Have you heard of the Disneyland castle near Washington, D.C.?
A TikTok from @kodhizera recently went viral, showing three golden and white spires towering over the highway in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. “First time living in the DMV,” the TikToker wrote. “I didn’t know there was Disneyland here?? Why nobody ever told me that?”
@kodhizera Why nobody ever told me that? #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #maryland #dmv #washingtondc #disney #disneyland #disneyworld
The video amassed nearly 100,000 likes and over 1.1 million views. Though some viewers were convinced that a new Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort had popped up in Washington, D.C., many locals took the time to explain what the building actually is.
The towering spires actually adorn the Washington D.C. Temple, the 16th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the LDS Church). It’s been a landmark on the Capital Beltway since it opened in 1974. Though it isn’t operated by The Walt Disney Company, the Washington D.C. Temple is part of some fascinating local legends.
In 1974, some schoolgirls promoting their production of “The Wizard of Oz” used wadded newspaper to embed the message “Surrender Dorothy” (a quote from the Wicked Witch) onto one of the Capital Beltway overhead bridges. Crews eventually removed the message, but it left a permanent mark: locals began calling the Washington D.C. Temple “Oz,” and spray-painted “Surrender Dorothy” messages periodically reappear on the bridge.
Many TikTok commenters joked that, because of the 10% tithing required for Mormons to have a “temple recommend” that allows them to visit the building, the Washington D.C. Temple was a more expensive vacation destination than Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort.
“They charge more than Disney to get in,” said @jen2984.
“Mormons Temple tickets cost more than Disney world,” @honey_comb1993 agreed.
Some locals reported that the Washington D.C. Temple staff were good sports about the Disney and “Oz” jokes.
“When we first moved to the DMV, we didn’t know what it was,” @elaw381 wrote. “My daughter was 3 and kept calling it the princess castle and wanted to go meet her. We decided to drive to it one day just to show her. Lots of Mormons, no princesses. They were really nice to my kid though and told her the princess was away on important business and let us take pictures.”
“They actually put on a pretty display at Christmas you can go see,” said @gsdmom04. “It’s called the Washington DC Temple Festival of Lights.”
The Walt Disney Company actually once planned to build a theme park in Virginia, called “Disney’s America.” The history-focused park would’ve consisted of several attractions, Disney Resort hotels, a golf course, and housing. It was announced in 1993 and scheduled to open in 1998, but was canceled following intense local backlash about building a theme park near historic sites and battlefields.
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