Disneyland to re-awaken Sleeping Beauty

Imagineer Tony Baxter has begun work to re-open the Sleeping Beauty castle walk-through at Disneyland. The attraction was one of the original features designed by Walt Disney and first opened in 1957. In 1977, the hand-painted, two-dimensional characters were replaced with costumed mannequins that many commented looked too Barbie doll-like to fit in with the surroundings. The attraction was torn down in 2001 to make way for other interests such as snow machines, fireworks and holiday decorations.

In mid-2007, park officials decided to launch the reawakening of Sleeping Beauty's castle. While the new walk-through will feature the primary cast members of the movie - Aurora, Prince Phillip, and the three fairies - the real star is the antagonist of the story, with more than half the castle dedicated to Maleficent.

Sleeping Beauty's return to the Disneyland castle should be completed by mid-December - just in time for the release of the remastered DVD and holiday festivities.