Photos: When Cinderella Castle looked like a birthday cake in 1996

To commemorate Walt Disney World’s 25th anniversary the front of the Cinderella Castle was turned into an 18-story birthday cake.

The look of the castle was controversial at the time, many people thought it looked ridiculous. The castle was covered with red and pink “icing,” giant candy canes and 26 glowing candles (one for good luck.)

It took more than 400 gallons of pink paint to cover the castle. The candles ranged in height from 20 to 40 feet tall.

The castle also contained 16 two-foot long candy stars, 16 five-foot,) candy bears, 12 five-foot gumdrops, four six-foot stacks of Life Savers, 30 three-foot lollipops, and 50 two-foot (61 cm) gumballs.

More than 1,000 feet of pink and blue inflatable icing was used to finished it off.