Walt Disney World has just made a quiet change to an entertainment offering at Magic Kingdom, which brings to an end a long-standing tradition. This unexpected shift comes after other major changes taking place at the iconic theme park.
Keep reading for all the details on this newest change in entertainment at Disney World and what to expect. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including major changes happening at Disney World in May and the upcoming ride closures for both Disney parks.
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Disney World Ending Traditional Morning Show
The Cinderella Castle repainting at Magic Kingdom began in January, which has been a large project that required draining the moat and the use of cranes to reach the highest points of the castle. As of May, the project is nearly complete, with the castle nearly fully restored to its color palette of grays, creams, blues, and gold accents. This repainting was done to reverse the castle repainting that was done for the 50th anniversary, which transformed the castle into a pink color scheme.
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During the refurbishment, Disney World modified the “Let the Magic Begin” stage show that would greet guests on the Cinderella Castle stage each morning. “Let the Magic Begin” took place at park opening and featured a short stage presentation with Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters that would greet guests at the start of the day. The show included a countdown to park opening and would “open” the parks in a celebratory fashion. During the castle repainting, it was presented in an audio-only format, without the characters or use of the stage.
Now, the official website for “Let the Magic Begin” has been removed from Walt Disney World’s site, which naturally means that the show has been discontinued in its traditional format.
This is disappointing news that the show will no longer be returning in full stage format, even though work on the stage is now complete. This appears to be an easy cost-cutting measure or efficiency practice, which in the end just reduces the guest experience. While this short show wasn’t the epitome of the best Disney World entertainment, it was a way to direct guest attention in the morning while they waited for rope drop, especially if you had little kids in tow. However, Disney will be integrating more character interactions during Early Theme Park Entry this summer, so this does offer some solace for Disney Resort hotel guests.
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As for the other castle stage show, “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire,” it has now returned to a more standard schedule, as it was limited before due to the presence of cranes and other equipment required for the project. Currently, the schedule for “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” shows an average of five showtimes a day. This musical stage show features Mickey Mouse along with Tiana and friends from The Princess and the Frog, Rapunzel and Flynn from Tangled, and Olaf, Anna, and Elsa from Frozen.
So while there won’t be a morning show any longer, this show helps fill that void a bit, especially as it now offers some earlier showtimes.
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