Cinderella Castle Suite Tour & Photos
This photo tour showcases our visits to the Cinderella Castle Suite in Magic Kingdom–the most exclusive hotel room at Walt Disney World, and a popular spot for celebrities and what used to be an exclusive prize for promotional giveaway winners. (Updated January 11, 2021.)
Recently, there has been renewed interest in the Cinderella Castle Suite thanks to this viral video on the Disney Parks TikTok account, which has garnered 3 million views and counting. We’ve since been receiving a lot of questions about the royal room, which has largely gone unused by Walt Disney World for the last decade.
Our hope is that this new excitement will spark Disney to do something with the Cinderella Castle Suite. It’s such a lavish and regal room, but about the only use it has received recently is for occasional auction winners. (See what price those fetched in How Much Does a Night in the Cinderella Castle Suite Cost?) Now, let’s take a look inside and share some history of the Cinderella Castle Suite…
When Magic Kingdom opened and Cinderella Castle debuted in 1971, this was not built as a hotel room. It was pretty much the polar opposite, as the space that’s now Cinderella Castle Suite was originally a multi-purpose utility space. Some desks, phones, and storage.
It was converted by Walt Disney Imagineering, which completely decorated and upholstered the space as a ‘royal bedchamber’ in the process. The Cinderella Castle Suite can sleep up to six people, and opened for the Year of a Million Dreams, a promotional campaign that ran over decade ago (hard to believe it’s been that long!). During this contest, it was given away as a grand prize of sorts to one lucky family each day.
Since, the Cinderella Castle Suite has become the dream experience for some Disney fans. Along the way, this fan-desire has been spurred by Disney-forum accounts from the Suite by lucky guests who won stays in the Suite, podcast details of the Suite from travel agents, and everyone’s favorite, Samantha Brown Travel Channel special tours of the Suite.
In just a few short years, it has attained the cult-like status of exclusive Club 33 restaurant or Walt’s Apartment in Disneyland, and rightfully so, as it’s arguably more exclusive than either of those locations. The photos that follow throughout this post are some of our unique photos from our visits to the Cinderella Castle Suite.
Let’s start our photo tour of the Cinderella Castle Suite!
In recent years, there have been a few tours of the Cinderella Castle Suite offered. These tours are conducted by a Walt Disney World Guest Relations Cast Member–the same type of Cast Member who would serve as the overnight concierge for celebrities and giveaway winners who would stay in the Suite.
To call the Castle Suite opulent would be an understatement. Lavishly adorned with the full royal treatment, its “Beauty-Per-Square-Foot” Ratio is through the roof.
We have been in the Suite twice, via tours held during the D23 Magic & Merriment Event. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the opportunity to stay overnight…yet! 😉
Staying overnight inside Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is a dream of ours, but apparently we do not have the clout of Suri or Tom Cruise, Mariah Carey, and other recent celebrity guests. Oh well, perhaps after we get our own reality TV show on which we act like buffoons we’ll be invited.
The Cinderella Castle Suite cannot be booked, it’s by invite or via winning a contest, only.
There are rumors that Disney has turned down large sums of money ($40,000+ per night) to book the Suite.
$40,000 for a 1-night stay seems like an insane amount of money, but given that it could only be booked 365 times per year and also given that there are a lot of stupidly rich people in the world, it would probably fully book up well in advance at that price point or higher.
The high demand for the Suite versus the limited supply probably partly explains why Disney does not book the room.
Originally intended to be an apartment for Walt Disney and his family when they were in Florida, the space became an area for telephone operators after Walt died in 1966. The Suite is visible from the bridges to Liberty Square and Adventureland; it’s the small stained glass windows some distance above Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of Disney’s most popular restaurants; it’s a princess character meal that is popular because it’s actually inside Cinderella Castle, making it a popular restaurant for families. So popular that it often fully books up 180 days in advance. You can read about it and other Walt Disney World restaurants in our Disney Restaurant Reviews.
Any visit to the Suite begins by boarding its elevator activated by what else, but a Key to the World card. While quite small, the elevator’s look foreshadows what is to come, with its intricate design and beautiful details.
Upon exiting the elevator, guests find themselves in a small marble-floored foyer area before entering the main quarters.
This area is a veritable treasure trove of all things Cinderella, with the highlight being the fairytale pumpkin coach in the center of the floor. From the foyer, guests head to the Suite itself.
Upon entering the Cinderella Castle Suite itself, the first area visible is the bedchambers, where two lavishly adorned queen size beds sit opposite a fireplace.
Signs bearing the words “Show Ready” adorning chairs and beds provide a gentle reminder to Cast Members and guests just how nice their surroundings are.
I imagine the screening process for MouseKeepers who will be allowed to clean the room is a little greater than normal. Understandably so, as Disney probably doesn’t want someone like me in there, so filled with exuberance that it causes them to jump on the beds.
Behind this extravagant exterior lies 21st century technology. The ornately framed, 17th-century-style portrait of Cinderella above the regal fireplace in the bedchamber magically transforms into a flat-screen HDTV.
Likewise, in the den there is a mirror that can be turned on to reveal another HDTV. This isn’t your (fairy) godmother’s suite!
Lavish it is, but large it is not. The entire space is slightly larger than a Studio room at a Disney Vacation Club resort. It may look large from the photos, but it is quite compact (hence the need to use the fisheye lens to capture the space). Fortunately, it utilizes its space quite well.
The Suite itself contains a salon, bedchamber, and bathroom all befitting of royalty. In typical Walt Disney Imagineering form, the entire Suite looks like something straight out of a fairytale, or more likely, an authentic, Medieval Castle.
Also in typical Imagineering fashion, the Suite is bursting with details. These are a mix of nods to the film, plus the amenities expected of a luxurious hotel suite (despite its seldom use, it is a functional hotel room).
Disney has made efforts to ensure that the room is plausibly authentic as a suite in Cinderella Castle despite its modern conveniences.
The Cinderella Castle Suite carefully toes the line between modern and Medieval.
Each celebrity guest who stays in the Suite is given one of these glass slippers commemorating their stay (at one time, we were told that this slipper cost $18,000–there is considerable doubt that this is its actual cost/value…unless there’s some serious Disney mark-up going on!). This slipper was given to Mariah Carey, who elected not to take it.
Some of the stately details include two queen size beds draped by regal canopies, a gorgeously stitched parlor sofa, and those beautiful stained glass windows mentioned above.
Unfortunately, these windows don’t allow for much of a view of the park (it’s far from one of the Best Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Locations), but they’re pretty, nonetheless.
One question that often comes up when people hear that celebrities use the Cinderella Castle Suite or that it goes empty many nights is, “why isn’t Disney donating it to ‘Make A Wish’?” Unfortunately, given the size of the Suite, its accessibility limitations, etc., this simply is not a feasible option. I would suspect liability issues also have something to do with it. So, blame the lawyers and laws!
The most beautiful space, I think, is the bathroom and, more specifically, the bathtub itself.
With its walls covered in mosaics reminiscent of those lining the walls of the passageway from Main Street to Fantasyland below, and its star-covered ceiling, guests bathe in style in this royal tub.
Here’s a view from the bottom of the bathtub looking up at the ceiling, because, why not? So, now you have an answer to the pressing question “what would it be like for Gus Gus to view the tub?”
The ambient lighting in the bathtub is exceptional. Take a look as it goes from normal (above)…
…to moody green.
I think if I had the opportunity to stay overnight in the Suite, I would spend about 75% of my time in this resplendent tub. (Not that I’ve already allocated my time in such a hypothetical scenario or anything.)
The toilet, well…let’s just say there’s good reason to call this bad boy the “throne.”
The myriad of details in the Suite are such that you could spend hours poking around in there and still not discover everything. It is quite unfortunate that Disney hasn’t utilized this Suite more, as it presently is only used, on occasion, for visiting celebrities who supposedly make charitable donations for use of the Suite.
Tours of the Suite have not been offered to the public for several years, and often, the Suite goes months with nary a guest stepping foot inside.
Seeing the guest quarters is such a wonderful experience that it’s a travesty that park guests do not have the opportunity to see the inner chambers of the Cinderella Castle Suite. I know an overnight stay in the Castle Suite is in Sarah’s thoughts each time she stares longingly at the Castle on our Walt Disney World trips. I guess until the Year of a Million Dreams 3.0, that stay will only be once upon a dream!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides” are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of the Cinderella Castle Suite? Would you like to see the Cinderella Castle Suite used for charitable purposes? Do you wish you could spend a night here? Or would you rather stay at a larger Walt Disney World hotel? Share your thoughts or any questions about the Cinderella Castle Suite in the comments!
Three disconnected thoughts;
– I think you’re right about enough people being willing to pay huge sums to rent out the suite, which relates to questions about whether there will be enough customers when the Star Wars hotel experience finally opens.
– I worked a hotel many decades ago which had “throne seats” over the toilets. If the bellman (back then they were all men) hadn’t explained it to the guest we’d often get calls from guests saying they’d looked everywhere and couldn’t find the toilet.
– Obviously this suite is both larger and much more lavishly detailed, but I’m reminded of videos I’ve seen about the uber-themed “love hotels” in Tokyo.
Oh my…to be a wealthy celebrity!
This is beautiful.
We love the tours WDW offers.
I don’t need to stay overnight, wouldn’t turn down the opportunity, but it is an absolute shame it’s not part of a tour.
I always love to see images of the suite. Thanks for sharing!
Please when you have time, fix a typo.
Above the “daytime” picture of the bathtub, the paragraph begins “One question that often comes up when people here that celebrities use the Cinderella Castle Suite…”
When people HEAR. Not when people HERE.
Thanks!
As beautiful as the suite is, I am dying to know if there is any other hidden areas in the castle, such as a tower “room” or balcony. One of my dreams is to be inside a Disney Castle, also imagine a proposal there?!!
There are stairs plus some very utilitarian rooms which are used to allow cast members to access exterior castle balconies and other areas for character appearances and of course maintenance. Don’t have a link and don’t remember where I saw them, but there were photos. No doubt there’s other enclosed spaces which would likely need some method of access for emergency maintenance. My personal bucket list would also include visiting some of the upper stories of buildings on Main St. and EPCOT’s World Showcase such as the Canadian hotel replica. Did get to see some interesting areas on an EPCOT World Showcase tour over a year ago now, especially their giant kitchen facility which makes much of the food served there. Felt it was worth the time and cost.
As far as marriage proposals go, you’re stuck with Cinderella’s Royal Table, though I imagine Disney might have some options to make it especially memorable if given enough notice.
Was it really intended for Walt and his family? He passed in 1966, they broke ground on WDW in 1967, why would they have planned an apartment for him?
Being in the construction field, the plans for that castle had to be done far in advance and I’m sure the space was allocated towards Walts Suite but converted as years went on.
Walt Disney was alive (… and well) during the planning of Walt Disney World of Orlando, FL. In fact planning for the park in Florida took place during the few early years Disneyland in California was open. We all know that Disney is big in detail so, it’s easy to deduce that every corner of the castle in Florida was planned out. Things changed however when he passed. He never say Disney World outside of models and plans on paper.
Published: December 15, 2013 – Derek Potter
Theme Park History: Walt Disney and the beginning of his ‘World’
PS: That is my source; THAT IS NOT ME!
I have been coming since the Magic Kingdom has been open. Have taken both my girls to Cinderella dining once each would love to stay in the castle with them both together once.
Also for the Charity part , why not offer it to wounded warriors.
I think Tom answered that one already; accessibility and the limitations of the space, as the issue is for Make A Wish.
My husband and I are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary March 29, 2020 and most people don’t even get close to their 50th. Wouldn’t be nice if Disney gave a couple that spent their 25th anniversary at Walt Disney World a gift of letting them spend their 50th at their favorite place in the world. It sure would be a great advertisement. Give one night in the castle and a week with everything paid at the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!