Still footsore from our day at Epcot Center, we got to Magic Kingdom early the next day. I wanted to see one thing, most especially. A few years ago, when we were at Disney World with family, I glimpsed the mosaic panels inside the castle at the Magic Kingdom. Ella was only one-and-a-half at the time, and we were hurrying to some other place, so I didn’t get to study them. This time, with camera in hand, I was determined.
Oh no! The castle was roped off! Luckily D-World has employees every few feet, so we asked one if we could go inside. “The castle is open from, like, noon to 12:30 and 2:00 to 2:30, to let crowds through after the show,” he said.
We were looking at souvenirs nearby at precisely noon. Eva and I ran over, and managed to get a few photos before the crowd made it too difficult. Wow. Several panels tell the story of Cinderella, according to Disney. The detail on the gowns in the picture above, is amazing.
It’s funny to see the caricatured Disney stepsisters rendered in such an ancient technique. My eye is used to seeing portraits of ancient Romans in mosaic–not cartoon characters!
Here’s Cinderella, fleeing the ball. Most of the photos are at an angle, because I had to use the flash inside the castle. The flash of light reflects off the glass and it whites out the colors. So angles it must be!
Cinderella tries on the slipper, as the prince (right) and one of the step-sisters (left) watch. Below, you can see the top part of this panel. The prince is fairly grown-up and stern-looking.
I’ve noticed that Disney has trouble with princes. We have two Disney-Cinderella storybooks at home. The prince is different in each one. In one, the artist goes to great lengths to obscure the prince’s face, for instance, when they dance, their clasped hands hide his face. We can see Cinderella just fine!
Any ideas about why this could be? I thought that the idea of handsomeness changes so much between generations, there’s no caricature for it. And really, the beauty of the Disney princesses is very much a caricature. Badness is also easily caricatured.
The prince carries Cinderella home in this picture. The details are so pretty: look at the horse’s trappings, all the gold tiles, and the ground with all its little clumps of grass (some blue-grass, I see!).
The mosaics are beautifully done and well worth seeing, if you find yourself in Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando. May I offer advice? Go with a friend or spouse. Marvel at the ingenuity of this totally artificial place. Be amazed at the extremely competent crowd control. Bring a fat wad of money to spend at one of the nicer and less-crowded restaurants (make a reservation). Leave before you become exhausted.
Don’t bring little kids. They get hot. They get tired and hungry. The jostling crowds of people way, way taller than they are, frighten them. Most of the rides are not appropriate for them. Many children are scared of those huge (to them), weird characters. I have never seen more unhappy children in one place, than I have at Disney World. Their parents, having spent so much money to get there and get into the park, are determined to get their money’s worth. Not a good combination.