by James Coulter
For more than 50 years, Cinderella Castle has served as the iconic centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Over the years, the castle has received many paint jobs, from its rose gold and navy blue overlay to celebrate the park’s 50th anniversary in 2021 to even a birthday cake overlay celebrating the park’s 25th anniversary in 1996.
Now, just in time for the park’s 55th anniversary next year, the castle will be painted in the same color palette it once had when the Magic Kingdom opened on Oct. 1, 1971.
During the “Beyond the Spires: An Insider Look at Disney Castles” panel at Destination D23, Imagineers announced the castle’s newest overlay, which has been designed to reflect the original color palette the landmark had on opening day.
As Disney Parks Blog reports: “The updated paint will feature grays, creams, blues, and touches of gold aiming to enhance the castle’s architecture.”
Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World stands at 189 feet tall, more than twice the height of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in California.
In fact, the only reason the castle isn’t any taller is because of Florida height restrictions, which require buildings over 190-feet tall to install a mandatory red flashing aircraft warning light.
However, the castle appears much taller thanks to the magic of Disney Imagineering. The structure utilizes forced perspective by shrinking the size of its windows and bricks, making it look much taller on ground level.
As for the reasoning behind the castle’s iconic design, Disney Parks explains that “the castle’s iconic look is built on a timeless color combination: deep, handsome blues paired with radiant golds. These colors were chosen to reflect the Florida sunshine in a way that makes the castle shimmer from every angle.”
