Cinderella Castle is getting a makeover in 2026! Say goodbye to the current pink color scheme and hello to the classic color scheme with creams and blues. Disney recently announced the timeline for repainting Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom and how they hope to address a major issue.
Cinderella Castle
Beginning in January 2026, workers will start transforming Cinderella Castle. The repainting is expected to be completed later in 2026. Disney hasn’t announced a more specific completion timeline yet. If you have a trip planned to Disney World in 2026, you may be wondering what this means for those iconic pictures of Magic Kingdom’s icon. Disney tries its best to ensure refurbishments have the least amount of impact possible on guests, but how is that going to work here? How is Disney going to keep Magic Kingdom’s icon looking picture-ready during the process?
Disney has given us a bit of insight into the repainting process, but how exactly will it work? The current plan is to have all cranes lowered and out of sight by noon each day. Assuming here that workers will likely be painting from the park close until noon the next day. So, in theory, guests should be able to get decent pictures of Cinderella Castle after noon each day. But will it actually work out that way?
Cinderella Castle
For starters, just the logistics of removing cranes each day. Are they truly going to be moved out of the park, or will they just be lowered enough to hopefully stay out of most pictures? When Cinderella Castle was transformed to its current color palette, most of the work was done during the COVID-19 closure. When the parks began reopening, Cinderella Castle was almost complete. We did spot cranes putting on the finishing touches, but most of the repainting was done. We will be curious to see how visible or not visible the work equipment is after noon each day.
Painting Cinderella Castle (2020)
Also, the castle is getting a different paint color, so as work progresses, it will likely look a bit mismatched. Not the end of the world, but not the gorgeous castle we are used to seeing in photos either. Unfortunately, that will likely be a necessity. We all know that if Disney could make the transformation overnight, they would, but the repainting will take at least a few months. We think the painting will likely be done in sections, so we expect you to be able to find at least one angle of Cinderella Castle with consistent colors throughout the process. While the front view is iconic, you can also get great angles from the sides and the back!
Concept art for repainting ©Disney
Disney has also mentioned some changes to the shows around Cinderella Castle. There will be some minor adjustments to the “Let The Magic Begin” welcome show, Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, and the Happily Ever After fireworks. Disney hasn’t stated exactly what these adjustments will be just yet, but it doesn’t sound like they will be super noticeable changes.
Cinderella Castle 2019
Disney definitely has some magic up its sleeves, but we are definitely curious about how well they will be able to hide the process after noon each day. Of course, we will keep you updated as work begins! We are hoping the construction won’t be noticeable after noon each day, but only time will tell. We are in the parks every single day, and we always keep an eye out for the latest Disney news so that you always have the most up-to-date information. Make sure to stay tuned to DFB for more!
“It’s Going Back to the Way Walt Intended” Disney Fans Are Reacting to the Changes Coming to Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
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How visible do you think the castle repainting will be next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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With the new IPhones use the erase feature on pictures to eliminate unwanted cranes, people, flagpoles, etc from the pictures. We used it on many of our pictures from our last trip and it’s kinda cool.
I love the new concept palette (if that is an accurate plan and execution. I really disliked those garish multi-colored paint jobs in recent years.