The original colour map of Disneyland has been sold at auction for over €600,000.

The hand-drawn and coloured document was created by Walt Disney and his artist Herb Ryman in an effort to win funding for the lavish amusement park in the early 1950s.

The artefact was hidden away for over 60 years after the children’s cartoon creator gifted it to a production assistant.

The two artists created the map over the space of a weekend in September 1953 so that Walt’s brother, Roy Disney could present the concept to potential backers in New York.

Image: Van Eaton Galleries

The project eventually received the support of ABC – paving the way for Disneyland to become a reality.

At an auction in Los Angeles over the weekend the map fetched $708,000 (approx €634,000).

Although the sale fell short of the $900,000 (approx €805,000) it was expected to achieve – it is still believed to be the most expensive Disneyland map ever sold.

Auctioneers Van Eaton Galleries have yet to reveal the identity of the buyer.

Walt Disney with his development team during the early stages of designing the park in 1954, Image: Van Eaton Galleries.

Mike Van Eaton, co-owner of the gallery said the map had sold for an “outstanding price.”

"We are beyond thrilled that the map will continue to be appreciated and cherished just like it has been for all these years," he told Forbes magazine.

The weekend auction featured nearly 1,000 other iconic Disney artefacts.

Disneyland attracted 17.9 million visitors in 2016.