Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle Appears to Be in Disrepair, New Photos Show

One Disney park’s castle is in rough shape right now, with new images revealing just how bad the situation has become.

It may be hard for non-Disney Adults to comprehend, but Disney park castles are more than just tourist traps. Each park’s icon draws from its own architectural influences, designed to reflect the culture and setting of their respective parks.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland set the standard in 1955, while Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World took it to grander heights. Over the years, Disney has crafted unique variations, from Shanghai’s towering Enchanted Storybook Castle to Hong Kong’s redesigned Castle of Magical Dreams, ensuring no two castles are exactly alike.

Disneyland Paris’ Unique Sleeping Beauty Castle

Disneyland Paris’ Sleeping Beauty Castle, or Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, is arguably the most stunning of them all.

Instead of a simple replica, Imagineers embraced a distinctly European fantasy aesthetic, blending medieval towers with storybook whimsy. Its vibrant pink and blue façade stands out against Paris’ often gray skies, while intricate stained-glass windows and tapestries inside bring Sleeping Beauty’s tale to life in a way no other castle does.

What truly sets Disneyland Paris’ castle apart is its underground lair—home to a massive animatronic dragon. La Tanière du Dragon is a walk-through attraction featuring a 79-foot-long Maleficent in dragon form, snarling and shifting as if waiting to strike. This level of dark fantasy is rare in Disney castles, making it a must-see for any fan.

Castle Damage Revealed

In recent years, however, Sleeping Beauty Castle hasn’t been doing too well.

As we’ve covered multiple times, there’s a multitude of problems impacting the icon of Disneyland Paris. From faded paint and fire damage to internal leaks, the castle is in clear need of some TLC.

To Disney’s credit, it has given the castle some love in recent years, such as extensive paint jobs and the ongoing work on its stage. However, recent images show that it’s still facing its fair share of issues.

🚧 There is still a great need for work on the Sleeping Beauty Castle Bridge… even though the first touches were made some time ago.
#Disneylandparis

🚧Il y a toujours autant besoin de travaux sur le Pont du château de La Belle Au Bois Dormant… même si des premières retouches ont été faites il y a quelques temps.. #Disneylandparis pic.twitter.com/fMRyUBvG6L

— InsideDlpCastle (@InsideDlpCastle) March 15, 2025

Pictures shared by @InsideDlpCastle show some pretty significant damage to the castle’s stonework.

Others have since chipped in with their own images of visible damage on Sleeping Beauty Castle, with one noting, “This bridge has been in need of work for a long time… I hope they really maintain it thoroughly and not just bits here and there.”

However, others also admitted that totally remedying the issue is likely no small feat. “This requires completely changing this stone,” wrote one X, formerly known as Twitter, user. “Easier said than done…”

Disneyland Paris Undergoes Massive Overhaul

Disneyland Paris is in a state of flux right now, with huge areas of the park undergoing massive makeovers.

The smallest of the two parks, Walt Disney Studios Park, is currently more construction wall than it is theme park. (We wish we were joking). While we know it’ll be worth it in the end once World of Frozen, the new Tangled (2010) ride, and the new land inspired by The Lion King (1994) open and the park becomes Disney Adventure World, for now, it’s not exactly the most magical experience (and it hasn’t been for years now).

Meanwhile, Disney Village – the resort’s equivalent of Downtown Disney or Disney Springs – is also borderline a construction site right now. Earlier this month, two new stores (Disney Style and Disney Glamour) opened in the shopping and dining district, with more on the way in the coming months.

Disneyland Park, on the other hand, is feeling relatively neglected right now. The last new ride to open at the park was Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast in 2006. To put it into context, the ride concept is so old that it’s already been closed for replacement at both Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort.

While some fans had hoped that last year’s D23 would bring positive news for the main park at Disneyland Paris, it currently remains the least loved of the Disney park litter. Manifesting magical things in the coming years.

Do you think Disneyland Paris deserves more TLC?