Heraldry of the Magic Kingdom
What follows is an abandoned attempt of mine to write an actual book about the various instances of heraldry in the Disney theme parks. Finding credible source material was a challenge, and the end result is not something I could ask money for.
Since this was meant for affordable publication, the illustrations were created in black and white. In a future revision of this online version, I will restore color.
Introduction
The Disney theme parks are known for their attention to detail and immersive environments, and one aspect of this attention to detail is the use of heraldry throughout the parks.
Heraldry is both the art and the study of coats of arms and other armorial bearings. That is the dictionary definition, but to the layperson this might not tell one all that much.
Regrettably, this work can never be an all-encompassing guide to all heraldry in Disney parks. Fantasyland in particular is full of coats of arms. What they refer to, if anything at all, might sometimes only be known to the ingenious imagineers who artfully incorporated them. They can be arms they assumed themselves, or designs they saw in a publication somewhere. Nevertheless I hope to showcase a selection of fun and clear-cut examples in this overview.
I have taken great care to ensure that none of the contemporary design work found in Disney parks has been directly lifted in the creation of this work. Rather, all coat of arms have been painstakingly recreated from the ground up, following designs that have long entered the public domain. I did take the liberty of drawing by hand a character from the period woodwork in a carrousel in Disneyland Paris.
The first chapter is a short introduction to heraldry. It will explain the origins of heraldry, as well as give you the tools to understand the basic concepts. These should be enough to grasp what’s going on in the Disney-related heraldry covered in later chapters. I won’t bore you with all the intricate details that heraldists love, like how you can tell someone’s exact rank of nobility by the specific design of the crown. If those interest you, I recommend you to pick up a general introduction to the subject (see the recommended reading section). When something beyond the basics does come into play, it will be explained then.
Table of Contents
- Introduction (you are here)
- Heraldry 101
- The Disney Coat of Arms
- Knights of the Round Table
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Society of Explorers and Adventurers
Further reading
More about heraldry
- Stephen Slater, The Illustrated Book of Heraldry. Lorenz Books, 2013.
- Thomas Woodcock, The Oxford Guide to Heraldry. Oxford University Press, 1988.
More about the Knights of the Round Table
- Wilfrid Scott-Giles, "Some Arthurian Coats of Arms", The Coat of Arms 8 (1964-65).