Disney's Sleeping Beauty: Briar Rose Masquerade Ball

Aurora (A.K.A. Briar Rose) may be known as Sleeping Beauty, but she loves to party.

Walt Disney's visually stunning 1959 version of Sleeping Beauty was not a big hit when it was first released, but over the years it has become one of the most beloved animated films ever.

Aurora is ready for a Masquerade Party! She's joined by Cinderella, Ariel and Snow White.

Like her friend Snow White's film, Aurora's movie starts off with a look at a luxurious-looking book.
During the 1990s and first half of the 2000s, the Disney Catalog and Disney Store created a wide assortment of Sleeping Beauty merchandise, including high-end collectibles and items created for the Disney Princess brand.

Sleeping Beauty has a style all its own. Artist Eyvind Earle developed the film's unique look, with Disney legend Ken Anderson guiding the movie's production.

Everything in the world of Sleeping Beauty is stylized, including the characters, buildings and landscape.
Sleeping Beauty is #2 on my list of hand-drawn Disney films that I would like to see translated into a 3D CGI film (my #1 choice is Beauty and the Beast).

I'm thinking a CGI Sleeping Beauty could be a special 3D version---NOT a replacement of the original.
I'm curious to see what could be done with the Sleeping Beauty characters and settings in three dimensions. I think it could be very impressive.

Maleficent, animated by Marc Davis, is one of Disney's most popular villains.

A live action Maleficent movie has been rumored for years.

The world of Sleeping Beauty is enchanting, and perfectly suited for all things extravagant.

What's inside the Sleeping Beauty trinket box?

Madeline Beth accessories with "Aurora Borealis" crystals. Nice!

Sleeping Beauty is brought to life as a porcelain doll by artist Laura Cobabe.

Be careful! This is breakable. She's not meant to play with Barbie.

Also fragile is the Hourglass snowglobe.

King Stefan and Queen Leah could have saved everyone a lot of grief if they had just invited Maleficent to their party.

Prince Phillip must fight off Maleficent (as a Dragon) to protect Sleeping Beauty. He'll need a good weapon.
Be sure to wash the dragon guts off of the sword so it won't tarnish.

Here we have Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty Castle).

This may not be intended to represent the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris, but the dragon does look a little bit like the beast found in La Taniere du Dragon (The Dragon's Lair) found at the Fantasyland section in the French park, opened in 1992.

Look at your Sleeping Beauty watch and make sure you are on time to go to work at your job as a spinning wheel operator.
Later on, look at your Sleeping Beauty watch so you know when to go to bed.

Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip met each other in either a forest or once upon a dream.

Aurora and Phillip are among the most attractive Disney characters ever drawn.

Phillip and Aurora danced their way to a happy ending.

At Walt Disney World in Florida, Cinderella's Royal Table (the restaurant inside Cinderella Castle) used to be called King Stefan's Banquet Hall. Someone must have just liked the name, since King Stefan is Sleeping Beauty's father, not Cinderella's.

Disney's Sleeping Beauty debuted in 1959, but Sleeping Beauty Castle could be found at Disneyland when the Anaheim, California theme park opened in 1955. A Sleeping Beauty diorama could be found inside the Castle in 1957. There have been different versions of this walk-through experience over the years. A brand new, high tech version opened in 2008.

Olszewski's Disneyland Park replicas are highly detailed and quite popular.

A duplicate of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle can be found in Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005.

Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are Sleeping Beauty's friends and guardians.

They are also in charge of Aurora's costume changes. Because of Aurora's involvement with the very popular Disney Princess brand, Sleeping Beauty has had an eclectic collection of outfits.

Winter Frost Sleeping Beauty is ready to make an appearance at a fancy Christmas party.

Aurora is in good company with the equally well-dressed Snow White.

Sleeping Beauty also can be found hanging out with Pocahontas.

Like all the Disney Princesses, they both enjoy chatting with their forest friends.

Pillow Fight! Sleeping Beauty is known for her wild slumber parties.

Of course, Aurora is usually the first to fall asleep. I would not be surprised to find out that Ariel puts her friends' hands in warm water while they are sleeping.

Sleeping Beauty and her friends love their ponies. This toy line could have been called "Disney Princesses: Their Small Ponies".

These were sold in the Disney Catalog in the early 2000s.

Disney Ponies was spun off into a line of stuffed animals available through the Disney Catalog.

There were multiple sizes available, representing Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Mulan and Sleeping Beauty.

I bet a Disney Ponies cartoon would have been a big hit.

Sleeping Beauty starred in her own McDonald's Happy Meal in September 1997 in the United States. This set was unique because the figures doubled as School Supplies. These were Mint In Package until I just opened them for this post, which I guess makes them worthless now.

Sleeping Beauty is a Pencil Topper and her Spinning Wheel is an eraser.

I'd like to see a new ride at one of the Disney Parks called "Sleeping Beauty's Spinning Wheel."

Prince Phillip has a sword that doubles as a paint brush. Images on watercolor paper sheets included with the toy can be painted and displayed on Phillip's blue shield.

It was worth opening these toys to finally see the great watercolor picture shields (and the instructions).

Flora is ready to give you a punch. Not a punch in the face! She's a paper punch toy.
I like the instructions included with this toy.

The Raven is a Clip. Maybe you can use him as a bookmark, too (especially when reading Shakespeare).
I was really sad as a kid when (SPOILER ALERT) the Raven was turned to stone.

Maleficent as a Dragon is a cool pen.

I was not able to get Toy #2, which was a Maleficent Figure with a Ruler and Stencil.

Luckily, Sleeping Beauty Lived Happily Ever After. Really, she's like one of the most popular Disney characters, especially with Disney fans.


For more Sleeping Beauty fun, check out Maleficent And The Disney Villains Are Fantasmic!

Snow White As Maleficent And A Snow Storm Of Disney Catalog Covers

In an effort to shock her friends, Snow White dressed up as Maleficent from the film "Sleeping Beauty" back in 2002. This was not part of an attempted "bad girl" image for pure-as-snow Ms. White. It was her Halloween costume for the cover of the Disney Catalog. Snow White is joined by Pooh (as Stitch), Tinkerbell (as Snow White), a Dalmatian (as Cruella), Donald Duck (as Jiminy Cricket), Mickey Mouse (as Beast), Minnie Mouse (as Marie from The Aristocats) and Tigger (as Pooh).

Per the suggestion of my pal at Filmic Light: A Snow White Sanctum (the place for all things Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) it's time for some more Disney Catalog Covers featuring characters from Walt Disney's first animated feature film.


Ariel, Belle, Cinderella and Snow White join forces for the cover in 1992.

The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) were still new at this time. Cinderella (1950) had been around much longer, but Snow White (1937) was still the fairest of them all after many, many years.


Dopey was featured on the Holiday 1994 Catalog.

The character figures teased on the cover were high-dollar collectibles , and can be seen at Disney's Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: The Plush Toy.


Snow White and all Seven Dwarfs were featured together on the Disney Catalog in 2001.

This cover celebrated the first ever DVD release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.


The Evil Queen was on the cover in time for Halloween in 1999.

The Old Hag from Snow White was later featured on a cover with all the Disney Villains, which can be seen at Halloween With Chernabog And The Disney Villains.


Casey Junior took a break from being Dumbo's Circus Train to become Christmas transportation for Disney Characters.

Grumpy and Dopey make an appearance on this cover from The Year 2000! Viewers of Conan O'Brien's TV show may have his "In The Year 2000" song stuck in their heads now.


Princess Power kicked in during the 2000s.

Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Belle have a serene book club meeting under a tree in Fall 2002.


Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White were dreaming of a pink Christmas in 2001.

This cover artwork is titled "A Royal Holiday."


Cinderella, Snow White and Belle made a point to visit a fancy Masquerade Ball in 2002.

Not surprisingly, Cinderella's Coach turned back into a Jack-O-Lantern after midnight.


Snow White, her Prince and the Dwarfs joined many other Disney Characters for Christmas in 2002.

Lumiere needs to be careful around the tree.


Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty joined forces to decorate for the Holidays.

Snow White was really busy hanging up wreaths in 2003.


Here she is again, this time with some of her Dwarf friends and many more characters.

Sleepy, Sneezy and Bashful were fashionably late to the party.


Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White had a garden party in 2004.

Is that Sleeping Beauty's Castle or Cinderella's?


The Disney Gang got together for a big Catalog Cover titled "Magical Night" in 2001. Wait a minute. Where's Snow White?


This was a big fold out cover, featuring all sorts of characters, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Dopey has a nice little moment in this artwork.


In 2002, the Disney Catalog released a lithograph featuring this art.

A lithograph for "A Royal Holiday" was also released.


And now for something different. For Halloween 2003, Minnie Mouse dressed up as Snow White.

Joining Minnie is Lilo (as Ariel), Tinkerbell (as Cinderella) and Marie (as Sleeping Beauty).

Marie was a very popular character in the Disney Catalog at this time, and is still merchandised quite a bit (especially in Asia) though her Aristocats co-stars are rarely ever seen.