Cinderella Castle Moat Draining Begins - First New Paint Colors Visible

4 days ago in "Cinderella Castle"

New Cinderella Castle Grey Paint and Moat Draining Progress - February 4 2026
Posted: Wednesday February 4, 2026 9:35am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Work on Cinderella Castle has reached a visible milestone at Magic Kingdom. Dams are now in position around the castle, and crews have begun draining the moat.

A small section of the castle has also been painted in the new grey color scheme.

Moat Draining in Progress

Dams are positioned on either side of Cinderella Castle. The moat draining process is now underway.


Draining the moat gives crews access to sections of the castle structure and allows positioning cvrane to reach higher levels. 

First Paint Colors Appear

A small section of the castle on the side facing Tomorrowland has been painted in the new grey color.


This gives guests their first look at the updated palette Disney announced at Destination D23. The new color scheme is inspired by the castle's original 1971 appearance and includes grays, creams, blues, and gold accents.

Disney plans to use different sheen levels across the castle - lower sheen on stones for a natural appearance, and higher gloss on roofs and gold accents for sparkle.

Entertainment Adjustments

Several shows have been modified to accommodate the castle work.

Let the Magic Begin runs without character appearances. Guests still hear the welcome fanfare and music at park opening.

Mickey's Magical Friendship Faire moved to an afternoon-only schedule on January 28. Performances run at 1:00 PM, 2:05 PM, 4:00 PM, and 5:15 PM.

Happily Ever After continues with minor adjustments as needed.

What to Expect

If you're visiting Magic Kingdom in the coming weeks, you'll see dams in the moat, construction equipment around the castle, and the first sections of new paint.

No word yet on a completion date.

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Nickm20221 day ago

kinda off topic but just curious, how long would the new paint last before it begins to fade? I ask because I'm curious if they would have to do multiple coats of paint or not

Mkek222 days ago

Recent live streams show the lasers aren't being used.

jrhwdw3 days ago

Lasers wasn't working the first night, Jan 28. But have been working ever since.

Bocabear3 days ago

That photo makes the castle look so garish...Not the ethereal french gothic beauty of my childhood... Looking forward to this going away and getting back to the original (or similar) colors....

James Alucobond3 days ago

I didn't mind the extra gold as much on parts of the keep, but the outer wall seriously already looks so much better in the sections without it.

Disney Analyst3 days ago

looks like the roof tiles are being painted now also.

Mkek224 days ago

Are the lasers likely to be missing from HEA for the duration of the repaint process?

griffin ferrari4 days ago

I don't have pictures from today but, it looks like they have pumps in place to drain the moat.

Brian5 days ago

They have started painting turrets. They're working on the eastern side. Nothing major yet though.

HauntedPirate5 days ago

Once they start painting turrets and spires, progress will be more noticeable.

HauntedPirate5 days ago

I've never pulled for a return of the fun, whimsical castle cake harder than I am right now.

wbostic125 days ago

Any update since the weekend on this? I know obviously not the biggest news today, but just wondering if any more progress (or any changes at all) have been made.

James Alucobond8 days ago

I'd actually prefer seeing the roofing painted as if the shingles were variegated. The shingles tend to look plastic and artificial, but at least in my mind's eye, varying between 3-5 shades would help them feel more real.

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