Construction crews have begun restoration work on Disneyland's long-shuttered Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through attraction, which closed "for refurbishment" on Oct. 7, 2001 amid post-9/11 terrorism fears.
Mouse Planet columnist David Koenig, author of the definitive "Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland," reported that portions of the site's interior were demolished to make way for the installation of the nightly castle fireworks displays.
Opened in April 1957, the original A-ticket tour included 10 miniature dioramas with animated figurines that illustrated the Sleeping Beauty story, according to Yesterland. A series of illuminated manuscripts explained how and why Princess Aurora grew up as Briar Rose.
At the time, Disneyland gave no reason — safety, costs, popularity or accessibility — for the closure of the second-story attraction. No official date has been set for the reopening.
Mice Age's Dateline Disneyland columnist Andy Castro reported that the 50th anniversary "Sleeping Beauty" DVD, due out in October 2008, will include a computer-animated re-creation of the Anaheim theme park's castle walk-through.
