Today, the Castle of Magical Dreams, the first Disney castle ever to be re-imagined, finally opened at Hong Kong Disneyland after nearly three years of work! The towering castle is inspired by not one but thirteen Disney Princesses in an eclectic and beautiful composition that sets Hong Kong Disneyland apart once more! And now, we can finally take a closer look in, out, and around the majestic new castle!

The beautiful castle towers over the rest of the park and features individual color representations of the Princesses and Queens that blend harmoniously with the castle’s architectural features, according to Disney.

One of the defining features of Hong Kong Disneyland is the mountainous backdrop behind the park, which creates a unique and picturesque view with the Castle of Magical Dreams in front.

Equally beautiful from behind, the new castle certainly soars above the rest of Penny’s Bay.

According to Disney, when developing the overall design of the castle, Imagineers celebrated local culture and wisdom, by infusing some basics of Chinese architecture – the
concept of a harmonious balance of the elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth.
● Metal – gold and metallic theme of color were used.
● Earth & Wood – This is the first castle that has artificial foliage and trees that are on
the castle, evoking the feeling of a living castle.
● Water – The castle’s moat and water fountain maintain a good presence of water
throughout the castle. Water will also be used to add new visual elements to the
upcoming entertainment performances.
● Fire – In the upcoming new entertainment, there will be pyrotechnics, fire and lasers,
which bring in the fire element.

In the evening, the castle will shine above the rest of the park and will serve as an idyllic backdrop for the brand-new daytime and nighttime shows coming soon. In the daytime show, Follow Your Dreams, Mickey Mouse and his pals serve as guides through a musical journey filled with fresh arrangements of classic Disney tunes. The brand-new show will feature beloved Disney characters and challenge everyone to look beyond their imaginations in order to embrace the power of dreams and their unique ability to transform our lives, culminating in an exciting finale where Mickey tells Guests to “follow your dreams!”

The nighttime spectacular, Cherish the Memories, will celebrate moments of hope, adventure, laughter, and love told through the stories and songs of beloved Disney films. Combined with pyrotechnics, fountains, lasers, and projection mapping, the show will culminate with a celebration of a grand celebration of the Castle of Magical Dreams!

Hong Kong Disneyland also released a special video that goes behind the scenes of the design and construction of the Castle of Magical Dreams.

Disney also provided details for the inspiration behind the towers of all thirteen Disney Princesses!

Anna & Elsa

The storybook inspired architecture of their tower includes a light blue shingled roof reminiscent of Elsa’s icy blue dress. The shimmering silver finial on the tower takes the form of a 3-dimensional snowflake, inspired by Elsa’s ice magic and the snow that propels her on her adventure with Anna.

Ariel

The color of Ariel’s tower is inspired by her dress, using subtle gradations of coral and green, while the dome features scalloped details with a pearly luster and gold highlights. A golden seashell supported by kelp and pearls serves as this tower’s finial, alluding to Ariel’s deep connection to the ocean and her sea creature friends.

Aurora

The tower dedicated to Aurora reaches higher than other castle towers and serves as a homage to the original Sleeping Beauty Castle. The finial atop the tower features a shimmering golden crown that alludes to Aurora’s title and responsibility as a princess. Her story is further interpreted through hints of color that match her iconic dress, which magically transforms from pink to blue.

Belle

The colors used to represent Belle in her tower are blue and yellow; blue for the dress she wears while strolling through her village and yellow for the iconic ball gown she wears while dancing with the Beast. The golden finial on Belle’s tower depicts the enchanted rose from Beast’s castle. And the blue dome features a golden embossed, book icon pattern that symbolizes Belle’s passion for reading. French flourish patterns also decorate the tower, paying tribute to her heritage.

Cinderella

A light blue color inspired by Cinderella’s memorable transformative ball gown is used for the architectural roof shingles above the rotunda. The finial on the roof feature takes the form of a golden pumpkin coach, symbolizing the magnificent carriage that magically brought her to Prince Charming’s ball.

Jasmine

An Arabic fabric pattern embellishes the fuchsia walls of Jasmine’s tower. Because of her signature outfit, her tower also features a turquoise dome with a golden Arabic pattern that includes sword-like shapes. The golden finial that tops Jasmine’s dome depicts Abu playfully hanging onto the decorative spire as if caught in the wind.

Merida

Fiery copper, regal blue and gold highlights are used to interpret Merida on this turret dedicated to her courageous story. Celtic designs that reference the four Brave clans adorn the turret roof, alluding to a strong family bond as well as her Scottish ancestry. The finial on Merida’s tower is shaped as a golden bow and arrow on a target. In her story, the bow and arrow signify Merida’s natural sense of freedom and serve as a source of personal strength.

Moana

Moana is represented in her tower by the iconic earth-tone colors she is associated with, especially various shades of oranges, reds and tan tones. A sea-blue dome adorned with a water reflection motif that symbolizes the ocean sits on top of a richly colored tower embossed with Polynesian patterns and waves. The golden finial on top of the dome depicts Maui’s hooks holding the heart of Te Fiti.

Mulan

Architectural elements that pay tribute to Mulan’s story include an embossed cherry blossom motif with gold accents on a rose gold dome. Her tower also features jade corners and architectural ornamentation in the form of crossed golden spears, symbolizing Mulan’s heritage and fearless, warrior spirit. The golden finial on top of Mulan’s tower features her faithful companion – the dragon Mushu, proudly and playfully using the finial as a gong.

Pocahontas

Architectural elements inspired by Pocahontas’ story include a bas relief of flowing leaf patterns on her turret’s deep reddish-copper pointed roof, and a turquoise band below that represents her iconic necklace. The golden finial on top of the turret features her devoted hummingbird companion, Flit, with raspberries teasingly stuck on his thin, needlelike beak.

Rapunzel

Rapunzel is known for her unique purple dress and her iconic golden hair. Hence, her turret painted in different shades of purple, is topped with a golden roof. The golden finial on Rapunzel’s turret is the Sundrop flower with the glowing lily-like blossom being the source of magic in her luscious hair.

Snow White

Yellow, red, white, and blue are the colors that stand out most in Snow White’s dress. And these colors have subtly been interpreted in the tower dedicated to Snow White. A golden dome with an embossed apple lattice pattern sits atop a pale yellow tower with light blue highlights and banding. A golden finial takes the shape of a weather vane featuring her iconic apple positioned on a smaller coppery-red dome. This represents the poison apple given to Snow White by the Evil Queen that served as the catalyst of Snow White’s magic sleep.

Tiana

From the color of Tiana’s ball gown to her transformation into a frog, green is a prevalent color in Tiana’s story, which is why her tower features subtle shades of green. Another prominent design element found throughout her tower is the iconography of water lilies. For instance, an embossed water lily motif adorns the gold dome on her tower. The golden finial on Tiana’s tower depicts Prince Naveen in the form of a frog, sitting atop a water lily, puckering his lips ready for a transformational kiss from Tiana.

At the west entrance of the castle, the rose window above the rotunda, like the castle itself, brings 13 stories of Disney Princesses and Queens all together and forms a vibrant masterpiece, showing the symbols and flowers that represent the different classic princesses and queens’ stories.

Breezeway

Guests will find Aurora’s fairy godmothers, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather casting their magic across the castle breezeway.

The rotunda ceiling made up of 13 iconic symbols representing Disney Princesses and Queens features over 8,000 shimmering points of fairy dust lights.

Columns

Each Princess and Queen had a group of devoted friends supporting and encouraging them, who helped them achieve their dreams. Guests can find thirteen columns topped with capitals that depict scenes with these loyal friends, revealing delicately carved details from their shared stories.

Bauhinia Flower

The symbol of Hong Kong, Bauhinia flowers, can be found etched in the castle’s main gate.

The Royal Reception Hall

Inside the castle, there is the Royal Reception Hall, where Guests have the opportunity to meet their favorite Princesses and Queens in a regally appointed castle interior, featuring intricately carved details, tapestries and small bronze statues depicting the beloved heroines who inspired the castle design.

Enchanted Treasures Shop

Enchanted Treasures is the first Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Store in Hong Kong Disneyland’s Castle of Magical Dreams. Here, artisans from Chow Tai Fook, a prominent and luxurious Hong Kong jewelry brand, have been officially appointed as the Royal Jewelers for all of the kingdom’s opulent keepsakes and treasures.

Exclusive items on sale at Enchanted Treasures includes a specially crafted Disney Princesses collection.

Glimpse Into the Magic Audio Tour

The Glimpse Into the Magic tour of the Castle of Magical Dreams is an immersive free-flow, self- guided audio tour that allows guests to venture through the castle, whilst being guided by an audio narration from local celebrity and Disney fan, Karena Lam. Guests can appreciate the architectural designs of the towers, turrets, domes, spires and finials and see how their various colors, icons, patterns and cultural features were inspired by the stories of Disney Princesses and Queens.

Guests can listen to the audio through a dedicated web page by scanning QR codes at 8 different check points. After completing the journey, Guests are invited to take photos in front of the castle in order to capture a lifetime of magical moments! The tour is available in both English and Cantonese.

How to Draw a Disney Castle

As part of the 15th anniversary celebration and to commemorate the Castle of Magical Dreams’ grand opening, Guests can also learn to draw the newly-opened castle at the Animation Academy on Main Street U.S.A.

The Castle of Magical Dreams is now open at Hong Kong Disneyland. With all these incredible and intricate details hidden throughout the design, you’re sure to spot something new every time you visit Hong Kong Disneyland! Are you excited about the newly imagined castle? Let us know in the comments below, or on social media!

Spencer Lloyd