Architecture: What do the Walt Disney Castle & Greek Parthenon Temple have in common?

[Dadgad]

And that is referred to as False perspective. Disney used it quite often.

 

I figured you had nailed it, from the wording of your response,

without previously understanding what it meant.

That is a pretty cool concept.

[neophoible]

This is the correct answer. Each architect approached the apparent dilemma from opposite directions, however.

Very good, steven-g.

 

I had thought your reply was tongue-in-cheek, Dana, because I was aware of the Greek method from having toured the University of Virginia and learned of Jefferson's incorporating it into his designs. I was not aware that someone was making it smaller to make it seem taller. Learned something.

[Dana W]

Very good, steven-g.

 

I had thought your reply was tongue-in-cheek, Dana, because I was aware of the Greek method from having toured the University of Virginia and learned of Jefferson's incorporating it into his designs. I was not aware that someone was making it smaller to make it seem taller. Learned something.

 

Nahh, I was actually taking an educated guess, and got the Greek part wrong.

 

Here's some stuff I copied off of www.hiddenmickeys.org. The only correction I should make to it is that the actual height of the Castle is 189 feet.

 

Also, I don't know why those contributors names appear as links, but they don't work anyway.

 

1. Though the Cinderella Castle marking the end of Main Street, U.S.A. appears to be very tall, it really is not tall at all. A method called forced perspective was used to create the tall effect (forced perspective is used MANY times in Walt Disney World, you can even interact with it in the Wonders of Life in Epcot!). As the castle gets taller, its proportions get smaller. So the very top "piece" of the castle is close to 1/2 the size it "appears".
   REPORTED: Peter Bleickardt 27 JAN 97
   Forced perspective, i.e., the architectural technique of constructing upper floors of a building at a decreg scale in order to give the appearance of greater height, is used all over Disney World, not just at Cinderella's Castle (although this is where its use creates the greatest illusion). It's also used to make things appear more distant, e.g., some towers peeking over rooftops are quite close, but give the impression of looming up from a distance. It's worth noting that while the Castle does use forced perspective, the Birthday Cake decorations do not. So the Cake Castle looks much smaller than than the plain Castle. In fact, because the cake decorations (candles, candy, etc.) are much larger than normal they contribute to a reverse effect, making the whole structure seem smaller than it really is, which is, of course, the opposite of the usual intent, and may be accidental.
   CONFIRMED: Christian LeBlanc 22 OCT 97
   Next time you take a walk down Main Street, U.S.A. take a close look at the castle. You will notice that the "bricks" get smaller the higher up the castle goes. This technique is called forced perspective. The castle looks a little taller than it would if all the "bricks" were the same size.
   UPDATE: Danny 11 JAN 98
   
2. Disney designed the Cinderella Castle at 180 feet tall because he wanted to create a focal point, so in case a guest got lost they would be able to easly find they way back to the front of the park cuting down on confusion and frustration.
   REPORTED: zenobia u. 28 JUL 97
   Although the castle is 180 feet tall, the design with forced perspective creates the illusion that the castle is 300 feet tall.
   UPDATE: Tom and Renée Shaw 28 DEC 97
   Cinderella Castele is 180 feet tall for two reasons. 1.) So that it can be seen from any where in the park; and 2.) so that guests can see it as they are driveing up to the parking lot, this is because Slepping Beauty Castle in Disneyland can not be seen from the parkinglot, Walt wanted the centrial icon of the park to be seen from almost anywhere on the proporty.
   

[spittle]

I recall that some of the inspiration came from Neuschwanstein castle in Germany:

 

https://www.google.com.au/search?gs_rn=22&gs_ri=psy-ab&tok=_FtrT2v8lH6ZgUTFIQwoYQ&pq=neuswanstein+castle&cp=23&gs_id=g&xhr=t&q=neuschwanstein+castle+cinderella&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB:IE-Address&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49784469,d.dGI&biw=2048&bih=1193&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=DH30UeLqL8-DkgXT_oGwDQ#um=1&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB%3AIE-Address&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=neuschwanstein+castle&oq=neuschwanstein+castle&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1359.1487.0.1668.2.2.0.0.0.0.140.140.0j1.1.0....0...1c.1.22.img..1.1.139.aPTOOFJC-Hg&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49784469,d.dGI&fp=88c369520bdd194b&biw=2048&bih=1193

 

Awesome architecture.

[Currahee]

awesome is right ....I love talk about architecture:D

[Currahee]

Nahh, I was actually taking an educated guess, and got the Greek part wrong.

 

Here's some stuff I copied off of www.hiddenmickeys.org. The only correction I should make to it is that the actual height of the Castle is 189 feet.

 

Also, I don't know why those contributors names appear as links, but they don't work anyway.

 

1. Though the Cinderella Castle marking the end of Main Street, U.S.A. appears to be very tall, it really is not tall at all. A method called forced perspective was used to create the tall effect (forced perspective is used MANY times in Walt Disney World, you can even interact with it in the Wonders of Life in Epcot!). As the castle gets taller, its proportions get smaller. So the very top "piece" of the castle is close to 1/2 the size it "appears".
   REPORTED: Peter Bleickardt 27 JAN 97
   Forced perspective, i.e., the architectural technique of constructing upper floors of a building at a decreg scale in order to give the appearance of greater height, is used all over Disney World, not just at Cinderella's Castle (although this is where its use creates the greatest illusion). It's also used to make things appear more distant, e.g., some towers peeking over rooftops are quite close, but give the impression of looming up from a distance. It's worth noting that while the Castle does use forced perspective, the Birthday Cake decorations do not. So the Cake Castle looks much smaller than than the plain Castle. In fact, because the cake decorations (candles, candy, etc.) are much larger than normal they contribute to a reverse effect, making the whole structure seem smaller than it really is, which is, of course, the opposite of the usual intent, and may be accidental.
   CONFIRMED: Christian LeBlanc 22 OCT 97
   Next time you take a walk down Main Street, U.S.A. take a close look at the castle. You will notice that the "bricks" get smaller the higher up the castle goes. This technique is called forced perspective. The castle looks a little taller than it would if all the "bricks" were the same size.
   UPDATE: Danny 11 JAN 98
   
2. Disney designed the Cinderella Castle at 180 feet tall because he wanted to create a focal point, so in case a guest got lost they would be able to easly find they way back to the front of the park cuting down on confusion and frustration.
   REPORTED: zenobia u. 28 JUL 97
   Although the castle is 180 feet tall, the design with forced perspective creates the illusion that the castle is 300 feet tall.
   UPDATE: Tom and Renée Shaw 28 DEC 97
   Cinderella Castele is 180 feet tall for two reasons. 1.) So that it can be seen from any where in the park; and 2.) so that guests can see it as they are driveing up to the parking lot, this is because Slepping Beauty Castle in Disneyland can not be seen from the parkinglot, Walt wanted the centrial icon of the park to be seen from almost anywhere on the proporty.
   

 

I didn't know my post was going to teach me so much:) Thanks everyone!!!

[steven-g]

I nearly went to work at the building of Disneyland in Paris (as a joiner) but something else turned up instead, I did however years later work on a piece for a Sponge Bob attraction there, not on site but but still----. I learnt about false perspective when I built this for a museum in Holland it's called the ames room (there are many versions of it) it also uses false perspective but in a slightly different way. I spent about 5 years working on theme parks and exhibits and loved every minute of it.

[Dadgad]

That must have been really fun to make, an outstanding illusion!

[Tyke]

I recall that some of the inspiration came from Neuschwanstein castle in Germany:

 

https://www.google.com.au/search?gs_rn=22&gs_ri=psy-ab&tok=_FtrT2v8lH6ZgUTFIQwoYQ&pq=neuswanstein+castle&cp=23&gs_id=g&xhr=t&q=neuschwanstein+castle+cinderella&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB:IE-Address&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49784469,d.dGI&biw=2048&bih=1193&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=DH30UeLqL8-DkgXT_oGwDQ#um=1&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB%3AIE-Address&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=neuschwanstein+castle&oq=neuschwanstein+castle&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1359.1487.0.1668.2.2.0.0.0.0.140.140.0j1.1.0....0...1c.1.22.img..1.1.139.aPTOOFJC-Hg&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49784469,d.dGI&fp=88c369520bdd194b&biw=2048&bih=1193

 

Awesome architecture.

 

We were there last summer and it's even more awesome when you see it close up.

[Dana W]

We were there last summer and it's even more awesome when you see it close up.

I have to see the thing often enough for work that it is losing some of it's appeal. There goes my childhood.

[Tyke]

I have to see the thing often enough for work that it is losing some of it's appeal. There goes my childhood.

 

Do you see it in pictures or do you really get over here to look at it?

[dbroada]

We were there last summer and it's even more awesome when you see it close up.

We were there a few years before. It was raining so hard we couldn't see it! We got the free "bus" to the woods above the castle and walked down to the entrance, not realising the massive cliff we were walking alongside was actually the castle wall.

 

The weather cleared on the morning we were leaving and, not having actually seen the castle from a distance asked the campsite lady where there was a good view of it. She looked very confused but just leaned forwards and pointed out of the door. "There" she said.

[Tyke]

@ Dave:

It was raining so hard we couldn't see it!

Yup, when it rains down there it really rains. We get down that neck of the woods each year and to be fair most years the weather is fantastic, but not always. This year it was when we had the floods and we couldn't drive on the motorway because it was under a metre of water. It rained every day non stop for a week, which made a mockery of driving down in the roadster.

[Dadgad]

Do you see it in pictures or do you really get over here to look at it?

 

Dana is talking about the magic kingdom version, not the original.

[Tyke]

Dana is talking about the magic kingdom version, not the original.

 

[Dana W]

Do you see it in pictures or do you really get over here to look at it?

Both, I live about 30 miles away from Walt Disney World and Epcot, here in Florida. I have been involved in a couple of the renovation projects over there as a sub-contractor doing drawings for a millwork shop. The most extensive ones were the Princess Fairytale Hall, and the Contemporay Resort, California Grill.

 

There are no pictures of the grill reno job available yet.

[Dana W]

Do you see it in pictures or do you really get over here to look at it?

Oh, wait. No, not the real castles in Europe, Disney's castle.

[Tyke]

Oh, wait. No, not the real castles in Europe, Disney's castle.

 

Yup, Dadgad put me straight on that.

[dbroada]

@ Dave:

 

Yup, when it rains down there it really rains.

I know. I can't find the picture from my van of the campsite but this photo of Heather gives an idea. And the rain had eased by now...

 

[Tyke]

I know. I can't find the picture from my van of the campsite but this photo of Heather gives an idea. And the rain had eased by now...

 

 

What happy memories you have Dave