Back in February, the Disney Parks Blog announced that Walt Disney World’s iconic Cinderella Castle will be getting a makeover. Jason Kirk, Vice President, Magic Kingdom Park, wrote, “Cinderella first transformed into a princess 70 years ago this week when the animated classic was released—and ever since, her courage and kindness have been inspiring guests and cast members alike. We are excited to share that her story has inspired a bold, shimmering and royal makeover of her namesake castle at the heart of Walt Disney World Resort.”

The following month the Walt Disney World Resort closed due to the pandemic, but work still continued on the castle. As guests returned this past week, starting with the Annual Passholder preview on 9 July and then to regular guests on 11 July, work was still going on.

In a recent post on the Disney Parks Blog, Kirk said, “Walt Disney Imagineering helped select the new royal color scheme to give Cinderella Castle its glistening new look. Special elements, such as a sapphire dusting on the blue rooftops and gold trim, were added to make the iconic spires sparkle in the sun … you might see our painters applying the final coats of paint and adding the finishing touches to if you’re planning to visit Magic Kingdom Park over the next several weeks.”

As guests photographed the castle they noticed something unusual. The painters were not painting the castle to just any ordinary plan, they were painting it according to numbers. Disney fans learned that Cinderella Castle is the ultimate paint-by-numbers kit.

Images: Mickey Views/Twitter

The “stones” on the castle were either marked with a ‘4″, “5”, or “6”. Each number corresponded to a specific shade or shades of gray to use for the “stones.”

Images: Alicia Stella/Twitter

Most guests like the look of the updated castle, however some did not. Comments ranged from “beautiful” to “disappointing.” Others said it now looks like Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland.