Credit: Xiquinho Silva, FlickrCinderella Castle is officially entering its “makeover era.” On January 28, Disney cast members began repainting the Magic Kingdom Park icon, several years after the color scheme celebrating Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary was installed.
Cinderella Castle Makeover
In 2021, Walt Disney World Resort painted much of Cinderella Castle light pink to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Central Florida Disney destination. A large golden “50” medallion was installed in place of the iconic analog clock. The medallion was removed at the official end of the 50th anniversary celebrations, but the color scheme remained, years after the festivities ended.
Finally, in the summer of 2025, Walt Disney World Resort announced plans to repaint Cinderella Castle throughout 2026. Disney promised that the updated color scheme would pay tribute to the original design and restore the light gray and blue details that were in place before the 50th anniversary makeover. Disney released the concept art below for the reimagining of the Magic Kingdom Park icon:
Early signs of the refurbishment appeared this month, with paint testing in a small patch. Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters also disappeared from Let the Magic Begin, the park-opening show on the Cinderella Castle stage. Walt Disney World Resort has also removed pyrotechnics from the show to accommodate the construction work in the area.
Performances of another castle show, Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, have been pushed to later in the day to allow crews to work on the castle in the morning.
Work Begins at Magic Kingdom Park
On January 28, crews officially began repainting Cinderella Castle. According to BlogMickey, a small portion of the top section of the structure has been painted from light pink to gray. Whether this is a coat of primer or the final color for the building, it marks the beginning of restoring the original color scheme.
gray looks good on her
gray looks good on her https://t.co/2fWBW8W2cy pic.twitter.com/vDbxMjnKEB
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) January 28, 2026
Cranes will eventually surround Cinderella Castle, but they haven’t arrived yet. There appears to have been a delay in draining the moat for construction, and water remains in the area where construction equipment will eventually sit.
Walt Disney World Resort has said that the project will be complete by the end of 2026, but hasn’t provided an exact timeline for the return of the original Magic Kingdom Park icon.
Which version of Cinderella Castle is your favorite? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!