Alright, this is probably the COOLEST Disney castle enhancement ever invented!
Disneyland Paris!
We recently took a trip to Disneyland Paris and took in everything the French resort has to offer! During our adventure, we — of course — had to check out the European version of Sleeping Beauty Castle, and we went viral for capturing a little-known, but incredibly fantastic easter egg in the castle’s dungeon!
Yes, you read that correctly…DUNGEON. While Disneyland’s version of Sleeping Beauty Castle lets you walk through and experience the story, Paris’ castle takes a way more chaotic approach. Paris’ version lets you go into the “basement”, where you’ll come face to face with a fire-breathing dragon!
The castle, affectionately referred to as Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant (the literal translation of Sleeping Beauty’s castle), plays home to a hidden walkthrough (not too dissimilar to Disneyland) called La Tanière du Dragon…or the Dragon’s Lair.
The dragon
The walkthrough opened in 1992 with the park and was intended to have the skeleton of Maleficent’s dragon (cuz Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty’s castle go hand-in-hand), but Disney pivoted to an audio-animatronic dragon…and we’re so glad it did.
This dragon is “INCROYABLE!”
The dragon is 89 feet from head to tail and was the largest animatronic figure ever built when it debuted. Located in a dimly-lit cavern, the dragon sleeps silently before occasionally waking up, growling and emitting smoke with a ferocity that we can’t get enough of!
Worth the trip!
Hey, Disneyland and Disney World…take notes!
Did you know about this ridiculously cool audio-animatronic beneath a Disney castle? What other underrated Disney features should tourists be on the lookout for when visiting the Disney Parks worldwide? Share your thoughts in the comments below and continue to follow us here at DFB for all things Disney!
What I Wish I’d Known Before Going to Disneyland Paris
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Which Disney audio-animatronic is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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