As much as we all need Christmas this year, the health and safety guidelines instituted due to the COVID-19 pandemic are still in place, and that means changes across Walt Disney World and how the resorts celebrate the holidays. At the Magic Kingdom, Cinderella Castle Dream Lights were not hung this year. Instead, a series of rotating projections decorate the castle so guests can take a festive picture. Join us as we take you through this new holiday experience!

As guests awaited the start of projections, we caught Santa’s Christmas Cavalcade passing through.

Do note that even though traditional shows and parades are temporarily discontinued to discourage crowding, crowds are still somewhat inevitable as guests gather near the castle to watch the projections. Do keep this in mind as you scout out a spot near the hub to watch.

And now for some logistics. There are four different styles of projections, and they cycle through every 15 minutes from “as soon as it’s dark enough” until the last guests leave the park that night. Cast Members will be walking around and making sure guests know that there’s no official “show” for the night. Now, let’s walk you through all four designs!

Festive Stripes and Dots

This one’s extra whimsical, with overtones of red and green making for a playful take on a Christmas castle.

The trees surrounding the hub are also lit in red lights.

Christmas Sweater

The coziest of all, this projection transforms Cinderella Castle to look like a knitted sweater!

Jeweled Winter Castle

With this projection, the castle takes on a royal blue color, with gold spires and jeweled accents.

The hub trees are also lit blue to match!

Regal Red, Green and Gold

And finally, we have a very regal overlay in green and red for the last projection in the cycle.

If you’re looking to experience these Cinderella Castle projections from home, check out our YouTube video below:

You can also relive the magic and splendor of the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights from years past in our YouTube video below: