Cinderella (1950)

Now we come to one of the all-time bests and the jewel of the Silver Age, Cinderella.

The Movie:

Cinderella is the 12th film in the Disney Animated Canon and the one that kicked off Disney's Silver Age.  It marked the return to form for Disney following the Package Film Era and was Disney's best received film since Snow White.  Cinderella is still listed as one of the best animated films of all time, and it pretty much re-invented the standard for Disney for years to come.

Based on the fairy tale by Charles Perrault, Cinderella tells the story of an orphaned girl who works in servitude to her stepmother and stepsisters, with only the mice as her friends.  When the king holds a ball in order to find a bride for his son, the prince, Cinderella wishes to go.  Though her step-family impedes her attempts, some magic from her fairy godmother gives Cinderella the opportunity to attend the ball, as long as she leaves by midnight.

So there's a reason this one is so highly revered - it's really good.  If you ever wanted an example of how best to animate a fairy tale, this is the movie to watch.  The story is pretty straight forward, with a couple of extended scenes devoted to the mice and cat.  From a contemporary standpoint, there isn't much character development, something that more recent versions attempt to correct, but that's not really what fairy tales are known for.  And the animation is some of the best to come out of Disney.

Cinderella's score was composed by Disney stalwarts Oliver Wallace and Paul J. Smith, and the music is solid.  The songs were written by Mack David, Jerry Livingston, and Al Hoffman, and all are memorable.  "So This Is Love" is a solid entry in the Disney canon and included in a lot of song books, and "The Work Song" is insanely catchy.  But the two tracks everyone remembers the most are Cinderella's ballad, "A Dream Is a Wish the Heart Makes" and the song for all thing magic, "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo."

Of note, in most subsequent representations, Cinderella is always depicted as having blonde hair with her iconic dress blue, but as originally done in this movie, her hair is more golden-red and her magically created ballgown is silver.

Presence in the Parks:

Ok, it almost goes without saying, but Cinderella has what is undoubtedly the most iconic presence in all of Disney World, that of course being Cinderella Castle, the centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom and the logo for all things Disney.  According to data from Google, Cinderella Castle is one of the ten most photographed landmarks in the United States. 

Cinderella Castle as seen from Main Street, June 1995

Cinderella Castle, January 2001

Cinderella Castle as seen from Seven Seas Lagoon, March 2007

Cinderella Castle, March 2007

Cinderella Castle, May 2015

Just about everyone who goes to Disney World gets at least one photo with the castle.  Here are some examples:

July 1991

June 1995

January 2001

July 2002

March 2007

May 2015

Cinderella Castle is also featured on plenty of merchandise, including the largest LEGO set ever put out.  (And might I say, one of the most awesome!)

Notably, though every Magic Kingdom style park has a castle, only the ones in Florida and Tokyo are Cinderella Castle.

Inside the castle is a restaurant called Cinderella's Royal Table (and formerly King Stefan's Banquet Hall after the king from Sleeping Beauty) that hosts character meals, and a salon called the Bibbidi Bobbidi Botique, where little girls can get princess makeovers.  (The space previously hosted a gift shop called The King's Gallery, which moved to Main Street.)  The corridor through the castle also has mosaics that tell the story of Cinderella.

As the central icon of the Magic Kindgom, the castle has been the centerpiece of the nighttime fireworks and projection shows.

Projection show, May 2015

Just behind the castle in Fantasyland is a statue of Cinderella called Le Fontaine de Cendrillon.

Le Fontaine de Cendrillon, May 2015

Also situated behind the castle in Fantasyland is the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel.  It was originally called Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, but the 2010 name change honors her prince, who interestingly is not called Prince Charming in the movie, nor is he given a name at all!  (This ride can also be found in Tokyo and Hong Kong.)

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, July 1983

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, July 1991

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, May 2015

As a meetable character, Cinderella is found in the Princess Fairytale Hall.  She and Prince Charming also have appeared in many castle shows and parades over the years.

Dream Along With Mickey, May 2015

Main Street Electrical Light Parade, May 2015