Snow White's Wishing Well & Grotto

"Where" – Snow White’s Wishing Well at Disneyland

📸 Photo Credit: WhereInThePark

Tucked away to the right of Sleeping Beauty Castle, Snow White’s Wishing Well is a quieter space that many guests walk right past. But this charming grotto has layers of history and artistry that go far beyond its fairytale appearance.

As the story goes, in the late 1950s - early 1960s, Walt Disney received these Carrara marble sculptures from Italian sculptor Leonida Parma (other stories suggest an anonymous donor sent the statues).  Walt wanted to give them a permanent home in 1961, but there was a slight problem - all the characters were the same height!

Walt tasked Imagineer John Hench with finding a solution. Hench used the powers of forced perspective, placing Snow White higher on the tiered fountain and further away from the viewer. The dwarves were placed on subsequent tiers, and closer to the viewer with each tier. Hench also led the project to create additional sculptures of animals such as birds, a deer, fish, etc., to create a more natural illusion.

📸 Photo Credit: WhereInThePark

Due to time and the constant exposure to water and the California sun, the original marble statues started to have discoloration. They have since been carefully preserved, and new molds were made out of fiberglass.

In 1983, as Fantasyland was undergoing its massive renovation, Disney historian Les Perkins invited Adriana Casalotti, the original voice of Snow White, and asked her to record the song, "I'm Wishing," to be played both around the grotto and within the well itself. Today, if you are around the grotto at 15 minutes past each hour or so, you'll hear a bell chime from the castle, fish rise out of the grotto's water, and Snow White begins to sing. 

📸 Photo Credit: WhereInThePark

Snow White is wishing for her true love to find her, and inspires you to wish for something you desire as well. By tossing coins into the well, you are not only becoming part of the story, but you are actually helping children's charities around the world. This originated from Walt himself, who wanted to 1) deter people from throwing coins into the castle moat, but 2) to give back in any way he could to the children of the world. That is why the inscription on each side of the well reads, "Your wishes will help children everywhere." 

And it is this 'where' in 'everywhere' that we get our logo!

Where Else Can You Find a Snow White Wishing Well?

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear the full conversation?
👉 Click here to listen to Episode 1

📸 Got Photos of These Details?

We’d love to see your shots and hear your stories of Snow White’s Wishing Well!

👉Join our Facebook group and share them with fellow detail Explorers!

Articles referenced in this blog:

• 🍎Snow White's Wishing Well
  • D23 Blog - 7 Enchanting Facts About Snow White Grotto
  • AllEars.Net - Snow White's Grotto at Disneyland: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
  • Tokyo's Wishing Well
  • Hong Kong's Wishing Well