See footage and art from favorite Disney films and learn about their real-life inspirations in the magical exhibit. See examples of European visual culture that Disney animated films, including nods to Gothic Revival architecture in Cinderella (1950), medieval influences on Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Rococo-inspired objects brought to life in Beauty and the Beast (1991).

Over 150 production artworks and works on paper from the Disney archives are displayed alongside sixty works of 18th-century European decorative arts and design—from tapestries and furniture to Boulle clocks and Sèvres porcelain.  See how animating the inanimate was the guiding principle of both Walt Disney Studios and of the Rococo craftspeople.

So much to see for lovers of castles, princesses, history and art. Highlights include glimpses of early, ultimately unused concepts for Beauty and the Beast like a foppish Gaston and a monkey-faced Beast, and depictions of the castles at each theme park world wide.

Note that there is often a wait to get into the exhibit – over an hour on a recent Sunday afternoon – and no members line. It winds through the Greek & Roman galleries, so maybe pick up a book on ancient mythology from the delightful museum gift shop to stay entertained.

See our complete guide to the Met.⁣