The big news coming out of the west coast this week is the possible re-opening of the much-missed Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through attraction at Disneyland. The LA Times reports that construction crews have been seen moving in and out of the famous landmark.
It’s because of that landmark status and the fragile nature of the building (it’s mostly plywood) that the attraction was closed post 9-11 rather than put it at risk to someone intentionally or carelessly burning it down.
The attraction opened in 1957 as a walk-through with 10 scenes, some of which featured interesting technology (like the echo-tape). It was given a major upgrade in 1977 (photos of which can be seen at the Ultimate Orlando site and Yesterland!). The 1977 upgrade famously included a Barbie “Ken” doll in one Diorama.
There is no word on what the new version will look like or how much of the 90s version of the attraction remain to be refurbished.