The Magic Kingdom castle is 189 feet tall. And though it is more than twice the height of the Disneyland castle, the Imagineers also used forced perspective to give that majestic stature and presence in the center of the park.
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Shanghai Disneyland's Enchanted Storybook Castle is the largest castle created in Disney history.
Sure, both castles act as centerpieces within their parks, but the older Sleeping Beauty Castle in California features less interaction for guests. Florida's Cinderella Castle isn't the original Disney castle, but it does provide a restaurant and fairy-tale suite for those lucky enough to find their way in.
If you've never visited a Disney theme park, you may not know how Disney World and Disneyland compare. Though they have a lot in common, there are also some big differences. For example, you may know that the castles featured prominently within Disney's parks are different from each other.
Cinderella Castle was completed in July 1971, after about 18 months of construction. The castle is 183 feet (56 m) tall, as measured from water-level. By adding the depth of the moat, 6 feet (1.8 m) at the bridge, it totals 189 feet (58 m) as indicated on Disney's castle website for the overall height.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at DisneylandAt 77 feet tall, Sleeping Beauty Castle is the smallest of the Disney Parks' icons. Modeled after Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Walt wanted to recreate a romantic, medieval fortress in Southern California.
For a longer trip complete with luxury accommodation and visits to multiple parks, Walt Disney World in Orlando might be your best bet. If you live on or near the West Coast and you're looking for a short getaway teeming with nostalgia, Disneyland is the way to go.
#1 – The Best Disney Park – Magic KingdomComing in at number one is the original 1971 Walt Disney World park, Magic Kingdom! Home to the most magical castle on Earth and some of the most classic attractions in theme parks.
Enchanted Storybook Castle is a castle in Shanghai Disneyland. Similarly to the Castle of Magical Dreams in Hong Kong Disneyland, it represents all of the Disney Princesses and not only one. Additionally, it is the tallest castle in all of the related Disney theme parks.
Resort SizeThe Disneyland resort covers about 500 acres and consists of two theme parks: Disney California Adventure Park and Disneyland Park. Walt Disney World is much larger: almost 25,000 acres – or around 40 square miles.
Disneyland ParisDisneyland Paris is simultaneously the most beautiful Magic Kingdom-style park ever built, and the park with the most squandered potential.
Disney Imagineers used the famed forced perspective method to help make it appear taller. To put this in perspective, your average 2-story house is 35 feet tall, so the Disneyland castle is about the size of two 2-story houses stacked on top of each other. The Magic Kingdom castle is 189 feet tall.
Disneyland Paris is much more compact than Disney World which covers 30,000 acres, but manages to pack a lot of attractions into its relatively small footprint (4,800 acres). The Disneyland Paris resort area is made up of Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios, Disney Village and its seven on-site hotels.
So let's start with… size. Disneyland is a lot smaller than Magic Kingdom — 85 acres as opposed to 107 acres. I especially notice the size difference when walking around Main Street and the hub area — Disneyland seems like it's one-half to two-thirds the size.