Credit: Scott Calleja, FlickrMickey Mouse is switching things up at the Magic Kingdom after Walt Disney World Resort revealed that the repainting of Cinderella Castle meant that he and his friends no longer appear in the park’s welcome show. Several Central Florida Disney Park guests report that Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Daisy Duck are moving to other parts of the park following changes to the welcome show and the schedule shift for Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire.
Cinderella Castle Repainting Project
Crews have officially started repainting Cinderella Castle, which has been a pale pink since Walt Disney World Resort‘s 50th anniversary celebration began in 2021. Last year, Walt Disney Imagineering finally announced plans to restore the Magic Kingdom Park icon to its original light gray and blue color scheme.
✨JUST ANNOUNCED✨ Cinderella Castle at @WaltDisneyWorld is getting a new color palette inspired by the classic and original look of the castle http://di.sn/6006f7IMj
✨JUST ANNOUNCED✨ Cinderella Castle at @WaltDisneyWorld is getting a new color palette inspired by the classic and original look of the castle https://t.co/cTAfEIuoho pic.twitter.com/z4Z24iCTBX
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) August 31, 2025
As part of the project, the “Let the Magic Begin” park opening show at Cinderella Castle has been reduced, and characters no longer appear at the performance. Additionally, performances of Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire have been moved later in the day to accommodate repainting during the cooler morning hours.
Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t announced an end date for the refurbishment, but confirmed that Cinderella Castle should be complete by the end of the year.
Surprise Encounters With Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse and his friends have some surprises in store for guests who may be disappointed by the changes to the entertainment offerings near Cinderella Castle. Over the last few days, several classic Disney characters have been making surprise walkaround visits throughout Magic Kingdom Park.
According to BlogMickey, Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy appeared in Fantasyland at around 10:40 a.m. on Monday. As is standard with roaming character encounters at the Disney parks, the characters kept moving, stopping for the occasional high-five, quick selfie, or interaction before continuing. They do not sign autographs. Character attendants told guests looking for a more formal encounter where traditional meet-and-greets were available throughout Magic Kingdom Park.
The encounter lasted only ten minutes. Mickey Mouse headed back toward Cinderella Castle, while some of the other characters disappeared near “it’s a small world.”
This surprise-and-delight character encounter is not posted anywhere, so guests will have to get lucky to experience it. However, according to several reports, the characters have been appearing in Fantasyland in the morning with some regularity over the last few days.
Who is your favorite character to meet at Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!