Happily Ever After Modified Due to Cinderella Castle Painting

Happily Ever After, the nighttime fireworks show at Magic Kingdom, has been slightly modified due to the Cinderella Castle repainting project.

Happily Ever After Altered

Happily Ever After Modified Due to Cinderella Castle Painting

The show’s fireworks, pyrotechnics, and projections all remain intact. However, the show is not currently using lasers. This is most obvious during the “Friend Like Me” sequence, which usually features a lot of lasers, but also the Finding Nemo section, the ending of Hero’s Welcome, and then lastly during a few parts of the finale.

See our video of the show without lasers below.

The Cinderella Castle repainting project officially began on January 28. It received the current pink, royal blue, and gray color scheme for the park’s 50th anniversary in 2021. Disney announced last summer that the castle would be restored to its classic colors of gray of light blue. They later announced that painting would begin in January 2026.

Some fresh pink paint appeared on the castle appeared on the castle last week, apparently as a test. Painting is set to be complete by the end of the year.

To accommodate work, the Let the Magic Begin welcome show no longer includes characters or fireworks, just music, and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire performance times have been shifted later in the day.

Happily Ever After

Happily Ever After debuted in 2017 to critical acclaim. Its original run ended in 2021 to be replaced by Disney Enchantment, the 50th anniversary fireworks show. Happily Ever After returned in 2023 with new Main Street, U.S.A. projections. It received upgraded spotlights in 2024.

It was temporarily paused during the holiday season but returned on January 1. Guests can currently enjoy it at 9 p.m. most evenings.

Watch our video of Happily Ever After as it’s usually performed below.