A Word of Warning If You're Heading to Magic Kingdom Next Month

There is a LOT going on within the Walt Disney Company. The hunt for a new CEO is still underway, the theme parks are expanding, and a new Disney park is being developed.

Magic Kingdom

While those changes are certainly big, there’s one thing happening in Magic Kingdom very soon. While it might not be the biggest news in the grand scheme of things, Cinderella Castle getting a makeover feels very big and personal to us. This makeover is starting soon, and if you’re going to be in the park next month, you need to be prepared for one thing.

Our beloved Cinderella Castle is going back to her roots! At Destination D23 in August 2025, Disney announced that the castle would be returning to the classic color scheme with grays, creams, blues, and touches of gold. Currently, the castle is sporting a pink and blue color scheme that was part of the park’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Cinderella Castle

Disney recently confirmed that the makeover will begin in January 2026. We’re clearly excited about this, so what’s the word of warning? Well, those morning Cinderella Castle photos won’t be looking as picture-perfect as we would like.

©Disney

That might not have crossed your mind just yet, but we can all admit construction isn’t the prettiest for those lifelong family photos. The castle will also be in various states over the course of the next few months, which isn’t really what you picture when you’re daydreaming about your vacation photo album.

The back of Cinderella Castle

Luckily, there will be breaks throughout the day when you can get better photos, though they probably won’t be totally perfect. They’ve confirmed that the project will begin with draining the moat around the castle, and then painting will begin. They’ve also shared that cranes should be lowered by 12 PM (noon) each day.

She’s SO pink

While the pink was very sweet, most fans have been eagerly awaiting the return to the original color scheme. Magic Kingdom is going through a lot of construction at the moment, and this will be another eyesore for a period of time. The last time the castle was painted was in 2020, and it took a few months to go through that process.

Cinderella Castle in 2019

Disney hasn’t confirmed how long the makeover will take, but they have shared that it should be wrapped up later in 2026. We’re hoping this will be a semi-quick process so our castle photos can return to perfection soon! Although we will say we love having those rare photos from times of change in Disney World. They are seriously fun to look back on once the change is complete.

Cinderella Castle Makeover Progress in 2020

During the last makeover, Disney did confirm that Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Cinderella’s Royal Table would stay open, so we’re hoping for the same pattern this time around. Disney has yet to share if that will be the case in 2026. As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney news and updates!

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