Forced Perspective
Every building on Main Street is of a uniform, modest height, so as not to distract from the castle at the end of the street. But when you’re walking down Main Street, the buildings somehow appear bigger and more imposing, thanks to an optical illusion known as forced perspective.
The artists designed the buildings’ exteriors so that the top floors are shorter than the ground floors, and that creates an illusion of height, especially when viewing the buildings from street level. And it’s not the only time that Disney applies this trick. The Imagineers use forced perspective on the castle as well, which is similarly disproportionate.
