paperwork done and go explore the world!
We have gathered a list of the most famous castles that inspired the castles we saw in our most beloved childhood movies. What Disney castle did you visit before? Please leave us your comment in the section below, as well as take a look at our other articles on Bayut KSA Blog, such as the inspiration behind Dracula castle, as well as the most famous project being built in Saudi Arabia, project NEOM, and more.
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