Cinderella Castle transformation with new paint | Construction update with photos
Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World is being restored to its original paint scheme of white and blue; bookmark this page to track the transformation over time.
In 2020, the iconic Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom lost its instantly recognizable blue and gray paint job in favor of a rosegold-esque makeover with bright blue turrets and gold accents. Love it or hate it, Disney announced at the 2025 Destination D23 that Cinderella Castle will see a return to form, bidding adieu to its rosegold era and reentering the age of white and blue.
Over the past months, the Magic Kingdom icon have seen a lot of work, and we’ve documented the entire process!
April 2026: Cinderella Castle repaint appears finished
During a visit to Magic Kingdom today, our editor made a full loop around Cinderella Castle to take in the latest progress from every angle. From the front of the castle to the left side and around to the back near the ‘Prince Charming Regal Carrousel’ and ‘Mickey’s PhilharMagic,’ the transformation appears to be complete.
The updated color scheme is now fully visible, with crisp whites, soft grays, and deeper blues replacing the previous pink tones. The gold accents are dazzling and the blue tones are bold and proud. Any remaining traces of that earlier look appear to be completely gone.
The refreshed palette reads classic and balanced in person, especially as the darker blue rooftops contrast against the lighter stonework.
That said, there are still a few signs that work may not be entirely wrapped up.
The moat remains drained, and cherry picker machines are still positioned inside, hinting that crews could be handling final touch-ups or cleanup behind the scenes. Even so, from a guest perspective, the repaint looks finished—and for now, this appears to be the clearest view yet of Cinderella Castle’s refreshed look.
Before we revisit the progress made over the past few months, let’s take a look at that classic Cinderella Castle view from Main Street. Few moments feel more magical than those first glimpses of the castle as you’re walkin’ right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A. Now that the refreshed paint scheme seems complete, it is a classic Magic Kingdom moment reborn.
Photo by Dani Meyering
February 2026: Original color scheme takes over
We’ll be honest, this transformation is happening at a speed we could not have predicted. Little by little over the last month or so, crews have started repainting Cinderella Castle back to its original white and blue look.
So far, there has been no giant crane onsite (or in the way of guests’ family photos), just patches of work done here and there after park hours. Makes you wonder if bringing back the Dream Lights could be done in the same way…
I quite like the way the white and blue compliment the faded pink, but if I never see pink on this castle again, it’ll be too soon. Unless they bring back the cake castle, that I’ll welcome with open arms!
From Main Street, U.S.A., you can’t really tell just how much repainting has been done unless you look really close at two of the higher turrets.
The stark difference in colors is a little bit more noticeable from across Seven Seas Lagoon as the new navy blue atop the turrets really pops next to the faded light blue of the others. While a first glance would probably register the castle as pink, there’s almost a better view of the two grey turrets from back here.
Up close, Cinderella Castle looks about the same as it has the last few years.
The moat around the castle has been blocked off with a dam, but not fully drained.
Accent work appears to be removing the gold from the front of the castle
If you haven’t made up your mind on what color palette you prefer, this view of the castle has a direct side by side for those still on the fence.
Here are some close-up looks to the repainting in progress:
The back of the castle is almost restored to its former glory, and boy does it look absolutely gorgeous. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cinderella Castle is fully repainted before summer arrives!
January 2026: One last look at the rosegold castle
This is it. Nearly six years later, we are in the last year of the rosegold castle’s reign. We took a closer look around the castle to take in some of the details before work begins later this month.
Some of the gold paint on the entrance arch is starting to peel, so the return of the blue and white could not come sooner!
This was the last holiday season the rosegold castle will see. You can see how fast and noticeable the fading of the pink on the castle happens when beat on by the Florida sun day in and day out. The blue and white paint would fade just the same, but it didn’t look nearly as unbleached as the castle does now.
Months before the repainting was announced, we captured pictures of the castle when it look its most gorgeous, sunrise.
When the Florida sun starts to rise over the Magic Kingdom, before it becomes unbearably hot, the pink and gold on Cinderella Castle shine in the most regal fashion. It’s an emotional moment when there’s not many people around. Just you, your loved ones, and the castle. These are the moments that will be missed the most when looking back on the castle’s rosegold era.
Dream Lights …?
One of the biggest complaints when it came to holiday offerings on the castle after the park came back from the pandemic closure was the noticeable lack of twinkling lights. Known as the Dream Lights, the castle used to be covered in these white lights resembling ice or snow draped on the castle each holiday season from 2007-2019. I’m emotional just writing about it. With the change in the castle’s color scheme back to its original white and blue, I wish with all my heart, this was the last year we see Cinderella Castle without this fan-favorite offering. The projections that replaced the Dream Lights just don’t invoke the same emotions.
Photos by Blake Taylor
Are you excited to see a return to form for Cinderella Castle or are you going to miss the rosegold? Let us know in the comments below!
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