Royal Makeover for Cinderella Castle at Disney World!
Disney has announced that Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom will receive a “bold, shimmering and royal makeover.” This comes ahead of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, and fittingly includes gold trim and accents. In this post, we’ll share the new concept art and offer some commentary.
Walt Disney World has stated that this exciting work will start to take place as these stunning enhancements begin in the coming weeks, continuing through summer. During these changes, shows that involve Cinderella Castle, such as “Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” and “Happily Ever After” will continue.
What’s unclear is how this will be accomplished. Will a giant scrim cover Cinderella Castle, as occurred at Disneyland while Sleeping Beauty Castle prepared for the 60th Anniversary and again when it received its new color scheme last year? Will the infamous Cinderella Castle Crane make an appearance?
The latter seems like the most likely scenario for continuing to run Happily Ever After, and it’s especially plausible since this crane is still (or at least was last week) behind Cinderella Castle for the removal of the Christmas Dream Lights.
However, I doubt all of this work can be accomplished with a single crane. It’s likely that additional heavy machinery will be brought in to enable the royal makeover to be done, as coffer dams have already been installed in the moat around Cinderella Castle.
Whether construction is done in the overnight hours as unobtrusively as possible remains to be seen. That has been the case with the installation and removal of the holiday lights for each of the last few years. This is also how the walkways around Cinderella Castle were widened last year, and it really only impacted photos from the Tomorrowland and Liberty Square bridges. Straight-on photos weren’t impacted.
It’s also possible that a giant scrim will be installed with construction occurring over the course of 5-6 months. Obviously, this would impact photos and the guest experience. The Happily Ever After fireworks could continue to run in modified form, sans projections. A more elaborate construction project like this is plausible, but it might upset guests who have booked dessert parties, weddings, etc. (Personally, I’m in favor of as much TLC as possible, and would be fine with this approach.)
This royal makeover of Cinderella Castle is supposed to be exciting news that will hype up guests. The possibility that there might be a giant construction scrim up for several months would definitely throw a wet blanket on enthusiasm among Walt Disney World fans, which could be why Disney proactively stated that Happily Ever After will continue during the work. For what it’s worth, there’s currently a similar project underway at Tokyo Disneyland, where their Cinderella Castle looks like this:
That construction project on Japan’s Cinderella Castle has been incredibly comprehensive, with elements of the structure physically removed for refurbishment. (We shared more photos in our Urban Legend Come True: Cinderella Castle’s Top Spire Removed post.)
If the concept art for Magic Kingdom is any indication, some the changes to Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World would put it more in line with Tokyo Disneyland’s castle. The primary difference is the gold trim, but Japan’s version of Cinderella Castle has always used a two-tone color scheme on those same areas of Cinderella Castle.
Above is a closer look at the concept art for the royal makeover of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World. One of the things that initially caught our attention was the dreamy, almost pink or rose gold look to the (previously/currently) beige areas of Cinderella Castle.
Upon doing a little digging, we no longer believe this is a change. See below…
That’s the photo you’ll find right now if you visit DisneyWorld.com’s Cinderella Castle page. (The top image in this post is actually an overlay I made in Photoshop of the concept art Disney released on top of this photo.) This picture almost certainly serves as the stock image for the royal makeover concept art. You notice the same soft and warm light on that, which is due to the morning golden hour light.
That photo was probably shot shortly before park opening at a time when Cinderella Castle can appear varying shades of pink and golden due to the sunrise color. (See my photo below.) While there could be a pink hue added with this new color scheme, we believe that appearance in the concept art is simply due to the time of day the source photo was shot.
Another interesting thing here is the timing. Per Walt Disney World’s announcement, this will begin almost immediately and continue through this summer. While it’s unknown when the 50th Anniversary celebration will start, it’s safe to assume the answer is not any time in 2020.
Our expectation is that Fall 2021 is when Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary festivities will kick-off. Probably on October 1, or maybe shortly before (September 2021 would be a savvy time to start the event, as it could draw crowds to the least-busy month of the year). There’s an outside chance that the celebration could begin in May 2021 if it’s going to be an 18-24 month event.
There’s almost no way that Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration will begin this summer. Between that and the conspicuous absence of the 50th Anniversary in the press release about the upcoming makeover of Cinderella Castle, we’re thinking that this is not specifically for that milestone. (Cinderella’s 70th Anniversary is mentioned, but that’s likely just convenient timing.)
Now, it’d be a pretty big coincidence for Cinderella Castle to receive a new look accentuated by gold right before Magic Kingdom’s golden anniversary. Perhaps that’s because this is intended to be a permanent look? Maybe there’s going to be additional artifice and decor added on top of this next year, and this is simply the “foundation” for whatever’s coming next year?
This makeover of Cinderella Castle being permanent seems likely. Unlike a bunch of whirligigs, inflatable cake elements, or a gigantic frame, these are the kinds of subtle aesthetic changes that won’t need to be undone come 2022. Whether that means Cinderella Castle will have its brand new look hidden behind a bunch of additional decor next year–or that this is simply the style for the golden anniversary–remains to be seen.
Overall, we like what we see thus far. Concept art often doesn’t accurately reflect the finished product, but either way, we’re ready for a new look for Cinderella Castle. Our initial inclination here is that the deeper blues coupled with some golden accents look regal and grand. With this, we’re willing to take a wait and see mentality. Here’s hoping Cinderella Castle receives some TLC in the process of this royal makeover, and is looking better than ever for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of Cinderella Castle’s royal makeover? Are you a fan of the gold trim? Think more will be done for the 50th Anniversary, or do you suspect this is it? Do you expect a giant scrim to go up, or work to be done overnight via cranes? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We were on our tenth trip to Disney World for their 25th anniversary celebration and hated the castle decorated as a giant birthday cake. I’m all for renovations when something is falling apart or needs an upgrade, but messing with the traditional castle? No thanks!
So sad, I hate pink. Sick and tired of princess/ girl things having pink. Always loved the colours of Cinderella’s castle and never liked the one in DL. I LOVE Lego and trains but refuse to buy the new one because it’s the DL castle.
All things change, but Cinderella’s castle (the way it is) is the logo for WDW, and I thought sacred.
100% agree with you!
I’m excited, I think the concept art looks great. I am a fan of the soft pink but in my know-absolutely-nothing opinion, I agree it is just the lighting. I think the pink look is saved specifically for the sleeping beauty castles. But it sure does look great!
My husband and I will be travelling this April/May for our honeymoon, so this has me feeling a bit uneasy as to the extent of the construction at that point. But I’ve gathered the below this morning from comments via Jason @ Disney Parks Blog.
Tom, what are your thoughts on the meaning behind the castle “remaining uncovered”?
“While temporary construction equipment may be present while Cinderella Castle receives its royal makeover, it will remain uncovered and we will do our best to ensure guests are still able to capture special photos and memories in this iconic spot.”
“Throughout the makeover, guests will still be able to enjoy favorites inside the castle such as Cinderella’s Royal Table and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Have a magical vacation!”
Has there been any mention if this will impact eating at Cinderella’s Royal Table? We (two families) are going for our once in a lifetime trip in April, with three girls aged 6, 6, and 4, and the castle is all that they talk about (as well as eating inside of it!) I’m in agreement that they need to do the refurbishments in the safest way for the workers, and scrims will likely be the best way to do so. But oh so frustrating if it breaks those girls hearts to not be able to see the castle in its glory!
We’re in the same situation. We’re going mid-March, and it will most likely be a once in a lifetime trip for us as well. We have Cinderella’s Royal Table reservations for 3/21. I just checked My Disney Experience, and so far, they haven’t been cancelled yet.
Stressed about this! Our trip is in June and we have Bbb Booked and CRT booked for both breakfast and dinner!!
Oops it was Walt’s 100 birthday. Ha also got the magic hat!
I am sad I am
Getting married in July in
The grand Floridian it’s going to be a mess wirh construction all over the place I think I may cancel my wedding now
Was it the 30th birthday they turned the castle into a birthday cake? How did they do that and how long did it take
No, that was the 25th birthday of WDW.
It was inflatable so I don’t think it was such a big process.
Wondering if the schedule for Once Upon A Time Projection show reflects any of their renovation schedule. I don’t see any show times scheduled after March 29 but the fireworks shows are still all on the calendar. We’re planning to go for the first time in June, so really hoping for an unobstructed view.
Going for our first and only trip in March. Will be super disappointed if the castle is covered or has cranes 🙁
I hear ya……this is a one shot deal for us as well. We will be there May 16th-30th. Let’s keep our fingers, toes, legs and arms crossed that it will be presentable. I will be watching over the next few weeks and if it’s too much, I will consider postponing our trip 🙁
My daughter is getting married the following week in Orlando so that is the only reason I was able to talk hubby into a trip for us lol. We will not have the option to reschedule. You are right, we will keep everything crossed and hope for the best!
One and done trips break my heart. Hoping each of you gets pixie dust sprinkled and get another visit.You can only barely scratch the surface in one trip. I am helping a couple in their 60’s plan a one and done- one day each park and two days of Disney Springs/ Resort hopping. They have to choose and miss out on so much. Or maybe you can do like I do when my family can’t join me- go solo! I have a ball! (I went one time with my fiance and he hated it and made me irritable, so he’s banned as my Disney partner.)
I’ll be your Disney partner! Lol. I, too, have thought about trying Disney solo, but I haven’t worked up the courage yet. I’m afraid I’ll get down there and then loneliness will kick in with not having my family along to share it with.
Well, the trip I have planned for and saved for 3 years will be postponed for another year if scrim goes up. This is a once in a lifetime trip for us costing just over 30k. I just can’t spend that kind of money and have the centerpiece of the park looking the way Disneyland’s castle did. The projections won’t look right or be non existent and will Tinkerbell still fly? I fear not. With all the construction at Epcot, this will just be too much. I’m keeping my fingers crossed as my kids (and me) will be devastated. And what about weddings??? Could you imagine?
30 grand??? How long are you going for and where are you staying? We paid 10k recently and I thought that was absurd and never again.
2 weeks grand floridian main building, castle view club level, airline tickets, dining, park tickets, shopping, cabana rentals, minnie van rides, tours etc……we are really going all out and it’s most definately a once in a lifetime trip. It’s crazy how quickly the money adds up.
$30 Grand? Are you kidding? I don’t mean to be critical and I don’t know your financial situation but that seems absurd. If you’re rich than by all means go for it. But you could spend $10 grand (or less!) and still have an amazing time.
Our situation is a little different….taking the kids on a big trip to Disney World has been a bucket list thing for us ever since we became parents. They are now 6 and 13. My father passed away from cancer 2 years ago and left us a HUGE surprise. He was fairly wealthy (we are not) and he set the kids up for college and all that but he also left us a special “Disney fund”. 25k was left in a special account and notated in his will “take my grandkids on the Disney trip of a lifetime”! We had no clue that he did this so this is a VERY special trip for us. We added a few thousand that we have saved up to make it extra magical but this is something that we never could have done on our own.
What a beautiful gift enjoy every minute!
I hope you have the absolute time of your life! Postponing totally stinks but honestly, I would if I were you even without the castle situation. I think for the money your spending it would be better to wait till next year when Tron & Guardians of the Galaxy are expected to be open. Either way, I hope you guys have a blast start to finish. You’ve definitely come to the right site for travel tips. I think Tom has a post about what he would do if money “wasn’t an object”, you should definitely check it out!
Thanks so much Sydney! It will be very difficult to postpone as time off work and all that good stuff is already approved but I will watch closely over the next few weeks to see how it’s looking. This is something that we will NEVER get to do again unless we win the lottery and I so badly want it to be perfect. This site has been so great!
Wow! That’s an amazing gift! By all means go and enjoy yourselves in honor of your father. Don’t let the construction get you down, with all of the new improvements over the past 5 years Disney is still better than it has ever been even with refurbishments.
Hi Andrew! It’s such a special trip and I soooooo badly want it to be perfect. We are scheduled for may 16-30. I think if there is a crane or something I could stomach it. My fear is scaffolding and scrim. I don’t know how accurate it is yet but I saw a few posts around the internet today that the castle is not planned to be covered so I’m hopeful. Fingers and toes crossed! I grew up in Anaheim so I’m a Disneyland brat. 3 years ago we moved to Tennessee for hubby’s job and I am so homesick for Disney I can hardly stand it anymore. Never gone more than 2 weeks my entire life without being in the parks until now. I now realize how fortunate we were to live 5 minutes away and be lifetime annual passholders. Now as a “tourist” myself, I really appreciate the time and money families put into these trips. It never bothered me when construction was going on because we could just come back next week. It’s a whole different ballgame now. And Disney World is a whole different animal than Disneyland in terms of planning and size! LOL! But we are so looking forward to falling in love with our new “home park”.
I’m of the general opinion that “if ain’t broken don’t fix it”. I don’t see any issue with he castle currently and I’m not a huge fan of gold. On the other hand I’d love to have new smooth tracks installed in space mountain with no other changes!
Looks like I will be shooting Happily Every After from the TTC this year. Please keep us updated on the Crane\Scrim situation.
Even if they do completely cover the castle in scrim, this makeover really comes at a perfect time. With so many people excited about the new Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance, who’s going to cancel their vacation at this point if they can’t see the castle? Sure, it sucks, but with so much attention on Hollywood Studios right now, by the time people come back to focus on the MK, the paint job will be done and people will go, whoa, when did this happen?
I personally hope they use scrims and do a thorough job with this, but I wonder if there’s any apprehension in going that route. Epcot is already all torn up, and having scrims covering Cinderella Castle would create the impression (albeit inaccurate) that “half” of the parks are construction zones right now.
ha, yeah. I am one that would prefer they do the work after the park closes, and is openly visible during the day, but i’d also rather they be smart and safe as well. I just hope that they don’t start the Spaceship Earth remodel until after this project is done, as it would seem even worse on the “half the parks under construction issue.”
I was hoping for more detailed commentary on the impact of the work. Cindarella Castle – and the view down Main Street – is a HUGE part of the magic for me. The projections are an essential feature of upcharge events like HEA dessert parties and the Unite the Night show at DVAH.
I’ve recently been a frequent visitor so I’m not sad for myself, but for people making a first trip (especially a “once in a lifetime” trip) this is very disappointing news.
It really seems like the whole of WDW is a building site and it honestly makes me question whether I should take a few years off.
There’s not more commentary because it’s all speculative at this point. As the article notes towards the top, this could be accomplished entirely after hours via cranes (like the Dream Lights), which wouldn’t be intrusive at all.
Alternatively, it might mean scrims up for several months, which obviously would be much more visually intrusive. We’re awaiting more details from Walt Disney World.
I’m just lashing out at my favourite blogger because I’m so disappointed for the friend I’m taking in June (and again in October). I want him to have the “perfect” trip and will be terribly sad if the usual stunning view is blighted. And concerned about castle projections, which are more important to me than fireworks.
I’m seeing pictures already of the moat being drained again.
While I’m here – thank you so much for writing your blog. I consider it essential reading and value it very much.
I agree with the fact that Disney will look like a construction site if they put up scrims, but at the same time.. if they want to stay up to date and “ modern “, that might mean going with big refurbishments, and in that case, well.. it needs to be done. And there will never be a good time to do it, as parks are open 365 days/year.
I get it, and I would frustrated too as we visit only once every 2/3 years, but at some point what needs to be done has to be done, and it’s better to do it well from day 1, even if that affects guest/customer satisfaction.
Now, as previously said by Tom and others, I’m not sure if Disney is ready to take that risk with all the other projects on the go right now.
As mine and The Magic Kingdom’s birthday I see exactly the same day and year and I plan on being there on October 1st. I am looking extremely forward to it.
The current turrets match Cinderella’s dress color right? The darker sets a different tone, less whimsical imo. I don’t think the extra bling is necessary, but I’m too old school–not the driving demographic.
Was just about to book a theme park view @ BLT. Now this is giving me second thoughts.
I like the current lighter blue turrets… but I also like the look of the darker turrets. I know on the internet we’re supposed to either love or hate things, but I like the current castle just fine and also think this new version looks nice!
Any idea when the work will begin?
We will be there next week and hoping for some nice castle pictures!
I would highly doubt work will start next week. I think you should be safe.
The way Disney communicates things leave a lot to be desired… im going for once in a life time trip in mid March and i may not even see the Castle… if they are planning to do a construction on a significant landmark such as the castle, they should inform the customers at least few months in advance. This is just their tactic so that customers like me cannot cancel or postpone their trips… if this ruins my experience, i would be pretty upset….
We booked our first ever Christmas trip for Dec 2020 and what a bummer it’ll be if the castle can’t be gorgeously Christmasified 🙁
I highly doubt this will have any impact on the ability to add the Dream Lights. Those have become a huge draw and probably the biggest selling point (and marketing tool) for Christmas at Walt Disney World. I highly doubt they would do this if it meant not doing the Dream Lights.
Either they use crane and then no issues for Dream Lights, or they use scrims and they will be planning to be done by Christmas season I would think.