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My Night in Cinderella’s Castle Suite

March 21, 2011 by Toni Anderson

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend the night in Cinderella’s castle suite? I never thought it would be possible. Then, once upon a time my friend Andrea won a night in Cinderella’s castle.

When Andrea won I was thrilled! I assumed she would be coming back to the Magic Kingdom with her family and sleeping in Cinderella’s castle. Then I learned that she would spending that night in the castle!Β  What an amazing opportunity!

Later that morning I was sitting listening to the speaker and I received this message from Andrea on my computer:

I’m putting you and Amy down for tonight. You want to I’m sure, right????!!

It was all I could do not to squeal with excitement during the conference. I was going to be spending the night in Cinderella’s Castle!!!!!

Let me repeat…

I’M SLEEPING IN CINDERELLA’S CASTLE!!!

I would say something about dreams coming true… but I honestly never thought you could even spend the night in Cinderella’s Castle. We packed our bags that afternoon and at 4pm we met our carriage aka minivan.

Cinderella's Castle Suite Experience

Accompanying Andrea on the trip were Amy, Briana, Amanda, and Crystal.

Our driver Sean, provided the details of our magical evening. Our tour began at the Magic Kingdom. We had complete control of our night. We could ride attractions, spend time in the castle suite, shop, eat, it was up to us. When we arrived at a back entrance of the park we were assigned another guide, Steve.

 

Cinderellas castle suite tour

Dreams Do Come True!

It’s a HUGE deal to stay in Cinderella’s Castle suite. Cinderella’s Castle has one room and you can’t buy it. Disney gives away the suite randomly throughout the year. In the Year of a Million Dreams they would surprise one family a day with a night in the castle. Now, the room is given away every two weeks or so. The Castle Suite has only been slept in 600 times. (as of 2011)

I don’t think any of us knew what to expect when we started our castle experience. The rest of the day unfolded like a dream. Steve, the walking encyclopedia of Disney knowledge, shared stories and pointed out little details in the park I had never noticed before.

He was also our human “fast pass.” If we wanted to ride a ride, Steve walked us in the back entrance and we boarded the ride… no waiting! It was amazing. On every ride Steve shared with us the story of that ride. Since Disney was built by movie makers and not theme park designers every single ride tells a story. It was fun to hear these stories and learn more about the people who built this park many years ago.

VIP Tour of Magic Kingdom

Cinderella's Castle Suite photos

What I didn’t realize in the moment, was that we were getting a Disney VIP Tour. You can purchase a VIP tour at any of the Disney parks in addition to a regular park pass. For instance, some of the tours include fast passes to rides in the park. If you haven’t done a VIP tour and you LOVE Disney, I highly recommend splurging at some point in your life and doing it.

VIP tours cost anywhere from $99 a person to thousands of dollars for the day depending on which package you purchase. I’ve heard that a guide can navigate an entire park in less than a day. If you see a group of people walking with someone in a plaid vest, they are on a tour. In addition to Disney guides, outside companies also sell VIP tours.

Since all the information about the tour can be found online, I’ll get right to the Cinderella’s castle photos. Our group took several hundred photos.Β  I’m sharing my favorites along with some that give you the best “view” of Cinderella’s Castle suite.

Cinderella’s Castle Suite Photos

 

Two of our amazing guides, Steve and Kate, standing in the lobby of the suite. Notice what time it is on the grandfather clock?Β The clock in the lobby never strikes midnight…

After you enter the lobby, you ride a carriage (aka elevator) up to your room. A beautiful entry awaits when you depart the carriage.

Cinderellas castle suite photo

There is a display on the wall with some of Cinderella’s favorite things, her glass slipper, crown, scepter, and three pumpkins, which were a gift from the Fairy Godmother, so she would never forget her humble beginnings.

If you look up in the entry area you will see several images from the Cinderella movie.

Cinderellas castle bedroom

On the floor is a tile mosaic of Cinderella’s carriage. It is made of over 30,000 tiles including tiles made out of gold and silver.

A Peek Inside the Suite

The suite itself is on the 3rd floor (I think) of the castle. It consists of three rooms, a bedroom, bathroom and sitting area. The suite isn’t very big, but it slept six people comfortably.

You enter the suite into the bedroom. This room has two queen beds, small desk, nightstand, fireplace, television, table and chairs and one window.

Bed in cinderellas castle suite

You walk through the bedroom to the sitting area. This room has the most natural light and contains a pull-out couch, large wall sized wardrobe, television, and the stained glass windows that tell the story of Cinderella. (Pictures of that are below)

The bathroom has two sinks, a large tub, shower, separate throne room, and sitting area. It is off the bedroom.

There was a glass slipper for Andrea to take home.

White chocolate carriage filled with chocolate covered strawberries.

The castle suite is equipped with modern technology but it is hidden from view. It even has wi-fi just in case Cinderella wants to update her Facebook status.Β There is a castle phone and you can call anywhere in the United States for free. We all took turns making calls to our family and friends on the princess phone.

The castle suite is filled with gifts that Cinderella has received from her friends. There’s a telescope from Captain Hook and books on loan from Belle. (Macbook Pro on loan from the bloggers)

Stained Glass Windows in the Castle

Next time you are visiting Magic Kingdom take a closer look at Cinderella’s Castle. Notice the three stained glass windows about halfway up the castle?Β  They are located on the Peter Pan side of the castle in Fantasyland. Those are windows in the suite.

An inside tour of cinderella's castle suite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a series of stained glass windows that tell the story of Cinderella. You can view all these windows from the back side of the castle in Fantasyland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a series of stained glass windows that tell the story of Cinderella. You can view all these windows from the back side of the castle in Fantasyland.

A look inside Cinderella's castle suite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is hard to get a good view from the caste suite since all the windows are stained glass.

When you stay in the castle you get your own key. The key is just like all the other Disney Resort keys (back when Disney resorts had keys), except this one is white and it has the castle logo on it. My key is now framed on my bookcase!

Key to Cinderella's Castle

The Magical Touches of the Castle Suite

Cinderellas castle bedroom pictures

This beautiful mirror is actually a television. To turn it on you push a button on the magic wand. Tinkerbell flies across the mirror and it turns into a TV!

The castle has a fireplace that glows and the back of the fireplace lights up in a pattern. One of the patterns is a hidden Mickey. If you blink you miss it!

The bath tub, notice the princess bubble bath.

This is the ceiling above the tub in the bathroom. The lights twinkle like the stars.

A glass slipper made from a towel waited for us in the bathroom.

Cinderellas Castle suite bathroom

Would you expect anything else in a princess bathroom? Yes, the toilet is a throne.

There are columns inside the suite. They story of Cinderella is carved into the top of each column.

The emergency exit.

Walt Disney’s Attention to Detail

The one thing that amazed me about Cinderella’s Castle suite and all of Magic Kingdom is the attention to detail.

Remember this photo from the beginning of the article?

Cinderella's Castle Suite photos

That picture is in the walkway in the castle that thousands of people walk by every day. Notice the checkered floor in the mosaic?

This is the floor of the suite, does it look familiar? It is the same floor as the mosaic! Imagineers carefully plan and create everything you experience at the Walt Disney World.

It was fascinating to learn about these details during our stay at the castle.

Whenever we left the room to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade and the fireworks we came back to our beds’ turned down and covered with rose petals.

Disney… at 2am, the only ones left in the park!

Standing in the middle of an empty and quiet Fantasyland remains one of my favorite memories. It is strange standing in the middle of the Fantasyland when everyone else is gone. The carousel’s lights are twinkling and the horses are going around, but no one is riding. The only sounds you hear are the street cleaner machines. Magic Kingdom without people is actually quite magical.

Shortly after we took the photo we quickly changed into our Cinderella suite bathrobes and scurried outside one more time to the bridge in front of the castle. We all stood there for a few minutes, taking in the quiet and then took our carriage back up to the suite and went to bed.

The morning after my night in the castle

After sleeping a few hours in Cinderella’s Castle Suite, we had breakfast with the Princesses at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Anyone can dine with the princesses inside the castle, but you must make reservations months in advance as the restaurant fills up very quickly.

Michael took over as our guide in the morning to finish our magical experience. While Steve was the walking encyclopedia, Michael was the Disney humorist. He told us funny stories about Walt and Roy Disney and gave us a behind the scenes look at Animal Kingdom. Even after we left the parks Michael had photos delivered to our hotel room and went above and beyond our expectations.

A few more facts about Cinderella’s Castle Suite

Imagineers built Cinderella’s suite as an office for Walt. Contrary to popular rumors, Walt never used the castle suite as his apartment. Unfortunately, Walt died before Walt Disney World opened in 1971, and the suite turned into an office for phone operators. After they outgrew the suite it remained vacant until a few years ago when they decided to create Cinderella’s suite.

Terminally ill children do not stay overnight in the suite, since there is limited access to emergency care inside the park.

Staying in Cinderella’s Castle Suite is sure to give you a bad case ofΒ I-want-to-tell-everyone-I stayed-in-the-castle-itis. The symptoms range from mentioning it in casual conversation to the grocery store cashier…. “I had the best fresh fruit when I stayed in Cinderella’s Castle” to telling your family the same stories over and over because you literally cannot stop talking about it.

It’s been over eight years since my night in Cinderella’s castle and I’m still finding ways to casually mention it in conversation.

Staying overnight in Cinderella’s Castle was a once in a lifetime experience and our guide’s Michael, Steve, Sean and Kate made it truly magical weekend!

See more about our Disney Trips including tips & tricks for making the most of vacations to Disney.Β  Having lived in Orlando for years, Disney is a way of life!Β  πŸ™‚

stay in cinderella's castle

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Comments

  1. alison says

    March 21, 2011 at 4:40 pm

    I had no idea any of that existed inside the castle. What an awesome opportunity for you and your friends.
    I ran through the castle during the Disney Marathon in January, but I didn’t take to opportunity to really pay attention to anything inside the castle. Perhaps I’ll have to go back when I’m not on mile 10 of a marathon to appreciate the details. πŸ™‚
    )

    Reply
  2. Mickie says

    March 21, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    Very nice! This is my dream and a dream for my girls! I hope that someday it will come true. I am so glad that all of your wishes came true that night! What a great night.

    Reply
  3. Lisa Robertson says

    March 21, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    What a fabulous post! I’m so jealous. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  4. Sara @ Mom Endeavors says

    March 21, 2011 at 5:32 pm

    Wow! So, so cool! What an amazing experience!! Can’t wait to read the other posts with fun facts & such learned. So hoping to attend that conf. someday!! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  5. Jackie says

    March 21, 2011 at 5:52 pm

    I just LOVE the story you tell with these beautiful pictures you took! Congratulations to you! You were so cute when you realized it was your ticket number they called! πŸ™‚ Experience of a life time!

    Reply
  6. Sherri says

    March 21, 2011 at 6:45 pm

    Waaay cool! What was the suite like? How big? How high up? Multiple beds/bedrooms? Need more details!

    Reply
    • TheHappyHousewife says

      March 21, 2011 at 8:32 pm

      Okay… I’ll post more later this week!

      Reply
  7. Lori says

    March 21, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    As a former Cast Member who worked there during the Year of a Million Dreams – thanks for sharing the beautiful shots! I never got to see the inside and I am glad to see that it is as beautiful as the rest of the park!

    Reply
  8. Erin says

    March 21, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    I literally teared up reading your story – that has always been my dream! I grew up in Fullerton and went to Disney weekly with our annual pass, and always hoped my parents would leave me behind so that I could stay the night. What an amazing experience for you! I am a divorced single mom of three boys under four, and this summer will be the first time I can take the twins and my oldest together to the park. I can hardly wait!!!!

    Reply
  9. AmyG says

    March 21, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    So so fun living through your pictures!!! Thanks for sharing. What a great memory!

    Reply
  10. Selfish Mom says

    March 21, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    I don’t get jealous of other bloggers. I don’t I don’t I don’t. (Nope, not working yet…)

    Seriously, I’m so happy for you guys. What an amazing experience!

    Reply
  11. Sharon says

    March 21, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    Oh this is coool! My whole family was in Disney summer of 2008. My daughter was 4 1/2 and the one thing she wanted to do was meet Cinderella. But, I hadn’t been able to figure out how to make it happen. Our second day at Disney we were standing around trying to decide about dinner and waiting for the older kids to get off a ride when STEVE walked up and asked if he could help us. A few minutes later he was setting up a special appointment for my daughter to meet Cinderella! I will never forget that meeting. I know it was his job, but he was very nice about the whole thing and it absolutely MADE the vacation for my daughter.

    Reply
    • TheHappyHousewife says

      March 22, 2011 at 7:28 am

      No way!!!! That is awesome. Steve was a great guide and he made everything magical!

      Reply
    • Amy @ MomsToolbox says

      March 22, 2011 at 10:06 am

      Wow! Amazing… yet, after meeting Steve, not surprising at all. He is a fantastic cast member and ambassador to Disney… not to mention a human Disney encyclopedia! πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Crystal says

        March 23, 2011 at 11:11 am

        Steve is the absolute best! So cool to find someone else he has reached out too. He really was my favorite part about the entire thing. He’s like a walking encyclopedia!

        Reply
  12. Heather B says

    March 22, 2011 at 3:31 am

    This is just about the most awesome girl friend trip ever! I LOVE that tub and that tinkerbell turns your mirror to a tv. Very cool!!

    Reply
  13. Shannon says

    March 22, 2011 at 9:54 am

    Disney IS the happiest place on earth! Thank you for sharing the pictures so we can all see what it looks like!

    Reply
  14. Lorie B. says

    March 22, 2011 at 10:44 am

    Wow!!!! That must have been such a fabulous experience. My Aunt is a cast member there. I will have to ask her if she has ever been into the suite. She is always telling us we have to come down. However, a trip for FL with four kids from MI is just not in the budget right now. Hopefully in about two years.

    Reply
    • patrice says

      June 14, 2012 at 12:35 am

      I, too live in MI and have 4 sons and a husband and love Disney. I learned a few ways to put aside money without too much pain for this magical trip:
      Get a disney visa and use the accumulated funds on your trip.
      Between trips, save EVERY $5 bill and don’t touch that account once you’ve deposited it! Saved more than $10,000 in three years! That’s alot of Disney!
      The can money always goes into the same account (for those who live in a state without mandatory deposit on cans, we prepay 0.10 for cans and bottles in MI and get the money back when we return them).
      We bought into the Disney Vacation Club and stay in beautiful accommodations for about $35 a night. Look for resales to help your budget.

      Hope this info gets you to disney sooner!

      Reply
  15. Bonnie Sue says

    March 22, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Oh such and amazing trip and what lovely photos. Thank you for the mini trip to the castle.

    Reply
  16. workout mommy says

    March 22, 2011 at 10:15 pm

    i had no idea any of that existed either! What an awesome experience! Thanks for giving all the details and pictures. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  17. Stephanie says

    March 22, 2011 at 10:54 pm

    What a priceless experience (literally). πŸ˜‰

    I’m glad that you had a wonderful night.

    P.S. I didn’t realize that you were at the conference! I’m sorry we didn’t get an opportunity to meet.

    Reply
  18. Jenn @ Coolest Family on the Block says

    March 23, 2011 at 12:03 am

    Oh my, that would be a dream come true for me! Hubby and I have been talking about it ever since they built it! When I saw your other post that mentioned you were going to be staying in the castle I told my hubby…”How cool is that…and it’s going to be fun like a big sleepover! I would love that (except I don’t have any friends.)” And then I said, “You wouldn’t want me to go with the girls would you?”. Nope. He definitely wants to stay in Cinderella’s castle with me πŸ™‚

    Anyway, so sooo jealous!

    Reply
  19. Susan (5 Minutes for Mom) says

    March 23, 2011 at 2:57 am

    WOW!!!

    Phenomenal photos… what an enchanting experience. I’m so happy that such a wonderful group of women got to share that time together.

    Reply
  20. Nancy M. says

    March 23, 2011 at 2:06 pm

    Wow! Double WOW! That is SO awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It’s wonderful to get a peek inside the suite! I know y’all had the best time! Congrats!

    Reply
  21. Carrie C. says

    March 23, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    What a fabulous adventure! thank you SO much for posting so many pics of the little details and the amazing suite. The chocolate carriage blew me away!

    Reply
  22. danielle says

    March 24, 2011 at 10:13 am

    oh i had goosebumps!!!! πŸ™‚ HOW FUN! Wasn’t that suit originally planned as a place for walt and his family, but then he passed away before the reality of Disney World came true? HOW amazing!!! I can’t wait for more details! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  23. Twisted Cinderella says

    March 28, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    How amazingly cool!

    Reply
  24. QuatroMama says

    March 29, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    Could it get MORE magical than that? Seriously.
    So glad you girls had this experience together!

    Reply
  25. Elle says

    April 2, 2011 at 10:42 am

    Great pictures of the suite! Glad you all enjoyed it so much. Definitely one of my dreams to stay in the castle someday!

    Reply
  26. Cindy Dawn says

    December 14, 2011 at 11:39 am

    sounds like an amazing experience. awesome photos!

    Reply
  27. Coleman C says

    February 4, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    Thats amazing. What are the rules about going in the park after closing?

    Reply
  28. Jenn H says

    March 15, 2012 at 9:45 am

    Do you know if they are still giving out this free night to a random guest?

    Reply
    • TheHappyHousewife says

      March 18, 2012 at 7:00 pm

      I don’t know. I can try to find out for you.

      Reply
      • sharron Walters says

        April 2, 2012 at 9:32 pm

        Hi Happy,
        I would like to know too, as it is my daughters’ (16 and 13) dreams to stay there. We almost lost my 16 year old last year to toxic shock and so since then, our family lives each day as it is our last and a true gift. So I would love to know if they are still giving/gifting/awarding and how to throw our number into the hat. Thanks a ton. Sharron

        Reply
  29. Q says

    April 11, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Wow, you have taken beautiful photos and paid attention to detail. Spending a night there takes the cake, I mean what a life time experince to have. I am sure you will cherish those memories spent and congrats on winning the the dream. It’s truly amazing! Please post more photos as we are all waiting for more.

    Reply
  30. Tania says

    August 18, 2012 at 11:38 am

    Looks like fun! Thanks for the photos.

    Reply
  31. Kate says

    April 17, 2013 at 9:31 pm

    You can rent the room now that the promotion give-always are over. It’s between 5-8k a night, though. My fiancΓ© surprised me with a trip to the castle last year for our anniversary πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Nick says

      May 16, 2014 at 2:27 am

      Do you have the contact information on where he was able to book the room?

      Reply
  32. Boo says

    December 1, 2013 at 8:59 pm

    Can you wonder around the magic kingdom and/or castle at night?

    Reply
    • Toni Anderson says

      December 2, 2013 at 10:29 am

      Yes with your guide.

      Toni

      Reply
      • Brian says

        January 9, 2014 at 12:41 pm

        Wondered how your friend was approached and where she was when it happened?

        Reply
  33. Darla says

    February 5, 2014 at 4:47 pm

    I’m wondering how does it work if your staying in the Cinderella suite and the park closes for the night… Do they make you stay in the castle? Is the rest if the park off limits till morning??

    Reply
  34. SOnia says

    March 6, 2014 at 5:56 pm

    When the park closed, did you guys have to spend the rest of the night in your room?

    Reply
  35. Carolyn says

    April 9, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    I was so amazed to read about your night. I emailed Disney and asked the where and how does one be so lucky. Where could I even try to win something special posh. Evidently you either win a night or get invited. I would do just about anything to try but where. Well, everday there is a drawing dailyand a night is given away. Where do you fill this out? I would be first in line. And when do they draw the name of a very very lucky individual? I would just love to touch the linens. Anything!!

    Reply
  36. Carolyn says

    April 9, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    I just made a comment and researched a bit and there are no more sweepstakes. I read that the nights are reserved for charities and occasional drawings. I was definitely more than OK with that after reading that a precious little girl was dying of cancer and it was her wish to stay there. I would never ever want to take a night knowing there is a sick little princess that wants to stay there. Yah there are people who NEED to be there more than my fam. Winning a night is cool though. Thank you for sharing your photos they are beautiful.

    Reply
  37. Kathy Yeager says

    January 31, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    I would love to see this!

    Reply
  38. Carol says

    March 18, 2017 at 2:18 pm

    My dad was one of the head electricians when Disney was built. He was in charge of three projects – Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, It’s a Small World (which he refused to ride. Who can blame him after listening to that song for hours and hours), and Cinderella’s Castle. Oh the stories he would tell, but he was always proud of the small part he had in creating the Disney “magic”. It’s always been my dream to stay one night in the castle.

    Reply

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