"Imagineer Wyatt Winter shared that the castle drawbridge, which is permanently lowered to allow guests to walk into Fantasyland, isn't just for show. "As we were preparing for this panel, we actually reached out to Disneyland partners and asked them about it," Winter said. "And they were willing to lift up some of the rails and test it and show us today that it still works and functions, if you wanted to.""
"Only twice in the park's long history has the drawbridge been raised and lowered. The first was on opening day: On July 17, 1955, the drawbridge came down and dozens of excited youngsters bolted across into the new park. Twenty-eight years later, the drawbridge was utilized again to usher in the opening of New Fantasyland. The two-year, $45 million renovation was an attempt to bring in new crowds as attendance declined."
Sleeping Beauty Castle's drawbridge remains operational after a recent test. The drawbridge is permanently lowered for guest entry to Fantasyland but retains the ability to be raised. The drawbridge has been raised and lowered only twice: on opening day, July 17, 1955, and again in May 1983 for the New Fantasyland reopening. The two-year, $45 million renovation replaced the Renaissance fair design with a European village aesthetic, updated several attractions, and added Pinocchio's Daring Journey. Families who had crossed the bridge in 1955 returned for the 1983 reopening, and no future deployment has been announced.
Read at SFGATE
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