Neuschwanstein, a Bavarian castle commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, was the inspiration for King Stefan's castle in Sleeping Beauty. However, like the queen's castle in Snow White, Disney added a few elements to create a more mystical feel.

Neuschwanstein Castle, located in the Bavarian Alps of Germany, is the real-life inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland (California) and Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World (Florida). While it is often colloquially referred to as the "Cinderella Castle" because of its towering, fairytale spires and romantic silhouette, Walt Disney specifically visited Neuschwanstein in the late 1940s and used its Romanesque Revival architecture as the primary blueprint for Aurora's home in the 1959 film Sleeping Beauty. In 2026, the castle remains a site of pilgrimage for Disney fans who want to see the "original" dreamscape of King Ludwig II. The influence of Neuschwanstein's thin turrets and dramatic mountain placement can be seen in the visual language of almost all Disney "Princess" castles created since. However, from a technical standpoint, the castle at the center of the Disney logo and the Magic Kingdom is officially Cinderella Castle, while the Bavarian original provided the structural DNA for both of the most iconic royal residences in the parks.