A lot of us have grown up watching Disney movies and cartoons, and a visit to Disney World is a dream come true for adults and children alike. If you’ve ever been there, I’m sure you’ve been intrigued by the castles at Disney World. But can you stay in the castle at Disney world?
Unfortunately, you can’t just book a night to stay inside the castle. It’s only for very special people, like VIP personnel and often contest winners. You can only stay in the castle if you are invited to. So no matter how much money you put down, you can’t reserve the Cinderella castle.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to stay in the castle. If you’re lucky enough, you can. Let’s go over all there is to know about staying the night in your dream holiday destination.
What Competition Do You Have To Win To Stay In Cinderella’s Castle?
There’s only one way to get invited into the Disney World castle or the Cinderella castle unless you’re a Disney VIP and get invited to stay. And this is through participating in a contest that is being organized by the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation. By donating to this charity, you can earn entries into the contest.
Donation values start at just a mere 10 USD, and it earns you a hundred entries in the contest. The more you donate, the more entries you’ll have and, hence, the higher your chances will be of winning.
You can even enter the contest without donating, but that just means you can get one entry. And imagine how many Disney fanatics there are. You’ll be competing against a lot of people. So it’s always best to donate more and stack up on entries.
If you win, not only will you get exclusive access to stay at the Cinderella suite, but you’ll also score 8 one-day theme park tickets and a VIP tour guide along with it. You will also receive dinner and round-trip airfare to Orlando, Florida.
This is a prize unlike any other, as it brings all your childhood fairytales to life. But that’s also why it’s so hard to win this contest.
But even if you’re spending a lot of money just to enter the contest, without any guarantee that you’ll win, all your money is being used for a good cause. The Orlando Magic Youth Foundation works for kids and under-risk children in Florida. All of your donations directly go towards the charity, as all other expenses are taken care of by the ownership group, the DeVos family.
In 30 years, this foundation has distributed about 25 million dollars to local organizations that work to help at-risk youth with their education, health, shelter, and even the arts. Even if you don’t win the trip, your money isn’t being wasted.
Can You Stay In The Castle At Disney World Without Winning A Contest?
Unfortunately, without winning the contest, there is almost no chance of you staying at the castle at Disney World. Unless you are a Disney VIP, you probably won’t get invited into the castle. You can get a tour of it, but you can’t stay the night.
The only people who have managed to stay there without winning a contest are Disney VIPs, which usually include celebrities like Tom Cruise, Kevin Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, etc. And, even as a celebrity, it’s pretty hard to get invited into the suite.
In 2006, Disney World first made an announcement to the public about the Cinderella Castle Suite. It was intended for Walt Disney and his family to stay at. However, Walt Disney died six years before the Magic Kingdom even opened.
For a long period afterward, the location remained empty. It is known that the place was even used as storage for a while. There are also rumors that Disney telephone operators lived inside for a while as well.
In 2007-2008, The Year of a Million Dreams launched, and that’s when Disney first began giving away overnight stays in contests to random people. Each day, someone inside the park would be randomly chosen for this lucky prize.
After that, various contests have been organized that offer this prize. It is very hard to win. Nonetheless, these contests are usually held for noble causes.
However, at present, it’s almost next to impossible to book a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite. It’s an invitation only.
How Much Is A Night To Stay In The Castle At Disney World?
The truth is that no amount of money can get you a night at the Disney World castle. It has been noted that Disney has even turned down 40, 000 USD for just one night in the suite. If you get invited, however, the stay is completely free. Contest winners, for instance, don’t even have to pay for their plane rides to and from Orlando.
Not that the inside of the suite isn’t beautiful on its own, but the exclusivity of this place makes it that much more valuable. Only a very select few have ever managed to stay there. The inside is beautiful, with wooden floors and decorated corners, fit for a princess.
It looks right out of a storybook, with its rich golden hues and dark wood furniture. The style is meant to mimic a 17th-century French chateau. There’s only one way in, and that’s through an elevator activated by a “Key to the World card”.
There’s a beautiful pumpkin coach on the marble floor in the foyer as well, right from the story. Inside the suite, you’ll find a salon, a bedchamber, and a bathroom. It’s exactly how you expect a princess’s room to look. There’s a giant C on the bed’s top, and you’ll feel like you’re inside the storybook of your childhood.
And that’s not all. Even the bathrooms are so well decorated and lush, you will love it. It has chandeliers, mosaics, and a beautiful tub. There’s also a magic mirror TV in the bedroom that always plays the Cinderella movie; the original one.
So you can see why this castle is so exclusive. It’s a fairytale come to life, and the fact that there are only a few people who will ever stay there makes it even more elusive. Therefore, it’s priceless to stay in Cinderella Castle.
Can You Stay At Any Of The Disney Castles In The World?
Whenever you’re talking about the Disney World castle, most people refer to the Cinderella Castle that is situated in Orlando, Florida. But there are six different castles all around the world at several Disney resorts and parks. But none of them allows you to stay overnight inside the castle.
Since there are a total of six Disney resorts around the world, each of them has a castle of their own. There’s the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland, Hong Kong, for example, and a copy of Cinderella Castle in Tokyo. Then there’s the Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant at Disneyland Paris and the Enchanted Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disney Resort.
Hong Kong has another Castle of Magical Dreams in their own Disneyland as well. Therefore, there are a lot of castles all around the world. But really, none of them compare to the Cinderella Castle at Disney World, and it is the signature attraction of Disney.
Conclusion
Next time you find yourself wondering, can you stay in the Castle at Disney World, you’ll probably be very bummed out. However, that’s even more reason to participate in these contests.
Your money is all going to a good cause, so even if you don’t win, it’s not wasted. And if you do end up winning, it’s an experience you will cherish forever.
