Walt Disney World has confirmed our reporting that the Let the Magic Begin welcome show is on hiatus. At least, the characters are on hiatus. This is due to work anticipated to begin very shortly on the Cinderella Castle transformation at Magic Kingdom. Here’s the latest from Disney, along with a look at the final welcome show before the hiatus.
Characters Removed from Magic Kingdom Welcome Show During Castle Repainting
Yesterday, we published an article with a video of what we assumed was the final Let the Magic Begin welcome show before a months-long hiatus. In that article, we speculated that Disney may remove characters from the welcome show, and wanted to remove showtimes to prevent any confusion from guests expecting the full show.
Overnight, Disney confirmed our speculation and published the following notice:
Cinderella Castle is currently undergoing a magical transformation. Due to project work, Let The Magic Begin will be temporarily modified. While characters will not be making an appearance during this time, you will still hear the welcome fanfare and music to start your day at Magic Kingdom.
Shortly, Walt Disney World will begin visible work on the Cinderella Castle repainting project. When that work begins, high-reach cranes will be extended and visible during the morning hours. By noon each day, those cranes will be retracted, and guests will be able to have a clear view of Cinderella Castle for the remainder of the day and evening.
Disney wanted to get started on the project earlier in the month. Initial work was scheduled to include the draining of the moat around Cinderella Castle. As of yesterday, there were no visible temporary cofferdams, so we assume that the project is a little bit behind schedule. We’ll be out at Magic Kingdom this morning to check on the project, so be sure to check back with us a little bit later for the status of the Cinderella Castle repainting project!
Here’s a look at yesterday’s Let the Magic Begin welcome show – the final show with characters before the hiatus.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!