You know that urban legend that Cinderella Castle’s spires can be removed in the event of hurricanes? This of course is untrue. Mostly… It seems that there may be some truth to this after all! So, let’s dive in to the construction happenings at Tokyo Disneyland right now, including the Castle and the Beauty and the Beast expansion!
Park Entrance
Entrance construction continues with great speed! If you look through a little gap in scaffolding close to the top-middle right, you can see that some of the structures are receiving their bright blue shingles. Additionally, dirt is starting to go into all of the planters for flowers and trees. We haven’t quite hit brick-laying yet, but that won’t be too far off in the future! In the center, light poles and fixtures are awaiting their installation (or to be put in storage if they are spares). This project is set to be completed in April 2020, so we’re getting pretty close!
Inside the park itself, this huge area has just been reopened to the public after two months of reconstruction to fit the new theme. A small area in the corner is still under construction, but I doubt it will be for much longer.
Cinderella Castle Refurbishment
Ah, the infamous Cinderella Castle refurbishment. Before we begin, I just want to talk about how awesome the Mary Blair-esque scaffolding is. I just wish they’d done it all the way up the castle. If you look really closely through the scaffolding, the top spire is actually gone! Yes, for this six month-long refurbishment, the spire has indeed been removed! I would imagine that after 36 years, it’s time for some extreme repairs. Particularly after events like the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Typhoon Hagibis. I’m so excited to see the results of these extreme repairs in March and April! The officially-scheduled end date is April 7th, 2020, with the shops and Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall reopening on April 8th.
Here’s another angle to better demonstrate the spire removal on Cinderella Castle. What I’d pay to go into that site and see what it looks like up close! Between this and the removal of one of the S.S. Columbia’s smokestacks for refurbishment, Tokyo Disneyland sure takes their construction and refurbs seriously!
Minnie’s Style Studio
In the past couple of weeks, the scaffolding has come down around the future Minnie’s Style Studio greeting area. I’m loving the cartoony Art Deco style of this building! It’ll blend right in to Toontown when it opens!
Belle’s Village
Scaffolding has been coming down around Belle’s Village as well, allowing a better glimpse of the exteriors coming to the restaurants and shops in this area. Who’s ready for everything to open? I wonder what kind of food Gaston’s will serve?
The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast
The scaffolding is coming down! We can see the very tip of the castle emerging into the skies, and the rest of the structure is rapidly developing. If you look closely on the left, one of the lower towers looks nearly complete. The main entrance looks like its just started going vertical, with the only the steel in place.
Scaffolding has gone up right in front of castle itself. I wonder what will be here? Or maybe it’s just to prevent a straight shot at the castle.
Fantasyland Forest Theater
More of the hill and mountain facades are emerging from scaffolding to cover the theater building itself. I mean, there’s only so much money that can be spent to cover up a massive theater. I think it looks gorgeous, honestly! And I’m so excited to see how the facade itself ties in to the show and costumes we just spotted the other day!
All of these construction projects at Tokyo Disneyland are scheduled for completion in April 2020. I’m so excited for these incredible improvements to my favorite castle park! Will you be visiting Tokyo Disney Resort next year? Let us know below or on Twitter!
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