What do Ludwig II and Walt Disney have in common? They share a love for magical castles.

With his new theme park, Disneyland, well under way, Mr. Disney decided to put a magical castle at its center. He wanted to use Neuschwanstein Castle as his model, and with the help of his friend, Herb Ryman, they created Sleeping Beauty Castle.

If you look at Neuschwanstein and Sleeping Beauty Castle, you will see that they look very similar. Ludwig wanted his castle to be a light color, unlike other castles that were very dark on the outside. He also wanted his castle in a fairytale location, putting it at the top of a mountain overlooking a lake. In the same way, Mr. Disney wanted his castle to be just as magical.

When designing the castle, Herb Ryman made sure that Sleeping Beauty Castle looked like Neuschwanstein without making an exact copy. The outside was painted pink, blue, gold, and light gray, and was put in the center of Disneyland. Sleeping Beauty Castle is the oldest Disney castle and perhaps the most famous.

Through hard work, Mr. Disney and Mr. Ryman created a magical place where we can get away from everyday life and step into a fairy tale. Just like Ludwig’s castle in Bavaria, Sleeping Beauty Castle is a symbol of the power of imagination and a little bit of magic.