Disney has shut down part of its iconic castle in Florida.
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Things are always changing in the theme park industry, especially at Walt Disney World, with numerous projects about to start or already shifting into gear. Earlier this year, guests saw part of DinoLand close forever inside Animal Kingdom, with more closures happening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It’s rare to see big closures at the Magic Kingdom, though recently the park shut down its Cinderella Castle stage, leaving visitors with more limited options in terms of live shows.
Disney Closes Cinderella Castle Stage, Halts Live Performances of Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire
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Disney World has closed its Cinderella Castle stage, halting performances of Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire. Performances of this live show are held multiple times daily, but new signs have been put up around the castle informing guests that Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is now offline.
The official Walt Disney World Resort website shows no performances of Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire are scheduled through May 18, with the show starting back up on May 19. However, these dates are subject to change.
The last refurbishment of the castle stage happened last summer and lasted around three weeks. During this refurbishment, the stage floor was replaced. It’s unclear what this new refurbishment will entail.
This is hardly the only operational change happening or about to happen at the Magic Kingdom, which is on the cusp of one of its most transformational periods. It all started at last year’s D23 event, which saw The Walt Disney Company share updates on a number of projects, both inside and outside its theme parks.
Highlights of the show include concrete plans for overhauling and retheming DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, more information about Disneyland’s version of Pandora, and big updates to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The biggest news of the night was Disney’s announcement of a reimagined Frontierland, Magic Kingdom’s wild west-themed hub. Classic attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stay, but Disney intends to get rid of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America. Eventually, this area of the park will house a new expansion based on Pixar’s Cars franchise, with Disney teasing an off-roading “E-ticket” attraction similar to Disneyland’s Radiator Springs.
To say this announcement ruffled some feathers would be an understatement. Many fans felt betrayed by the thought of losing Tom Sawyer Island and the man-made waterways known as the Rivers of America. Closures are a necessary and quite common part of any theme park’s life cycle, though it’s not every day or even every decade when fans lose an entire section of a place like Magic Kingdom.
The future of the Walt Disney World Resort is certainly exciting, but it’s also uncharted. Disney plans to upgrade its theme park offering significantly as the decade continues. Last year, the company pledged a whopping $60 billion towards its parks and experiences, meaning all this is likely the tip of the iceberg.
Disney has closed a legendary part of its Magic Kingdom theme park, halting performances of a popular in-park show.
What is your favorite part of Disney’s Magic Kingdom?
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