Probably Disney’s most successful and well-loved promotion in recent memory has been their “Year of a Million Dreams” (yes, both of them). So many people have had the fortune of being handed a pair of “Dream” ears, or a Fastpass or pin and lanyard (except, maybe, those of us who go 7-10 times each year and STILL haven’t managed so much as a set of ears but, I digress……). A select few, amazingly fortunate souls have had the pleasure and once-in-a-lifetime experience of spending a night in the “Dream Suite” in Cinderella Castle.
In preparation for the original “Year of a Million Dreams” beginning in 2007, Disney built a suite within Cinderella Castle. Long rumored to have been originally intended as an apartment space for Walt and his family the space now housed an amazing dream within a dream experience for families on the receiving end of the biggest burst of pixiedust EVER to have been flung at guests by Disney (Jealous? I’m not jealous. I’m truly happy for those people – he said through gritted teeth ; ).
Believe it or not, those who have won this experience actually check in at a small desk behind a door under the castle. Near the desk is a tall clock that never, ever strikes 12. After checking in the guests are whisked into an amazing dark wood elevator that opens into a foyer with a mosaic of Cinderella’s coach on the floor, a ceiling paneled with different paintings and a glass case housing her scepter, tiara and of course, her slipper. Within the foyer is the main door leading to the suite and a hidden panel door, behind which sits a guest concierge desk that is staffed 24 hours. Open the door from within the suite to the foyer and they will appear, asking what it is that you need.
The suite opens into the bedroom which houses two queen-size beds. At the foot of the beds you’ll find a beautiful fireplace with the bathroom to the left of it and doorway leading to the sitting room on its right. As you can see in the pictures, the bathroom is expansive with a double-sink vanity, a separate sitting vanity and a tiled shower. The jewel of this area though is the Jacuzzi tub, surrounded on three sides by mosaic walls, a blue light beneath the water and a ceiling full of twinkling stars.
As with anything Disney though, things within the suite are not what they seem. The picture above the bedroom fireplace and the mirror in the sitting room are actually the televisions for each area with the sitting room also carrying a mini bar, DVD player stocked with (of course) Disney movies and a cache of board games. That fireplace in the bedroom isn’t really a fireplace but it is lit to look like one including a spark that ignites a hidden Mickey and the sitting room also contains a pull-out capable of sleeping two additional people.
The attention to detail is amazing, with small touches here and there that keep the suite beautiful but undeniably Disney. So what will become of it next year when the “Year of a Million Dreams” is over? One can only guess but let’s hope that, in some way, guests will continue to enjoy this amazing little “hotel room” for years and years to come!
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