Before the coronavirus shut down virtually every business worldwide, the Walt Disney Company had construction projects that were either ongoing or about to commence in every park. The Walt Disney World Resort was no exception.

As the coronavirus gradually grew in intensity throughout the United States and cities and states started implementing stay-at-home orders, Disney made the decision to close its US-based parks. Walt Disney World officially closed on Sunday, March 15, 2020.

From EPCOT’s dramatic transformation to the Magic Kingdom, on March 18 every project was put on hold. Eventually Disney started evaluating which projects would proceed, which would be delayed, and those that would be cancelled all together. One of those projects that was already being worked on was the refurbishment of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.

The Disney Parks Blog announced on February 17, 2020 that Cinderella Castle would be received a “royal makeover.” ” We are excited to share that her story [Cinderella] has inspired a bold, shimmering and royal makeover of her namesake castle at the heart of Walt Disney World Resort,” wrote Jason Kirk, Vice President, Magic Kingdom Park.

Disney decided not to obscuring the castle with printed scrims, construction walls, or any other barriers, Instead, during the first week in March they simply moved cranes into place and did the work in full view of guests. A week later the Walt Disney World Resort was closed.

Work resumed in early June as Disney announced that the resort would reopen to guests in mid July. Now it seems that work is almost complete and the cranes will be down before the Magic Kingdom reopens to guests. Among members of the online Disney community it didn’t see as if this project would have been cancelled. “We are pleased to see work continuing on the site, especially in these last month before the Magic Kingdom is set to reopen on July 11th,” wrote WDWNT blogger Madeline.