Cinderella Castle Repainting Begins at Magic Kingdom
Disney has officially started repainting Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, and the project will continue throughout 2026.
Guests can already spot early changes. A small section of the castle has been painted light gray, including part of the upper pink area. The fresh gray wall can be seen between two towers. For now, it’s unclear if this is the final color or just a base coat (primer) that will get more paint later.
Returning to Classic Colors
Cinderella Castle received its current pink, royal blue, and gray look in 2021 for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration. In summer 2025, Disney announced plans to restore the castle to its classic gray and light blue colors.
Disney later shared that painting would begin in January 2026, and the park calendar listed January 28 as the official start date.
Interestingly, some fresh pink paint appeared on the castle last week, likely as a test run before full repainting began. Disney expects the entire project to be finished by the end of the year.
Changes to Shows During Construction
Because of the repainting, a few castle-area performances have been adjusted:
The morning welcome show, “Let the Magic Begin,” has been modified. Fireworks were removed earlier this month, and now Disney characters are no longer part of the show. The music and opening fanfare still play.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire has also been moved to later times in the day to allow crews to work on the castle.
What do you think about Cinderella Castle returning to its classic colors? Are you excited—or will you miss the 50th anniversary look?
